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Measuring instrument and method for determining the alcohol content of a mixture

  • US 5,367,264 A
  • Filed: 05/12/1993
  • Issued: 11/22/1994
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1990
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A measuring instrument for determining the alcohol content of a mixture, comprising;

  • a measuring configuration through which a mixture flows, said measuring configuration including a casing with a wall, part of said wall forming a first electrode, and a sensor element around which the mixture flows, said sensor element forming a second electrode, said first and second electrodes forming a capacitor and the mixture flowing between said first and second electrodes forming a dielectric of said capacitor, said capacitor having a capacitance and the dielectric having a conductance, and wherein an alcohol content of the mixture is to be determined from a dielectric constant of the mixture determined from the capacitance and from the conductance;

    a measuring circuit having an oscillator with a first input connected to said measuring configuration and a second input;

    a control circuit connected to said second input for generating a given number of control voltages and transmitting the control voltages to said second input of said oscillator; and

    means for measuring an oscillator frequency for each of the control voltages.

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