Acoustic standing wave particle size or distribution detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10989635-B2
Application number	US-201214005581-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 19, 2012
Priority date	Mar 18, 2011
Publication date	Apr 27, 2021
Grant date	Apr 27, 2021

Abstract

Apparatus features an acoustic comb filter module configured to receive signaling containing information about different frequencies F 1 and F 2 to create a selected comb spacing D to capture certain particles having a selected size X in a flow stream in a flow pipe, and to provide an acoustic standing wave via ultrasonic excitation based at least partly on the two different frequencies F 1 and F 2 to create the selected comb spacing D to capture the certain particles having the selected size X in the flow stream in the flow pipe. The apparatus may also include a particle size or distribution determination module configured to receive the certain particles for off-stream analysis via a detection port that forms part of the flow pipe and determine the particle size or distribution of the certain particles in the flow stream in the flow pipe.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for filtering a flow stream flowing in a flow pipe in a flow direction, comprising:
opposing acoustic transducers arranged on the flow pipe that include
a first ultrasonic transmitter configured to respond to control signaling and provide a first acoustic signal at a first frequency F 1 ;
a second ultrasonic transmitter configured to respond to the control signaling and provide a second acoustic signal at a second frequency F 2 , the first frequency F 1 and the second frequency F 2 being two different frequencies F 1 and F 2 ; and

an acoustic comb filter module having a controller configured to
receive signaling containing information about the first frequency F 1 and the second frequency F 2 , and
provide the control signaling for controlling the operation of the first ultrasonic transmitter and the second ultrasonic transmitter to generate a swept acoustic standing wave that is transverse to the flow direction of the flow stream in the flow pipe and having a selected comb spacing D set up via excitation based at least partly on the two different frequencies F 1 and F 2 to capture and sweep lower certain particles having a selected size X in a flow stream flowing in a flow pipe, the sweep of the swept acoustic standing wave being based at least partly on a transit time across the flow stream being less than a capture time of the certain particles.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus further comprises a particle size or distribution determination module configured to receive the certain particles captured and determine a particle size or distribution of the certain particles in the flow stream flowing in the flow pipe.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the particle size or distribution determination module is configured to assess the particle size distribution through sampling the flow stream at a series of difference average frequencies, F, including where at the highest frequencies, all particles are sampled and swept out of the flow pipe, whereas at lower frequencies, only the larger particles are effectively trapped by an acoustic comb and swept to a side detection port.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the particle size or distribution determination module is configured to analyze the mass of particles captured in a given time interval for the two different frequencies F 1 and F 2 and infer a particle size distribution.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the selected comb spacing D is related to a frequency F, where the frequency F is an average of F 1 +F 2 or where F=(F 1 +F 2 )/2.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein particle sizes captured are dependent on the first frequency F 1 that is a nominal frequency, so that changing the selected comb spacing D will alter the degree of particle capture and thus the amplitude of acoustic signaling emitted at a modulation frequency w/2π, where w is a given frequency and π is pi.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the first ultrasonic transmitter is arranged on the flow pipe; and
the second ultrasonic transmitter is arranged on the flow pipe across from the first ultrasonic transmitter in order to generate the swept acoustic standing wave that is transverse to the flow direction of the flow stream in the flow pipe.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises the flow pipe that includes a detection port configured to provide the certain particles captured having the selected size X in the flow stream from the flow pipe for off-stream analysis.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein
the first ultrasonic transmitter and the second ultrasonic transmitter are arranged on opposite sides of the flow pipe in order to generate the swept acoustic standing wave that is transverse to the flow direction of the flow stream in the flow pipe; and
the detection port is arranged on one of the opposite sides in order to receive the certain particles captured having the selected size X in the flow stream from the flow pipe for the off-stream analysis.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the detection port is arranged on the flow pipe downstream from the first ultrasonic transmitter and the second ultrasonic transmitter.

11. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the flow stream is a slurry flow.

12. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the acoustic comb filter module comprises a swept acoustic comb filter.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the swept acoustic comb filter is configured to be swept at frequency of F 1 −F 2 .

14. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first ultrasonic transmitter and the second ultrasonic transmitter are arranged on opposite sides of the flow pipe in order to generate the swept acoustic standing wave transverse to the flow direction of the flow stream in the flow pipe.

15. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the acoustic comb filter module is programmable to provide different swept acoustic standing waves at different frequencies to create different selected comb spacings to capture different certain particles having different selected sizes in the flow stream in the flow pipe.

16. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the acoustic comb filter module is configured to receive the signaling in response to a graphical user interface being provided by a user controlling the apparatus.

17. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the swept acoustic standing wave is an acoustic comb swept across the flow pipe at a rate of F 1 −F 2 .

18. Apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the acoustic comb is swept across the flow stream flowing in the flow pipe at an adjustable rate that depends on a frequency difference F 1 −F 2 .

19. Apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the acoustic comb filter module is configured to set a comb periodicity so all particles above the selected size X are captured by the acoustic comb and swept to a side port/pipe of the flow pipe, so as to filter out particulate matter in the flow stream.

20. Apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the acoustic comb filter module is configured to extract the certain particles on a periodic basis to be sent for further particle-size analysis.

21. Apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the acoustic comb filter module is configured to adjust a comb periodicity, so particles sizes selected and drawn from the flow pipe can be altered.

22. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the selected comb spacing D is based at least partly on a frequency F that is an average of F 1 +F 2 , where F=(F 1 +F 2 )/2.

23. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the acoustic comb filter module is configured to base the excitation on the two different frequencies F 1 and F 2 , so the swept acoustic standing wave is a quasi-standing wave that is swept back and forth in an oscillatory manner across the flow stream.

24. A method for filtering a flow stream flowing in a flow pipe in a flow direction, comprising:
arranging opposing acoustic transducers on the flow pipe having a first ultrasonic transmitter and a second ultrasonic transmitter;
responding with the first ultrasonic transmitter to control signaling and providing a first acoustic signal at a first frequency F 1 ;
responding with the second ultrasonic transmitter to the control signaling and providing a second acoustic signal at a second frequency F 2 , the first frequency F 1 and the second frequency

Assignees

• Kersey Alan D
• Cidra Corporate Services Inc

Inventors

• Kersey Alan D

Classifications

• G01N15/0255 Primary

  with mechanical, e.g. inertial, classification, and investigation of sorted collections (with centrifuges G01N15/042) · CPC title

• G01N2001/4094

  using ultrasound · CPC title

• G01N2015/142

  Acoustic or ultrasonic focussing · CPC title

• G01N2015/0053

  in liquids, e.g. trouble · CPC title

• G01N1/4077 Primary

  by other techniques involving separation of suspended solids · CPC title