Fluid management apparatus and method
AssigneeROLLS-ROYCE plc
InventorsIan C. D. Care, John D. Black
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A fluid management apparatus and method, the apparatus including: a fluid conduit for the passage of a dispersion containing particulate matter; a laser arranged to provide laser light inside the fluid conduit; wherein, in use, the laser light heats the particulate matter sufficiently to generate incandescence; one or more sensors for detecting the incandescence of the particulate matter so as to determine a characteristic of the dispersion; and an electromagnetic wave generator operable to provide electromagnetic waves inside the fluid conduit at a position downstream of the laser light so as to vaporize at least a portion of the dispersion.
Claims14
A breather outlet comprising:
- a fluid conduit for the passage of a dispersion containing particulate matter;
- a laser arranged to provide laser light inside the fluid conduit;
- wherein, in use, the laser light heats the particulate matter sufficiently to generate incandescence;
- one or more sensors for detecting the incandescence of the particulate matter so as to determine a characteristic of the dispersion;
- an electromagnetic wave generator operable to provide electromagnetic waves inside the fluid conduit wherein the output of the electromagnetic wave generator is split and directed upstream of the laser light through an attenuator so as to so as to perform a scattering measurement and downstream of the laser light so as to vaporise at least a portion of the dispersion.
A method of using a breather outlet comprising:
- passing a dispersion containing particulate matter through a fluid conduit of the breather outlet;
- passing electromagnetic waves through the dispersion to perform a scattering measurement using a first portion of electromagnetic waves;
- heating the particulate matter sufficiently with laser light to generate incandescence, wherein the first portion of electromagnetic waves is directed upstream of laser light;
- detecting the incandescence of the particulate matter to determine a characteristic of the dispersion;
- and
- vaporising at least a portion of the dispersion using a second portion of electromagnetic waves directed downstream of the laser light.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.