APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR IN SITU, REAL TIME MEASUREMENTS OF PROPERTIES OF LIQUIDS

• Main Authors: WEISBERG, AREL, DE SARO, ROBERT
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French
• Published: 14.10.2008
• Subjects: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; MEASURING; PHYSICS; TESTING

An apparatus for measuring at least one property of a liquid at or below the surface of the liquid comprising: a) a housing having a forward end; b) at least one probe assembly contained within the housing, the at least one probe assembly comprising means for introducing an inert gas into the housing, a conduit for channeling the inert gas to the forward end of the housing and means for providing a stable volume of the inert gas between an open area of the forward end of the housing and the liquid including pressure control means for automatically maintaining the stable volume of the inert gas at the forward end of the housing at a pressure sufficient to keep the liquid from entering the forward end of the housing and the probe assembly, and means for moving the at least one probe assembly to any depth or angle in the liquid while maintaining the stable volume of inert gas; c) a radiation beam assembly comprising means for generating a beam of radiation sufficient to vaporize a portion of the liquid into a detectable species, means for transmitting the radiation beam through the forward end of the housing to the interface of the liquid and the stable volume of inert gas; and d) detection means for receiving the detectable species and for detecting from the detectable speciesat least one property of the liquid.