Hybrid conductivity sensor
US10330619B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 22, 2016 |
| Grant date | Jun 25, 2019 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 3, 2037 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N33/18
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A sensor for measuring conductivity of a fluid containing dissolved ions, particularly for measuring conductivity of salt water, features a cylindrical tube (57) of poorly conductive material such as glass, a first electrode (51A) and a second electrode (51B) inside the tube, connected together (56) to maintain a common electrical potential, a first transformer (52,53) concentrically arranged around the tube (57) to drive current through the fluid in the tube, and a second transformer (54, 55) arranged to sense a value of the current flowing in the fluid, and a digital processing circuit (62) coupled to receive an output signal of the second transformer, and to derive therefrom a value representing the conductivity of the fluid. The sensor is adapted to be towed behind a research ship, or to be deployed on an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) or the like. Current signals are preferably processed by digital switching measurement technology (dMST).
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.