Device for checking the content of hydrocarbons in a mixture of water and hydrocarbons

Claim 1

Apparatus for checking the content of hydrocarbons in a mixture of water and hydrocarbons which flows from a reservoir and comprising drain piping adapted to be connected to said reservoir, a volumetric pump having a predetermined pumping capacity, said pump being connected to said drain piping for taking samples of said mixture therefrom, a delivery pipe connected to an outlet side of said pump for conveying said samples to diScharge, said delivery pipe having a starting point and a delivery point, spaced therefrom, both points being upstream of said discharge, and said delivery point being upstream of said starting point, a loop circuit connected between said starting and said delivery points and including as part thereof that portion of said delivery pipe between said starting and said delivery points, said loop circuit including (a) a pipe through which said samples circulate (b) an optical detector comprising a light emitter and receiver, each being disposed inside a separate tube, one end of each tube being terminated by a transparent cap which projects inside said sample circulating pipe from opposite sides thereof, (c) an emulsifier pump upstream of said detector and having a pumping capacity greater than said predetermined pumping capacity of said volumetric pump whereby samples of the mixture are recycled several times through said emulsion pump and past said optical detector before discharge.