Fluid conductivity device for measuring fluid volumes and method therefor

Claim 1

A device for measuring the volume of each fluid in a fluid mixture, said fluid mixture flowing at a constant volumetric flow rate and each fluid in said mixture having a different electrical conductivity, said device comprising: means (600) receiving said mixture (300) for separating said mixture (300) in a formed passageway (200) into separate individual fluid droplets (310, 320), said separating means (600) being capable of maintaining said constant volumetric flow of said mixture (300), and means (400, 170) operatively interconnected with said separating means (600) for determining the time required for each droplet (310, 320) to flow through said passageway (200) by sensing the electrical conductivity of each droplet (310, 320) commencing with the leading interface (500) and ending with the lagging interface (510) as it passes through said passageway (200), said determined time being proportional to the volume of said droplet (310, 320).

Claim 2

A device for measuring the volume of each fluid in a fluid mixture, said fluid mixture flowing at a constant volumetric flow rate and each fluid in said mixture having a different electrical conductivity, said device comprising: means (600) receiving said mixture (300) for separating said mixture (300) in a formed passageway (200) into separate individual fluid droplets (310, 320), said separating means (600) being capable of maintaining said constant volumetric flow of said mixture (300), and means (400, 170) operatively interconnected with said separating means (600) for determining the time required for each droplet (310, 320) to flow through said passageway (200) by sensing the electrical conductivity of each droplet (310, 320) commencing with the leading interface (500) and ending with the lagging interface (510) as it passes through said passageway (200), said determined time being proportional to the volume of said droplet (310, 320).

Claim 7

A device for measuring the volume of each fluid in a fluid mixture (300), said fluid mixture (300) flowing at a constant volumetric flow rate and each fluid having a different electrical conductivity, said device comprising: means (600) receiving said mixture (300) for separating said mixture (300) in a formed cylindrical passageway (200) into separate individual fluid droplets (310, 320), said separating means (600) being capable of maintaining said constant flow of said mixture (300), an alternating current source (160), two opposing electrical probes (400) connected across the interior of said passageway (200) for applying current from said current source (160) to said droplets (310, 320) in a plane (210) perpendicular to the flow of said droplets (310, 320), means (1220) interconnected with said current source (1200) and said probes (400) for producing a voltage signal proportional to the conductivity of said droplets (310, 320), means (1230) receptive of said voltage signals and of a predetermined threshold level for producing a first signal (1310) representative of a low conductivity fluid when said voltage signals exceed said threshold level (1320) and for producing a second signal (1300) representative of a high conductivity fluid when said electrical signals are below said threshold level (1320), and means (1240, 1250) receptive of said first and second signals for determining the volume of each of said droplet by measuring the time difference between the leading and lagging interfaces of each droplet as said droplet flows past said generating means, said measured time difference being proportional to the volume of said droplet.

Claim 8

A device for measuring the volume of each fluid in a fluid mixture (300), said fluid mixture (300) flowing at a constant volumetric flow rate and each fluid having a different electrical conductivity, said device comprising: means (600) receiving said mixture (300) for separating said mixture (300) in a formed cylindrical passageway (200) into separate individual fluid droplets (310, 320), said separating means (600) being capable of maintaining said constant flow of said mixture (300), an alternating current source (160), two opposing electrical probes (400) connected across the interior of said passageway (200) for applying current from said current source (160) to said droplets (310, 320) in a plane (210) perpendicular to the flow of said droplets (310, 320), means (1220) interconnected with said current source (1200) and said probes (400) for producing a voltage signal proportional to the conductivity of said droplets (310, 320), means (1230) receptive of said voltage signals and of a predetermined threshold level for producing a first signal (1310) representative of a low conductivity fluid when said voltage signals exceed said threshold level (1320) and for producing a second signal (1300) representative of a high conductivity fluid when said electrical signals are below said threshold level (1320), and means (1240, 1250) receptive of said first and second signals for determining the volume of each of said droplet by measuring the time difference between the leading and lagging interfaces of each droplet as said droplet flows past said generating means, said measured time difference being proportional to the volume of said droplet.

Claim 10

A device for measuring the volumes of oil (310) and water (320) in an oil and water mixture (300), said oil and water mixture flowing at a constant volumetric flow rate, said device comprising: means (600) receiving said mixture for separating said mixture (300) in a formed passageway (200) into separate oil and water droplets (310, 320), said separating means (600) being capable of maintaining said constant flow of said mixture (300), an alternating current source (1200), two opposing electrical probes (400) connected across the interior of said passageway (200) for applying current from said current source to said oil and water droplets (310, 320) in a plane (210) substantially perpendicular to the flow of said droplets (310, 320), means (1220) interconnected with said current source (1200) and said probes (400) for producing a voltage signal proportional to the conductivity of said oil and water droplets (310, 320), means (1230) receptive of said voltage signals and of a predetermined threshold level for producing a first signal (1310) representative of water (300) when said voltage signals exceed said threshold level (1320) and for producing a second signal (1300) representative of oil (310) when said electrical signals are below said threshold level (1320), and means receptive of said first and second signals (1300, 1310) for determining the volume of each of said oil and water droplets (310, 320) by measuring the time difference between the leading (500) and lagging (510) interfaces of each droplet as said droplet flows past said probes, said measured time difference being proportional to the volume of said droplet.

Claim 11

A device for measuring the volumes of oil (310) and water (320) in an oil and water mixture (300), said oil and water mixture flowing at a constant volumetric flow rate, said device comprising: means (600) receiving said mixture for separating said mixture (300) in a formed passageway (200) into separate oil and water droplets (310, 320), said separating means (600) being capable of maintaining said constant flow of said mixture (300), an alternating current source (1200), two opposing electrical probes (400) connected across the interior of said passageway (200) for applying current from said current source to said oil and water droplets (310, 320) in a plane (210) substantially perpendicular to the flow of said droplets (310, 320), means (1220) interconnected with said current source (1200) and said probes (400) for producing a voltage signal proportional to the conductivity of said oil and water droplets (310, 320), means (1230) receptive of said voltage signals and of a predetermined threshold level for producing a first signal (1310) representative of water (300) when said voltage signals exceed said threshold level (1320) and for producing a second signal (1300) representative of oil (310) when said electrical signals are below said threshold level (1320), and means receptive of said first and second signals (1300, 1310) for determining the volume of each of said oil and water droplets (310, 320) by measuring the time difference between the leading (500) and lagging (510) interfaces of each droplet as said droplet flows past said probes, said measured time difference being proportional to the volume of said droplet.

Claim 13

A device for measuring the volumes of oil (310) and water (320) in an oil and water mixture (300), said oil and water mixture (300) flowing at a constant volumetric flow rate, said device comprising: means (600) receiving said mixture (300) for separating said mixture (300) in a formed passageway (200) into separate oil (310) and water (320) droplets, said separating means (600) being capable of maintaining said constant flow of said mixture, an alternating current source (1200), means (400) interconnected with said current source (1200) and connected across the interior of said passageway (200) for producing a voltage signal proportional to the conductivity of said oil and water droplets as said droplets flow past said interior connection, means receptive of said voltage signals for determining the volume of each of said oil and water droplets by measuring the time difference between the leading (500) and lagging (510) interfaces of each droplet as said droplet flows past said interior connection, said measured time difference being proportional to the volume of said droplet.

Claim 14

A device for measuring the volumes of oil (310) and water (320) in an oil and water mixture (300), said oil and water mixture (300) flowing at a constant volumetric flow rate, said device comprising: means (600) receiving said mixture (300) for separating said mixture (300) in a formed passageway (200) into separate oil (310) and water (320) droplets, said separating means (600) being capable of maintaining said constant flow of said mixture, an alternating current source (1200), means (400) interconnected with said current source (1200) and connected across the interior of said passageway (200) for producing a voltage signal proportional to the conductivity of said oil and water droplets as said droplets flow past said interior connection, means receptive of said voltage signals for determining the volume of each of said oil and water droplets by measuring the time difference between the leading (500) and lagging (510) interfaces of each droplet as said droplet flows past said interior connection, said measured time difference being proportional to the volume of said droplet.

Claim 15

A method for measuring the volumes of oil and water in an oil and water mixture, said oil and water mixture (300) flowing at a constant volumetric flow rate, said method comprising the steps of: separating said mixture (300) into separate oil (310) and water (320) droplets while maintaining said constant volumetric flow rate, sensing the leading (500) and lagging (510) interfaces of each separated droplet by detecting the electrical conductivity of the aforesaid droplet, and measuring the time difference between said leading (500) and lagging (510) edges so that the volume of said droplet can be determined.

Claim 16

A method for measuring the volumes of oil and water in an oil and water mixture, said oil and water mixture (300) flowing at a constant volumetric flow rate, said method comprising the steps of: separating said mixture (300) into separate oil (310) and water (320) droplets while maintaining said constant volumetric flow rate, sensing the leading (500) and lagging (510) interfaces of each separated droplet by detecting the electrical conductivity of the aforesaid droplet, and measuring the time difference between said leading (500) and lagging (510) edges so that the volume of said droplet can be determined.

Claim 17

A device for measuring the volume of each fluid in a fluid mixture, said fluid mixture flowing at a constant volumetric flow rate and each fluid in said mixture having a different electrical conductivity, said device comprising: means (600) receiving said mixture (300) for separating said mixture (300) in a formed passageway (200) into separate individual fluid droplets (310, 320), said separating means (600) being capable of maintaining said constant volumetric flow of said mixture (300), and means (400, 170) operatively interconnected with said separating means (600) for determining the time required for each droplet (310, 320) to flow through said passageway (200) by sensing the electrical conductivity of each droplet (310, 320) as it passes through said passageway (200), said determined time being proportional to the volume of said droplet (310, 320), said determining means comprising: (a) means (400) mounted across said passageway (200) for generating electrical signals proportional to the electrical conductivity of each fluid droplet (310, 320) in a plane (210) perpendicular to the flow of said droplet (310, 320), said generating means having an alternating current source (1200) with a frequency in the range of approximately 5 to 20 KHz and a voltage in the range of approximately 50-150 volts; two opposing electrical probes (400) connected across the interior of said passageway for applying current from said alternating current source (1200) in said plane, and means (1220) interconnected with said alternating current source (1200) and said probes (400) for producing a voltage signal proportional to the conductivity of said droplets (310, 320), and (b) means (170) receptive of said electrical signals for measuring the time differences between the leading (500) and lagging (510) interfaces of each droplet (310, 320) as said droplet flows past said generating means (400).

Claim 18

A device for measuring the volume of each fluid in a fluid mixture, said fluid mixture flowing at a constant volumetric flow rate and each fluid in said mixture having a different electrical conductivity, said device comprising: means (600) receiving said mixture (300) for separating said mixture (300) in a formed passageway (200) into separate individual fluid droplets (310, 320), said separating means (600) being capable of maintaining said constant volumetric flow of said mixture (300), and means (400, 170) operatively interconnected with said separating means (600) for determining the time required for each droplet (310, 320) to flow through said passageway (200) by sensing the electrical conductivity of each droplet (310, 320) as it passes through said passageway (200), said determined time being proportional to the volume of said droplet (310, 320), said determining means comprising: (a) means (400) mounted across said passageway (200) for generating electrical signals proportional to the electrical conductivity of each fluid droplet (310, 320) in a plane (210) perpendicular to the flow of said droplet (310, 320), said generating means having an alternating current source (1200) with a frequency in the range of approximately 5 to 20 KHz and a voltage in the range of approximately 50-150 volts; two opposing electrical probes (400) connected across the interior of said passageway for applying current from said alternating current source (1200) in said plane, and means (1220) interconnected with said alternating current source (1200) and said probes (400) for producing a voltage signal proportional to the conductivity of said droplets (310, 320), and (b) means (170) receptive of said electrical signals for measuring the time differences between the leading (500) and lagging (510) interfaces of each droplet (310, 320) as said droplet flows past said generating means (400).