Sensor apparatus for measurement of material properties
First Claim
1. A method of material constituent measurement, the method comprising:
- providing at least one metamaterial assisted sensor, each sensor comprising at least one antenna configured as a transmitter of electromagnetic (EM) energy, a receiver of EM energy, or a combination thereof, wherein a metamaterial of the at least one metamaterial assisted sensor comprises a negative refractive index;
placing at least one metamaterial assisted sensor inside a conduit to probe a material;
exciting at least one metamaterial assisted sensor via a signal source at one or more frequencies;
measuring a transmitted energy level, a reflected energy level, a frequency shift, or a combination thereof in response to the sensor excitation; and
applying transfer functions to estimate via a programmable computing device, one or more material fractions associated with the probed material based on amplitude data, phase data, frequency shift data or a combination thereof in response to the transmitted energy level, reflected energy level, a measured frequency shift, or combination thereof to determine a gas fraction and a liquid fraction.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A material constituent sensor includes one or more metamaterial assisted antennas located to probe a material that is a multiphase composition. A signal source excites at least one metamaterial assisted antenna in a desired range of radio frequency (RF) signals, a desired range of microwave signals, or a combination RF signals and microwave signals. A data processing device is programmed to estimate material constituent fractions associated with the probed material based on amplitude data, phase data, frequency shift data, or a combination of amplitude data, phase data and frequency shift data in response to transmitted energy from at least one excited metamaterial assisted antenna, reflected energy received by at least one metamaterial assisted antenna, frequency shift data, or a combination of the transmitted energy, the reflected energy and the frequency shift.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of material constituent measurement, the method comprising:
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providing at least one metamaterial assisted sensor, each sensor comprising at least one antenna configured as a transmitter of electromagnetic (EM) energy, a receiver of EM energy, or a combination thereof, wherein a metamaterial of the at least one metamaterial assisted sensor comprises a negative refractive index; placing at least one metamaterial assisted sensor inside a conduit to probe a material; exciting at least one metamaterial assisted sensor via a signal source at one or more frequencies; measuring a transmitted energy level, a reflected energy level, a frequency shift, or a combination thereof in response to the sensor excitation; and applying transfer functions to estimate via a programmable computing device, one or more material fractions associated with the probed material based on amplitude data, phase data, frequency shift data or a combination thereof in response to the transmitted energy level, reflected energy level, a measured frequency shift, or combination thereof to determine a gas fraction and a liquid fraction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A material constituent sensor, comprising:
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one or more metamaterial assisted sensors placed inside a conduit to probe a material, wherein each metamaterial assisted sensor comprises at least one antenna configured as a transmitter of electromagnetic (EM) energy, a receiver of EM energy, or a combination thereof, and wherein a metamaterial of the at least one metamaterial assisted sensor comprises a negative refractive index; a signal source configured to excite at least one metamaterial assisted sensor in a desired range of radio frequency signals, a desired range of microwave signals, or a combination thereof; and a programmable computing device configured to estimate one or more material fractions associated with the probed material based on amplitude data, phase data, frequency shift data, or a combination thereof in response to transmitted energy from at least one sensor antenna, reflected energy received by at least one sensor antenna, or a combination thereof to determine a gas fraction and a liquid fraction. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A material constituent sensor comprising:
one or more metamaterial assisted sensors placed inside a conduit to probe a material, wherein each metamaterial assisted sensor comprises; at least one antenna configured as a transmitter of electromagnetic (EM) energy, a receiver of EM energy, or a combination thereof, wherein a metamaterial of the at least one metamaterial assisted sensor comprises a negative refractive index, and wherein the sensor is configured to determine a gas fraction and a liquid fraction. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
Specification