Apparatus and method for void/particulate detection
First Claim
Patent Images
1. Apparatus for detecting voids and particulates in a fluid within a containing means, the apparatus comprising:
- (a) first transducer means, coupled to a first location on the containing means, for transmitting a diffuse sound field of predetermined frequency into the fluid;
(b) second transducer means, coupled to a second location on the containing means, for receiving a portion of the transmitted sound field and for generating a signal representative of the received portion of the sound field; and
(c) signal processing means, coupled to the second transducer, for processing the second transducer signal to determine the presence of voids and particulates responsive to attenuation of the sound field transmitted through fluid.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus and method for detecting voids and particulates in a fluid within a containing vessel. A diffuse ultrasonic signal is coupled into the fluid by a first transducer and the portion of the ultrasonic signal transmitted through the fluid is detected by a second transducer. The received signal is analyzed by a processor to determine the void fraction of the fluid responsive to the attenuation of the received ultrasonic signal. In addition, voids and particulates are detected by evaluating the increase in side-band energy of the received signal.
84 Citations
23 Claims
-
1. Apparatus for detecting voids and particulates in a fluid within a containing means, the apparatus comprising:
-
(a) first transducer means, coupled to a first location on the containing means, for transmitting a diffuse sound field of predetermined frequency into the fluid; (b) second transducer means, coupled to a second location on the containing means, for receiving a portion of the transmitted sound field and for generating a signal representative of the received portion of the sound field; and (c) signal processing means, coupled to the second transducer, for processing the second transducer signal to determine the presence of voids and particulates responsive to attenuation of the sound field transmitted through fluid. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. A method of detecting voids and particulates in fluid within a containing vessel, comprising the steps of:
-
(a) transmitting diffuse acoustic energy into the fluid; (b) detecting the amount of absorption of the diffuse acoustic energy. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
-
21. Apparatus for detecting voids and particulates in a fluid within a containing means, the apparatus comprising:
-
(a) first transducer means, coupled to a first location on the containing means, for transmitting a diffuse sound field of predetermined frequency into the fluid; (b) second transducer means, coupled to a second location on the containing means, for receiving a portion of the transmitted sound field and for generating a signal representative of the received portion of the sound field; and (c) signal processing means, coupled to the second transducer, for processing the second transducer signal to determine the presence of voids and particulates responsive to attenuation of the sound field transmitted through fluid and including means for bandpass filtering the signal representative of the received portion of the sound signal, means for generating a center frequency signal representative of the signal strength of the filtered signal, means for isolating at least one sideband of the signal representative of the received portion of the sound field and means for generating a control signal representative of the signal strength of a side-band isolated thereby. - View Dependent Claims (22)
-
-
23. A method of detecting voids and particulates in fluid within a containing vessel, comprising the steps of:
-
(a) transmitting diffuse acoustic energy into the fluid; (b) detecting the amount of absorption of the diffuse acoustic energy; and (c) detecting the amount of acoustic side-band energy produced by voids and particulates within the fluid and determining the presence of voids and particulates responsive to the amount of acoustic side-band energy.
-
Specification