US3727048A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Chemical tracer method of and structure for determination of instantaneous and total fluid flow mass and volume
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1971-05-10
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Granted: 1973-04-10
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Expires: 1991-05-10
Abstract
Abstract Total mass flow of a fluid component is determined by structure for and the method of inserting a chemical tracer into a flowing fluid at a known mass flow rate, removing a mixed sample of the flowing fluid and tracer, analyzing the concentration of tracer and the concentration of a component of the flowing fluid, the total mass of which is to be determined, determining the ratio of tracer to component of interest, integrating the ratio over a predetermined time and multiplying the result by the mass flow rate of the tracer inserted into the main fluid flow. The total particulate mass flow and total volume flow as well as instantaneous mass, particulate mass and volume flows are determined by similar structures and methods. A method of expressing tracer concentrations in analyzers rather than in main fluid flow tubes and a method of taking into account tracer components present in the main flow tube before insertion of the tracer into the main fluid flow are provided. Cancellation of tracer components in the main fluid flow upstream of the point of injection of tracer is also disclosed.
Inventors
- 👤 R Haas
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 08:24
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N33/00; G01N33/0004; G01N33/0009; G01N33/0011; G01F; G01F1/00; G01F1/704; G01F1/7042; G01N1/00; G01N1/02; G01N1/22; G01N1/2247; G01N2001/225
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
165 words
The method of determination of at least one of the total mass of a component of interest in a flowing main fluid and volume of a flowing main fluid in a period of time comprising the injection of an analyzable tracer component at a constant mass rate into the flowing main fluid, mixing the tracer continuously with the flowing main fluid flow, passing the mixed tracer and main fluid flow across a cross sectional area so that the mass flow rate of the tracer at the cross sectional area is equal or at least approximately equal to the mass injection rate of the tracer, analyzing a sample of the uniform mixture at the cross sectional area to determine the concentration of at least one of the tracer and at least one component of interest in the sample, integrating a signal derived from the determined concentration in the sample over the time period, and multipLying the time integrated signal by the mass rate of tracer injection.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
165 words
The method of determination of at least one of the total mass of a component of interest in a flowing main fluid and volume of a flowing main fluid in a period of time comprising the injection of an analyzable tracer component at a constant mass rate into the flowing main fluid, mixing the tracer continuously with the flowing main fluid flow, passing the mixed tracer and main fluid flow across a cross sectional area so that the mass flow rate of the tracer at the cross sectional area is equal or at least approximately equal to the mass injection rate of the tracer, analyzing a sample of the uniform mixture at the cross sectional area to determine the concentration of at least one of the tracer and at least one component of interest in the sample, integrating a signal derived from the determined concentration in the sample over the time period, and multipLying the time integrated signal by the mass rate of tracer injection.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
76 words
The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the total mass of the components of interest is determined, the concentration of tracer in the sample and the concentration of one or more of the components of interest in the sample are determined, a ratio between the tracer concentration and component of interest concentration is provided and the ratio is integrated over the time period from time t1 to time t2 in accordance with the formula:
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method as set forth in claim 2, wherein the component of interest is particulate matter, and further including maintaining the cross sectional area of the main fluid flow as a uniform heterogeneous composition.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
160 words
The method of determination of the total volume of a flowing main fluid in a period of time comprising the injection of an analyzable tracer component at a constant mass rate into the flowing main fluid, mixing the tracer continuously with the main fluid flow, passing the mixed tracer and main fluid flow across a cross sectional area so that the mass flow rate of the tracer at the cross sectional area is equal or at least approximately equal to the mass injection rate of the tracer, analyzing a sample of the uniform mixture at the cross sectional area to determine the concentration of the tracer in the sample, integrating a signal which is representative of the reciprocal of the concentration of the tracer in the sample over the time period, and multiplying the time integrated signal by the mass injection rate of the tracer to provide the total volume flow over the time period in accordance with the formula
Claim 6
Independent Claim
160 words
The method of determination of the total volume of a flowing main fluid in a period of time comprising the injection of an analyzable tracer component at a constant mass rate into the flowing main fluid, mixing the tracer continuously with the main fluid flow, passing the mixed tracer and main fluid flow across a cross sectional area so that the mass flow rate of the tracer at the cross sectional area is equal or at least approximately equal to the mass injection rate of the tracer, analyzing a sample of the uniform mixture at the cross sectional area to determine the concentration of the tracer in the sample, integrating a signal which is representative of the reciprocal of the concentration of the tracer in the sample over the time period, and multiplying the time integrated signal by the mass injection rate of the tracer to provide the total volume flow over the time period in accordance with the formula
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method as set forth in claim 4, and further including maintaining at least one of the temperature, pressure and volumetric flow rates constant.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method as set forth in claim 5, and further including determining the main volumetric flow for a period by multiplying the volumetric flow for an initial shorter period by the resultant of the new total time period divided by the initial total time period.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
48 words
The method as set forth in claim 1, and further including compensating the tracer concentration for differences between tracer concentration in a main fluid flow tube and tracer concentration in an analyzer due to temperature and pressure differences in the main fluid flow tube and in the analyzer.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method as set forth in claim 1 and further including compensating the tracer concentration at the sampling point for initial tracer concentration in the main fluid flow.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the main fluid flow is continuous when the analyzer measurements are being made.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the main fluid is a total of fluid flow over a predetermined time.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method as set forth in claim 1, and further including the step of inserting additional fluid in the main fluid to provide a constant or nearly so, volumetric flow rate.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method as set forth in claim 1, and further including at least one of the steps of heating, filtering and condensing moisture from the main fluid prior to injection of the tracer therein.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
145 words
Structure for determining at least one of the total mass flow of a component of interest and the total volume flow of the main fluid over a period of time comprising a main tube, means for drawing the main fluid through the main tube, means for injecting a tracer into the fluid as it is drawn through the main tube, and means for withdrawing a portion of a Mixture of the tracer and main fluid from the tube at a predetermined cross section subsequent to injection of the tracer into the main fluid, means for analyzing the sample to provide a signal representative of the concentration of at least one of the tracer and at least one component of interest therein, integrating the analyzed sample signal over the period of time and multiplying the analyzed, integrated sample signal by the mass rate of tracer injection.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
145 words
Structure for determining at least one of the total mass flow of a component of interest and the total volume flow of the main fluid over a period of time comprising a main tube, means for drawing the main fluid through the main tube, means for injecting a tracer into the fluid as it is drawn through the main tube, and means for withdrawing a portion of a Mixture of the tracer and main fluid from the tube at a predetermined cross section subsequent to injection of the tracer into the main fluid, means for analyzing the sample to provide a signal representative of the concentration of at least one of the tracer and at least one component of interest therein, integrating the analyzed sample signal over the period of time and multiplying the analyzed, integrated sample signal by the mass rate of tracer injection.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
64 words
Structure as set forth in claim 13, wherein the analyzing means includes means for analyzing the tracer concentration and the concentration of the component of interest in a single analyzer and providing a ratio therebetween and the ratio is integrated over the period of time whereby the total mass flow of the component of interest over the period of time of integration is provided.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
31 words
Structure as set forth in claim 13, and further including means for inserting inert fluid in the main fluid flow tube to maintain a constant main fluid flow in the tube.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
36 words
Structure as set forth in claim 13, and further including means for compensating for the effect of tracer component present in the main fluid flow prior to the constant mass injection site of the tracer component.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
36 words
Structure as set forth in claim 13, and further including means for mixing the main fluid to provide a uniform dispersion of the tracer in the main fluid flow at the cross section of sample removal.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
36 words
Structure as set forth in claim 13, and further including at least one of means for heating, means for filtering and means for condensing moisture from the main fluid flow in the main fluid flow tube.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
23 words
Structure as set forth in claim 13, and further including means for linearizing the analyzer means output signals connected to the analyzer means.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
153 words
Structure for determining at least one of the total mass flow of a component of interest and the total volume flow of the main fluid over a period of time comprising a main tube, means for drawing the main fluid through the main tube, means for injecting a tracer into the fluid as it is drawn through the main tube, and means for withdrawing a portion of a mixture of the tracer and main fluid from the tube at a predetermined cross section subsequent to injection of the tracer into the main fluid, means for analyzing the sample to provide signals representative of at least one of the concentration of at least one component of interest therein and the reciprocal of the concentration of the tracer therein and means for integrating at least the reciprocal signal over the period of time and multiplying the integrated signal by the mass rate of tracer injection.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
153 words
Structure for determining at least one of the total mass flow of a component of interest and the total volume flow of the main fluid over a period of time comprising a main tube, means for drawing the main fluid through the main tube, means for injecting a tracer into the fluid as it is drawn through the main tube, and means for withdrawing a portion of a mixture of the tracer and main fluid from the tube at a predetermined cross section subsequent to injection of the tracer into the main fluid, means for analyzing the sample to provide signals representative of at least one of the concentration of at least one component of interest therein and the reciprocal of the concentration of the tracer therein and means for integrating at least the reciprocal signal over the period of time and multiplying the integrated signal by the mass rate of tracer injection.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1976-04-09 | 1976-10-09 | 1977-04-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1980-04-09 | 1980-10-09 | 1981-04-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1984-04-09 | 1984-10-09 | 1985-04-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |