Apparatus and method for measuring steam quality
First Claim
1. Method for determining steam quality comprising the steps of:
- frequency-scanning a laser beam emitted from a narrow linewidth laser along a path through steam in a steam chamber to excite a molecular transition in the steam, the steam having a water vapor phase and a liquid water phase;
determining a total number of water vapor molecules in the path of the laser beam based on a normalized peak absorption amplitude of the water vapor phase as the laser beam passes through the steam;
determining a total number of liquid water molecules in the laser beam path based on a shift in dc level of a peak absorption amplitude of the water vapor phase from a dc level of a reference peak absorption amplitude;
determining specific volumes of the water vapor phase and the liquid water phase in the steam using the total numbers of water vapor and liquid water molecules; and
calculating quality of the steam based on the specific volumes of water vapor phase and liquid water phase in the steam.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Determination of steam quality by passing one or more laser beams through steam in a steam chamber and directly determining a total number of vapor molecules and a total number of water molecules based on absorption of radiation in the one or more laser beams by the water vapor phase and the liquid water phase in the steam. Specific volumes of water vapor phase and liquid water phase in the steam using the total numbers of water vapor and liquid water molecules are determined and the quality of the steam is calculated based on the specific volumes of the water vapor phase and the liquid water phase in steam. One embodiment comprises a narrow linewidth laser for measuring steam quality and another embodiment comprises multiple broadband lasers for measuring steam quality.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. Method for determining steam quality comprising the steps of:
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frequency-scanning a laser beam emitted from a narrow linewidth laser along a path through steam in a steam chamber to excite a molecular transition in the steam, the steam having a water vapor phase and a liquid water phase; determining a total number of water vapor molecules in the path of the laser beam based on a normalized peak absorption amplitude of the water vapor phase as the laser beam passes through the steam; determining a total number of liquid water molecules in the laser beam path based on a shift in dc level of a peak absorption amplitude of the water vapor phase from a dc level of a reference peak absorption amplitude; determining specific volumes of the water vapor phase and the liquid water phase in the steam using the total numbers of water vapor and liquid water molecules; and calculating quality of the steam based on the specific volumes of water vapor phase and liquid water phase in the steam. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. Method for determining steam quality comprising the steps of:
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frequency-scanning a laser beam emitted from a narrow linewidth laser along a path through steam in a steam chamber to excite a molecular transition in the steam, the steam having a water vapor phase and a liquid water phase; measuring peak absorption amplitude of the water vapor phase as the laser beam passes through the steam; normalizing the peak absorption amplitude of the water vapor phase using a reference peak absorption amplitude to determine a normalized peak absorption amplitude; determining a total number of water vapor molecules in the path of the laser beam based on the normalized peak absorption amplitude; determining a dc level of the peak absorption amplitude of the water vapor phase; determining a dc level of the reference peak absorption amplitude; normalizing the dc level of the peak absorption amplitude of the water vapor phase with the de level of the reference peak absorption amplitude to determine a shift in the dc level of the peak absorption amplitude of the water vapor phase from the dc level of the reference peak absorption amplitude; determining a total number of water molecules in the laser beam path based on the shift in the de level of the peak absorption amplitude of the water vapor phase using Beer Lambert'"'"'s law; determining specific volumes of the water vapor phase and liquid water phase in the steam using the total numbers of water vapor and liquid water molecules; and calculating quality of the steam based on the specific volumes of the water vapor phase and the liquid water phase in the steam. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. System for determining steam quality comprising:
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a chamber for containing steam, the steam having a water vapor phase and a liquid water phase; a narrow linewidth laser operatively associated with the chamber for frequency-scanning a laser beam along a path through the steam to excite a molecular transition in the steam; and a device for measuring peak absorption amplitude of the water vapor phase as the laser beam passes through the steam and a shift in de level of a peak absorption amplitude of the water vapor phase from a dc level of a reference peak absorption amplitude. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification