Apparatus for monitoring electrical properties of a liquid

Claim 2

Monitoring apparatus for continuously determining at least one electrical characteristic of a liquid at a preselected reference temperature during processing of the liquid at a processing temperature which can vary from the reference temperature, which comprises: probe means immersed in a liquid undergoing chemical processing for producing a current representing the electrical admittance of the liquid; thermocouple means immersed in the liquid for producing a voltage representing the processing temperature of the liquid being monitored; first signal resolution means connected to said probe means for producing, from said admittance current, a voltage representing the electrical conductance of the liquid at said processing temperature; voltage generating means for producing a voltage corresponding to a reference temperature, said reference temperature voltage being equal and opposite to the processing temperature voltage produced by said thermocouple means when the reference temperature is equal to the processing temperature; voltage summing means connected to said thermocouple means and to said voltage generating means for producing a temperature difference voltage representing the difference between said reference temperature voltage and said processing temperature voltage; temperature compensation means connected to said summing means and to said first signal resolution means for modifying said voltage representing the conductance of the liquid at the processing temperature, to produce an output voltage representing the conductance of the liquid at the reference temperature.

Claim 3

A monitoring apparatus, as described in claim 1, which further comprises: second signal resolution means connected to said probe means for producing, from said admittance current, a voltage representing the electrical capacitance of the liquid at said processing temperature; and means for connecting said temperature compensation means to said second signal resolution means for modifying the processing temperature capacitance voltage with said temperature difference signal, to produce a voltage representing the capacitance of the liquid at the reference temperature.

Claim 4

A monitoring apparatus, as described in claim 2, wherein the probe means comprises: a conductivity cell, immersed in the liquid; energizing means connected to said conductivity cell for applying an alternating, sine wave voltage across the conductivity cell to produce a current therethrough which represents the electrical admittance of the liquid; and transducer means connected to said conductivity cell for converting said current to said voltage representing the admittance of the liquid.

Claim 5

A monitoring apparatus, as described in claim 3 wherein the first and second signal resolution means comprises: a quadrature oscillator means, which includes said energizing means, for producing a first alternating square wave voltage signal in phase with the sine wave voltage applied across the conductivity cell, and a second alternating square wave voltage signal which is 90° out-of-phase with said sine wave voltage; phase splitter means connected to said transducer means for converting the admittance voltage produced by said transducer means into two equal and opposite voltages; a first voltage multiplier means connected to said phase splitter means for multiplying one of the voltages produced by the phase splitter means by said first square wave voltage, to produce said voltage representing the electrical conductance of the liquid at the processing temperature; and a second voltage multiplier means connected to said phase splitter means for multiplying the other of the voltage produced by said phase splitter means by the second square wave voltage signal, to produce said voltage representing the electrical capacitance of the liquid at the processing temperature within the conductivity cell.

Claim 6

A monitoring apparatus, as described in claim 4, wherein said thermocouple means includes a thermocouple which is mounted to the conductivity cell.

Claim 7

A monitoring apparatus, for use with a conductivity cell immersed in a liquid during processing of the liquid, for continuously determining at least one electrical characteristic of the liquid at a preselected reference temperature during processing of the liquid at a processing temperature which can vary from the reference temperature, which comprises: thermocouple means immersed in a liquid undergoing chemical processing for producing a voltage representing the processing temperature of the liquid; a conductivity cell immersed in said liquid; energizing means connected to said conductivity cell for applying an alternating, sine wave voltage signal across the conductivity cell to produce a current therethrough which represents the electrical admittance of the liquid; transducer means connected to said conductivity cell for converting said current to a voltage representing said electrical admittance of the liquid; first voltage resolution means connected to said transducer means for producing, from said admittance voltage a voltage representing the electrical capacitance of the liquid at said processing temperature; voltage generation means for producing a voltage corresponding to a reference temperature, said reference temperature voltage being equal and opposite to the processing temperature voltage produced by said thermocouple means when the reference temperature is equal to the processing temperature; voltage summing means connected to said thermocouple means and to said voltage generating means for producing a temperature difference voltage representing the difference between the reference temperature voltage and the processing temperature voltage; temperature compensation means connected to said summing means and to said first voltage resolution means for modifying said capacitance voltage produced by said first voltage resolution means in accordance with the temperature difference voltage produced by said voltage summing means, to produce a first output voltage representing the capacitance of the liquid at the reference temperature.

Claim 8

A monitoring apparatus, for use with a conductivity cell immersed in a liquid during processing of the liquid, for continuously determining at least one electrical characteristic of the liquid at a preselected reference temperature during processing of the liquid at a processing temperature which can vary from the reference temperature, which comprises: thermocouple means immersed in a liquid undergoing chemical processing for producing a voltage representing the processing temperature of the liquid; a conductivity cell immersed in said liquid; energizing means connected to said conductivity cell for applying an alternating, sine wave voltage signal across the conductivity cell to produce a current therethrough which represents the electrical admittance of the liquid; transducer means connected to said conductivity cell for converting said current to a voltage representing said electrical admittance of the liquid; first voltage resolution means connected to said transducer means for producing, from said admittance voltage a voltage representing the electrical capacitance of the liquid at said processing temperature; voltage generation means for producing a voltage corresponding to a reference temperature, said reference temperature voltage being equal and opposite to the processing temperature voltage produced by said thermocouple means when the reference temperature is equal to the processing temperature; voltage summing means connected to said thermocouple means and to said voltage generating means for producing a temperature difference voltage representing the difference between the reference temperature voltage and the processing temperature voltage; temperature compensation means connected to said summing means and to said first voltage resolution means for modifying said capacitance voltage produced by said first voltage resolution means in accordance with the temperature difference voltage produced by said voltage summing means, to produce a first output voltage representing the capacitance of the liquid at the reference temperature.

Claim 9

A monitoring apparatus, as described in claim 6, which further comprises: second voltage resolution means connected to said transducer means for producing, from said admittance voltage, a voltage proportional to the electrical conductance of the liquid; and means for connecting said temperature compensation means to said second voltage resolution means for modifying the conductance voltage produced by said second voltage resolution means with said temperature difference voltage produce by said voltage summing means, to produce a second output voltage representing the conductance of the liquid at said reference temperature.