APPARATUS TO DIRECTLY DETECT SOLIDS FORMATION

• Main Authors: Siahvashi, Arman, May, Eric Freemantle, Stanwix, Paul Louis, Hopkins, Matthew Gaven
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 16.06.2022
• Subjects: BLASTING; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS; HEATING; INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; LIGHTING; LIQUEFACTION SOLIDIFICATION OF GASES; LIQUEFACTION, SOLIDIFICATION OR SEPARATION OF GASES OR GASEOUS; MANUFACTURE OR STORAGE OF ICE; MEASURING; MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES; MEASURING VOLUME, VOLUME FLOW, MASS FLOW OR LIQUIDLEVEL; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; METERING BY VOLUME; MIXTURES BY PRESSURE AND COLD TREATMENT; PHYSICS; REFRIGERATION OR COOLING; TESTING; WEAPONS

An apparatus to directly detect solids formation in a fluid under known pressure and temperature conditions is disclosed. The apparatus includes a vessel having an electromagnetic resonant cavity defined by an upper portion, a lower portion and a gap defined therebetween, the gap having resonant properties sensitive to the presence of a solid phase therein. The upper portion or the lower portion may be provided with a passage extending therethrough in fluid communication with an inlet to allow ingress of a stream of fluid to the gap and thereby purge solids from the cavity subsequent to solids formation.The apparatus also includes one or more probes, one or more sensors and a signal processor operatively connected to said sensors and said one or more probes to directly detect solids formation in the fluid within the cavity in response to detected changes in the resonant properties of the cavity.