Abstract: A plug flow converting pipeline and method for creating a plug flow condition of a fluid in a pipeline or similar conduit so that a desired measurement of the fluid may be conducted. In one embodiment, the converting pipeline includes a section of pipeline with an elongated flow channel disposed therein. The flow channel acts to reduce the amount of energy stored in the fluid fibers thereby enabling them to re-flocculate and form a plug flow condition. While a sufficient length of straight pipeline may enable the fibers to re-flocculate, the flow channel provides a "calming effect" thereby enabling the overall length of straight pipeline to be reduced. In another embodiment, the pipeline includes a T-shaped transition piece attached to the pipeline designed to create a chaotic flow condition which quickly transforms into a plug flow condition, thereby requiring a shorter length of straight pipeline.

Abstract: A hub assembly with improved sealing and anti-clogging properties comprising a housing body with a central, longitudinal aligned bore. In the embodiment described herein, a rotating shaft unit on a consistency transmitter is disposed inside the central bore. A flow cavity is formed on the distal end of the housing body which directly communicates with the central passageway of a pipeline containing flowing fluid material. The flow cavity is sufficient in size so that fluid material inside the pipeline may freely flow therein during use. Located around the distal opening of the housing body is an inner bushing made of graphite material. Located immediately adjacent to the inner bushing is a compressible bellows seal which imparts a force against the adjacent, outer surface of the inner bushing. The bellows seal which rotates with the rotating drive unit, has a smooth silicone-carbide end surface which is pressed tightly against the end surface on the stationary inner bushing thereby forming a tight seal.

Abstract: An improved impeller for a rotating consistency transmitter and a method of measuring the consistency of pulp slurry flowing in a main pipeline. The impeller includes an intercepting surface designed to minimize the creation of turbulence in pulp slurry and the frictional forces on the front edge thereof when rotated in the pulp slurry. Using the impeller, a method of measuring the consistency of the pulp slurry is provided which measures the work done by forces acting on the impeller.

Abstract: A leverage insertion assembly for inserting and removing an element from a main pipeline in which a fluid is flowing. The leverage device includes a hollow positioning pipe connected to the main pipeline with a gate valve attached to the positioning pipe. Formed on the outer surface of the section of positioning pipe on the opposite side of the gate valve from the main pipeline is a spiral cut-out. Handles attached at one end to the element located inside the positioning pipe extend through the spiral cut-out. During operation, the element is moved longitudinally inside the positioning pipe when the element is rotated by turning the handles. As the handles are turned, the cut-out limits the longitudinal movement of the element inside the positioning pipe. When the element has been moved a sufficient distance inside the positioning pipe to clear gate valve, the gate valve may be closed thereby closing the positioning pipe. The element can then be removed from the positioning pipe.

Abstract: The present invention describes an optical technique for analyzing undiluted, multi-phase fluid flows as typically encountered inside reactor vessels or flow lines in the chemical industries. In particular the technique uses a pulsed, coherent light source and measures the back-scattered light collected over a wide scattering angle. A light beam is relayed via a set of lenses down a long probe tube, through a window at a probe tip to illuminate the material that is passing past the window. The light beam is pulsed to "freeze" the motion of the particles streaming past the window. The backscattered light is collected by the same set of optics and is focused on the front surface of a CCD chip.

Abstract: A rotating consistency transmitter and method of measuring the viscosity, consistency, concentration or the rheological properties of a flowing multi-purpose material in a pipeline by measuring the torque acting on a rotating shaft, which at one end is driven by a motor and at the other end is attached to an impeller directly positioned inside the pipeline. The rotating shaft is made up of three concentric shafts, an outer drive shaft, a middle sensor shaft and an inner reference shaft aligned and attached together so that a single motor may be used to rotate it. The sensor shaft is connected at one end to the drive shaft and connected at the opposite end to the inner reference shaft. When material is present in the main pipeline and in contact with the impeller, rotation of the impeller is impeded, thereby producing a torque across the sensor shaft.

Abstract: Apparatus and method of analyzing particles contained in a fluent medium. An optical system receives light from a laser, and focuses the light at a focal spot in the fluent medium. Optical pulses resulting from the backscattering of light by particles in the focal spot are detected and used to produce an electrical transit time signal comprising a series of electrical pulses. The length of each electrical pulse corresponds to the time required for a particle to pass through the focal spot. The apparatus also includes a laser Doppler system that receives light from the focal spot region, and produces an electrical velocity signal corresponding to the velocity of particles within such region. A processor receives the transit time and velocity signals, and combines the signals to produce data representing the sizes of particles passing through the focal spot.

Abstract: Apparatus for analyzing particles contained in a fluent edium (12). The apparatus includes a body (20) having a window (30), an optical source preferably comprising a laser diode (100) having a small light emitting area (140), and an optical system (102) for focusing the light from the laser diode at a focal spot (84) such that the size of the focal spot is approximately equal to the size of the light emitting area of the laser diode. A photodetector (106) is mounted in the body and detects light backscattered from the focal spot by particles in the fluent medium, and produces an electrical signal that comprises a series of pulses associated with the particles. The electrical signal is input to a detector that counts the pulses and indicates the number of particles in the fluent medium. The detector includes discrimination means for preventing the counting of a pulse that has a rise or fall time above a predetermined threshold, thereby discriminating against particles that are not at the focal spot.

Abstract: An optical radar system comprising a transmitter (20), a receiver (22), a signal processor (200) and means (202, 206) for conveying a return signal from the receiver to the signal processor. The transmitter comprises a laser diode (50), an avalanche transistor (52), a capacitor (56) and a trigger generator (58). The laser diode, avalanche transistor and capacitor are arranged so as to minimize the combined effects of self-inductance and stray capacitance, thereby enhancing the speed and power of the optical pulses. The receiver comprises a reverse biased photodiode capacitively coupled to a dual gate GaAsFET. The transmitter and reciever are connected to the signal processor via coaxial cable (206) and cable amplifiers (202). The cable amplifiers are selected to compensate for the high frequency attenuation of the coaxial cable, such that the combined cable/cable amplifier transmission system has an essentially flat frequency response up to 1000 MHz.

Abstract: A radar system for tracking a plurality of individual objects that form a cluster. The system comprises means for producing in real time reference information indicative of the position of a reference point associated with the mean position of the objects, and means for producing in real time displacement information indicative of the relative position of each object with respect to the reference point. The system may handle a transmitter, and the means for producing the displacement information may include a interferometer system comprising a central receiver, a pair of first satellite receivers positioned on opposite sides of the central receiver along a first axis that passes through the central receiver, and a pair of second satellite receivers positioned on opposite sides of the central receiver along a second axis that passes through the central receiver and that is inclined with respect to the first axis.