Patent · US Expired

Method and apparatus for measuring steam quality

US4679947A · kind A · utility

39Cited by
16References
46Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 16, 1985
Grant dateJul 14, 1987
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 16, 2005

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N2009/008
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method and apparatus for measuring steam quality of wet or two-phase flowing steam includes a flow-through densitometer comprised of two parallel tubes connected to two common nodes, a vibrator for causing the tubes to vibrate, and a transducer for detecting the frequency and amplitude of the vibrations. A temperature probe detects the temperature of the steam, and a computer is used to monitor the vibrations and temperature and to calculate steam quality. The computer can also be used to control the vibrator. An intake sampler is positioned in a flowing steam line to divert a representative sample of the wet steam into the densitometer. The bulk density of the steam is determined as a function of the fundamental frequency of the densitometer with the steam flowing therethrough, and the steam quality is determined as a function of the bulk density and vapor density, which is a function of temperature.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.