Measurement of steam quality using multiple broadband lasers
First Claim
1. Method for determining steam quality comprising the steps of:
- passing a first laser beam at a first wavelength emitted from a first broadband laser along a path through steam in a steam chamber, the steam having a water vapor phase and a liquid water phase, the first wavelength such that the water vapor phase absorbs radiation in the first laser beam at a high level and the liquid water phase absorbs radiation in the first laser beam at a level substantially lower than the high level of absorption by the water vapor phase;
passing a second laser beam at a second wavelength emitted from a second broadband laser along a path through the steam in the steam chamber, the second wavelength different from the first wavelength and such that the liquid water phase absorbs radiation in the second laser beam at a high level and the water vapor phase absorbs radiation in the second laser beam at a level substantially lower than the high level of absorption by the liquid water phase;
measuring the transmitted intensity of the first laser beam through the steam;
measuring the transmitted intensity of the second laser beam through the steam;
normalizing the transmitted intensities of the first and second laser beams through the steam;
using Beer Lambert'"'"'s law, determining a total number of water vapor molecules in the path of the first laser beam based on the normalized transmitted intensity of the first laser beam through the steam;
using Beer Lambert'"'"'s law, determining a total number of liquid water molecules in the path of the second laser beam based on the normalized transmitted intensity of the second laser beam through the steam;
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.
31 Citations
24 Claims
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1. Method for determining steam quality comprising the steps of:
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passing a first laser beam at a first wavelength emitted from a first broadband laser along a path through steam in a steam chamber, the steam having a water vapor phase and a liquid water phase, the first wavelength such that the water vapor phase absorbs radiation in the first laser beam at a high level and the liquid water phase absorbs radiation in the first laser beam at a level substantially lower than the high level of absorption by the water vapor phase; passing a second laser beam at a second wavelength emitted from a second broadband laser along a path through the steam in the steam chamber, the second wavelength different from the first wavelength and such that the liquid water phase absorbs radiation in the second laser beam at a high level and the water vapor phase absorbs radiation in the second laser beam at a level substantially lower than the high level of absorption by the liquid water phase; measuring the transmitted intensity of the first laser beam through the steam; measuring the transmitted intensity of the second laser beam through the steam; normalizing the transmitted intensities of the first and second laser beams through the steam; using Beer Lambert'"'"'s law, determining a total number of water vapor molecules in the path of the first laser beam based on the normalized transmitted intensity of the first laser beam through the steam; using Beer Lambert'"'"'s law, determining a total number of liquid water molecules in the path of the second laser beam based on the normalized transmitted intensity of the second laser beam through the steam; 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, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. 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 first broadband laser operatively associated with the chamber for passing a first laser beam at a first wavelength along a path through steam in the steam chamber, the first wavelength such that the water vapor phase absorbs radiation in the first laser beam at a high level and the liquid water phase absorbs radiation in the first laser beam at a level substantially lower than the high level of absorption by the water vapor phase; a second broadband laser operatively associated with the chamber for passing a second laser beam at a second wavelength along a path through steam in the steam chamber, the second wavelength different from the first wavelength and such that the liquid water phase absorbs radiation in the second laser beam at a high level and the water vapor phase absorbs radiation in the second laser beam at a level substantially lower than the high level of absorption by the liquid water phase; a first photodetector for measuring the transmitted intensity of the first laser beam through the steam; a second photodetector for measuring the transmitted intensity of the second laser beam through the steam; and a computer processor for; normalizing the transmitted intensities of the first and second laser beams through the steam; using Beer Lambert'"'"'s law, determining a total number of water vapor molecules in the path of the first laser beam based on the normalized transmitted intensity of the first laser beam through the steam; using Beer Lambert'"'"'s law, determining a total number of liquid water molecules in the path of the second laser beam based on the normalized transmitted intensity of the second laser beam through the steam; determining specific volumes of 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 water vapor phase and liquid water phase in the steam. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification