Method and apparatus for monitoring wear particles in a liquid medium
First Claim
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1. A method of monitoring one of magnetically polarized, magnetically polarizable, electrically polarized and electrically polarizable particles carried in a liquid medium and comprising the steps of:
- impinging a flow of the liquid medium onto an upper surface of a substrate located in a magnetic or electric force field respectively, having a component extending substantially at right angles to the surface for attracting the particles thereonto;
rotating the substrate about an axis which passes through the substrate and is disposed substantially parallel to the force field, the force field remaining fixed with respect to the substrate during said rotation instead of having relative motion between the two during the rotation of said rotating substrate, and said rotation being at an angular speed sufficient to modify the flow of the medium across the surface and permit the force field to precipitate the particles onto the surface; and
monitoring optically the precipitated particles.
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Abstract
An improved method and apparatus of producing Ferrograms in which centrifugal force is used to facilitate the spread of a deposit of magnetically or electrically polarized or polarizable particles onto a substrate to facilitate subsequent analysis of the particles.
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Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method of monitoring one of magnetically polarized, magnetically polarizable, electrically polarized and electrically polarizable particles carried in a liquid medium and comprising the steps of:
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impinging a flow of the liquid medium onto an upper surface of a substrate located in a magnetic or electric force field respectively, having a component extending substantially at right angles to the surface for attracting the particles thereonto; rotating the substrate about an axis which passes through the substrate and is disposed substantially parallel to the force field, the force field remaining fixed with respect to the substrate during said rotation instead of having relative motion between the two during the rotation of said rotating substrate, and said rotation being at an angular speed sufficient to modify the flow of the medium across the surface and permit the force field to precipitate the particles onto the surface; and
monitoring optically the precipitated particles. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An apparatus for monitoring particles in a liquid medium and comprising:
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supply means including a discharge opening for feeding the liquid medium therethrough; a substrate having an axis and a surface disposed below said discharge opening; means to supply a steady magnetic force field to said substrate so that a component of said magnetic force field is disposed substantially orthogonal to said surface of said substrate; and means to rotate said substrate while said magnetic force field remains fixed with respect to said substrate during the rotation thereof, said rotation being about said axis passing through said substrate and substantially parallel to said magnetic force field. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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Specification