Infrared constituent analyzer and control system
First Claim
1. Apparatus for measuring a constituent of a material including in combination means for directing infrared radiation upon a portion of said material, means for measuring infrared radiation reflected from said portion to produce a reflection signal, means for measuring infrared radiation transmitted through said portion to produce a transmission signal, said transmission signal having a dependence on elastic scattering of said radiation by said material, means responsive to said transmission signal for generating an indication of the content of said constituent, and means responsive to said reflection signal for correcting said content indication for the dependence of said transmission signal on elastic scattering.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Monochromatic infrared radiation of variable wavelengths between 1.0 and 3.5 microns is directed upon a portion of a moving web, and the spectra of infrared radiation reflected from the web portion and of radiation transmitted through the web portion are separately measured by sensors located on both sides of the web. These spectra are combined to provide an absorption spectrum insensitive to any elastic scattering that is also present. Measures of the contents of the web constituents are generated by least-square fitting the individual absorption spectra of the constituents to the measured absorption spectrum of the web. Means for calibrating the reflectance and transmittance measurements and for keeping the sensor viewing windows free of dirt and dust are also disclosed.
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Citations
15 Claims
- 1. Apparatus for measuring a constituent of a material including in combination means for directing infrared radiation upon a portion of said material, means for measuring infrared radiation reflected from said portion to produce a reflection signal, means for measuring infrared radiation transmitted through said portion to produce a transmission signal, said transmission signal having a dependence on elastic scattering of said radiation by said material, means responsive to said transmission signal for generating an indication of the content of said constituent, and means responsive to said reflection signal for correcting said content indication for the dependence of said transmission signal on elastic scattering.
- 6. A method of measuring a constituent of a material including the steps of directing infrared radiation upon a portion of said material, obtaining a measurement of infrared radiation reflected from said portion, obtaining a measurement of infrared radiation transmitted through said portion, said transmitted radiation measurement having a dependence on elastic scattering of said radiation by said material, generating an indication of the content of said constituent of said material in accordance with said transmitted radiation measurement, and correcting said content indication for the dependence of said transmitted radiation measurement on elastic scattering in accordance with said reflected radiation measurement.
- 11. Apparatus for measuring the content of a constituent of a web of material including in combination means for irradiating said web with infrared radiation, means for measuring the intensity of infrared radiation transmitted through said web to produce a transmission signal, said transmission signal having a dependence on elastic scattering of said radiation by material in said web, means for measuring the intensity of infrared radiation reflected from said web to produce a reflection signal, means responsive to said transmission signal for generating an indication of the content of said constituent, and means responsive to said reflection signal for correcting said content indication for the dependence of said transmission signal on elastic scattering.
Specification