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US4394575A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Apparatus for measuring vapor density, gas temperature, and saturation ratio

Assignee: Ophir Corp
•
Filing: 1980-06-30
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Granted: 1983-07-19
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Expires: 2000-06-30
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Abstract

Abstract An apparatus for measuring vapor density and saturation ratio of individual chemical species in multi-component, multi-phase systems includes means to permit measurement in supersaturated vapor and in the presence of liquid, solid and dispersed aerosol phases of the sampled gas component and of other chemical species. Active narrowband differential measurements of broad band radiation passed through the sampled environment and then isolated to a plurality of narrow wavelength bands whose wavelength is related to the gaseous absorption spectra of the sampled species permit the measurement of vapor density of individual chemical components. A concurrent passive radiometric measurement of gas temperature in a strong absorption band of a relatively constant gaseous component enables the conversion of component vapor density to component saturation ratio even in the presence of component or system supersaturation.

Inventors

  • 👤 Loren D. Nelson

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-27 22:38
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01J; G01J5/00; G01J5/60; G01J5/602

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim 57 words
A new and improved passive radiometric device for measuring true air temperature without physical contact wherein the improvement comprises: an extremely narrow system wavelength received radiance bandpass on the order of 0.5 microns or less, said received radiance bandpass being selected to be in the strong carbon dioxide absorption band whose center is at substantially 4.255 microns.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 57 words
A new and improved passive radiometric device for measuring true air temperature without physical contact wherein the improvement comprises: an extremely narrow system wavelength received radiance bandpass on the order of 0.5 microns or less, said received radiance bandpass being selected to be in the strong carbon dioxide absorption band whose center is at substantially 4.255 microns.
Claim 3
Independent Claim 254 words
A device to measure the saturation ratio of gaseous components in systems which contain multiple chemical components, comprising: an apparatus for measuring gaseous component vapor density by means of radiation absorption at a wavelength band relatively strongly absorbed by said gaseous component and wherein said wavelength band is selected to be relatively unaffected by said other chemical components; an apparatus for measuring gas temperature by means of passive radiometric measurements of received radiance at a narrow bandpass on the order of 0.5 microns or less, said narrow bandpass of system sensed radiance being selected to be in a relatively intense absorption band of a component of the gas whose temperature is sensed and also being selected to be in a spectral region of relatively low absorbance by said interfering chemical components, and where said narrow bandpass of system sensed radiance is selected to provide a temperature sensing sample volume substantially spatially and temporally commensurate with the aforementioned means for measuring gaseous component vapor density; means for synergestically combining the aforementioned substantially spatially and temporally commensurate measurements of individual gaseous component vapor density and gas temperature, wherein: the above measurement of gas temperature is used to determine the saturation vapor density of the said sensed gaseous component by reference to known values of the saturation vapor density of said sensed gaseous component as a function of temperature, and saturation ratio then being determined as the ratio of the aforementioned gaseous component vapor density measurement to the aforementioned saturation vapor density of the same gaseous component.
Claim 4
Independent Claim 254 words
A device to measure the saturation ratio of gaseous components in systems which contain multiple chemical components, comprising: an apparatus for measuring gaseous component vapor density by means of radiation absorption at a wavelength band relatively strongly absorbed by said gaseous component and wherein said wavelength band is selected to be relatively unaffected by said other chemical components; an apparatus for measuring gas temperature by means of passive radiometric measurements of received radiance at a narrow bandpass on the order of 0.5 microns or less, said narrow bandpass of system sensed radiance being selected to be in a relatively intense absorption band of a component of the gas whose temperature is sensed and also being selected to be in a spectral region of relatively low absorbance by said interfering chemical components, and where said narrow bandpass of system sensed radiance is selected to provide a temperature sensing sample volume substantially spatially and temporally commensurate with the aforementioned means for measuring gaseous component vapor density; means for synergestically combining the aforementioned substantially spatially and temporally commensurate measurements of individual gaseous component vapor density and gas temperature, wherein: the above measurement of gas temperature is used to determine the saturation vapor density of the said sensed gaseous component by reference to known values of the saturation vapor density of said sensed gaseous component as a function of temperature, and saturation ratio then being determined as the ratio of the aforementioned gaseous component vapor density measurement to the aforementioned saturation vapor density of the same gaseous component.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 48 words
A device to permit measurement of saturation ratio as set forth in claim 2 above and wherein: the sampled gaseous component is water vapor and at least one of the aforementioned vapor density sensing wavelengths is in the strong water vapor absorption band centered at substantially 2.665 microns.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 59 words
A device to permit measurement of saturation ratio as set forth in claim 2 above and wherein: the sampled gaseous component is water vapor in air and the aforementioned gas temperature measurement is by means of the aforementioned received radiance bandpass being selected to be in the strong carbon dioxide absorption band whose center is at substantially 4.255 microns.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 30 words
A device to measure saturation ratios of gaseous components as set forth in claim 2 above and wherein: the measured system is supersaturated with respect to the sensed gaseous component.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 33 words
A device to measure saturation ratios of gaseous components as set forth in claim 2 above and wherein: the measured system contains dispersed aerosols of the condensed phase of the sensed gaseous component.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3121790A Cited
US3718429A Cited
US3891848A Cited
US4120200A Cited
US4157470A Cited
US4154089A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1986-07-18 1987-01-17 1987-07-19 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1990-07-18 1991-01-17 1991-07-19 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1994-07-18 1995-01-17 1995-07-19 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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