Plural colorants in flow tracer/debugger
First Claim
1. A method for tracing or analyzing fluid flow through an enclosure;
- said method comprising the steps of;
providing an array of colorant-injection elements for positioning at such enclosure;
operating the array to inject different colorants from the injection elements into the enclosure with the fluid flow; and
observing paths of the different colorants through the enclosure with the fluid flow.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An array of colorant nozzles, filled with different colors, is placed at an enclosure through which fluid flow is to be analyzed. The array injects the colors into the enclosure with the flow. Color paths through the enclosure are observed and analyzed. The array best spans the enclosure two-dimensionally and injects different colors at different portions of the channel. Controlled timing of injection, e. g. in pulses, and synchronous detection—including tracking leading/trailing ends of color pulses in the enclosure—is best. Specific spatial-temporal color patterns, and 3D observations (as by plural cameras, aimed through windows or a transparent wall, or inside the disclosure) are preferred. For very large systems a careful, exact scale model is used. Preferably a programmed processor operates the array and controls analysis of resulting observed color patterns in the fluid.
6 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for tracing or analyzing fluid flow through an enclosure;
- said method comprising the steps of;
providing an array of colorant-injection elements for positioning at such enclosure;
operating the array to inject different colorants from the injection elements into the enclosure with the fluid flow; and
observing paths of the different colorants through the enclosure with the fluid flow. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
- said method comprising the steps of;
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13. Apparatus for tracing or analyzing three-dimensional fluid flow;
- said apparatus comprising;
an array of colorant-injection elements for positioning in such fluid flow with two dimensions of the array extended transversely of a flow direction; and
a programmed processor operating the array to inject different colorants from the injection elements into such fluid flow in specific spatial-temporal color patterns. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
- said apparatus comprising;
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16. Apparatus for tracing or analyzing fluid flow in a very large or very small environment;
- said apparatus comprising;
an accurate scale model of the environment, including such fluid flow;
an array of colorant-injection elements for positioning in such scale-model fluid flow with at least one dimension of the array extended transversely of a flow direction; and
a programmed processor operating the array to inject different colorants from the injection elements, into such scale-model fluid flow in specific spatial-temporal color patterns. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
- said apparatus comprising;
Specification