Acoustic probing technique for the determination of multiple liquid/froth interfaces in separation and storage vessels based on an oblique tomographic analysis approach
First Claim
1. Apparatus comprising:
- a signal processor configured toreceive signaling containing information about waves of energy penetrating a fluid in a tank, container or flow pipe; and
determine an image of layers of the fluid in the tank, container or flow pipe based at least partly on the signaling received, wherein the signaling is received from an array of ultrasonic transponders configured on, or in relation to, the tank, container or flow pipe, each transponder located at a position and wherein each ultrasonic transponder is configured to send respective signaling to other ultrasonic transponder at a different position in sequence, and an acoustic propagation between the ultrasonic transponders indicates an acoustic continuity between the ultrasonic transponders, wherein the different position is a different height in relation to the tank or container or a different flow location in relation to the flow pipe.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus is provided featuring a signal processor configured to receive from an array of ultrasonic transponders around a tank, container or flow pipe signaling containing information about acoustic waves of energy penetrating a fluid in the tank, container or flow pipe; and determine using tomography a three-dimensional image of layers of the fluid in the tank, container or flow pipe based at least partly on the signalling received and. The signal processor provides corresponding signal containing information about the three-dimensional image of the layers of the fluid in the tank, container or flow pipe. The array is an obliquely oriented array of ultrasonic transponders arranged on an oblique plane to the axis of the tank or column; or the array is placed normal to the flow around the exterior of the flow pipe.
20 Citations
44 Claims
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1. Apparatus comprising:
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a signal processor configured to receive signaling containing information about waves of energy penetrating a fluid in a tank, container or flow pipe; and determine an image of layers of the fluid in the tank, container or flow pipe based at least partly on the signaling received, wherein the signaling is received from an array of ultrasonic transponders configured on, or in relation to, the tank, container or flow pipe, each transponder located at a position and wherein each ultrasonic transponder is configured to send respective signaling to other ultrasonic transponder at a different position in sequence, and an acoustic propagation between the ultrasonic transponders indicates an acoustic continuity between the ultrasonic transponders, wherein the different position is a different height in relation to the tank or container or a different flow location in relation to the flow pipe. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method comprising:
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receiving in a signal processor signaling containing information about waves of energy penetrating a fluid in a tank, container or flow pipe; and determining in the signal processor an image of layers of the fluid in the tank, container or flow pipe based at least partly on the signaling received, wherein the signaling is received from an array of ultrasonic transponders configured on, or in relation to, the tank, container or flow pipe, each ultrasonic transponder located at a position, and wherein each ultrasonic transponder is configured to send respective signaling to other ultrasonic transponder at a different position in sequence, and an acoustic propagation between the ultrasonic transponders indicates an acoustic continuity between the ultrasonic transponders, wherein the different position is a different height in relation to the tank or container or a different flow location in relation to the flow pipe. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. Apparatus comprising:
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means for receiving in a signal processor signaling containing information about waves of energy penetrating a fluid in a tank, container or flow pipe; and means for determining in the signal processor an image of layers of the fluid in the tank, container or flow pipe based at least partly on the signaling received, wherein the signaling is received from an array of ultrasonic transponders configured on, or in relation to, the tank, container or flow pipe, each ultrasonic transponder located at a position, and wherein each ultrasonic transponder is configured to send respective signaling to other ultrasonic transponder at a different position in sequence, and an acoustic propagation between the ultrasonic transponders indicates an acoustic continuity between the ultrasonic transponders, wherein the different position is a different height in relation to the tank or container or a different flow location in relation to the flow pipe. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44)
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Specification