Method and apparatus for determining a fluid density
AssigneeJohnson Matthey PLC
InventorsMagne Kjetil Husebo, Tor Magnus Saevareide
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention provides an apparatus and method for measuring a property of a gas, such as the amount of liquid in a stream of the gas. The apparatus comprises a source of beta particles (20), a detector (23) capable of detecting beta particles, means (18) to support said source and said detector spaced apart from each other such that gas may enter the space between the source and detector and that the source is positioned to emit beta particles towards said detector; wherein said detector comprises a scintillation material in optical communication with a photodetector (26), and means (24) to physically isolate said photodetector from said gas.
Claims21
An apparatus, suitable for measuring a property of a fluid, comprising a source of beta particles, a detector capable of detecting beta particles, means to support said source and said detector spaced apart from each other and in contact with said fluid, such that fluid may enter the space between the source and detector and that the source is positioned to emit beta particles towards said detector;
- wherein said detector comprises a scintillation material in optical communication with a photodetector, and means to physically isolate said photodetector from said fluid.
A method for measuring a property of a fluid comprising:
- (a) providing a source of beta particles and a detector for detecting said beta particles, wherein said source and detector are spaced apart from one another and in contact with said fluid;
- wherein said source and detector are arranged such that beta particles emitted by said source are capable of being detected by said detector;
- and wherein said detector comprises a scintillation material in optical communication with a photodetector, and means to physically isolate said photodetector from said fluid;
- (b) causing at least a part of said fluid to flow between said source and said detector;
- and
- (c) measuring over a time period the number of beta particles detected by said detector and inferring a change in said property from a change in the number of beta particles detected over said time period.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.