Device for measuring property changes via in-situ micro-viscometry

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12104998-B2
Application number	US-202217702220-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2022
Priority date	Jun 10, 2019
Publication date	Oct 1, 2024
Grant date	Oct 1, 2024

Abstract

The present invention relates to devices for measuring property changes via in-situ micro-viscometry and methods of using same. The aforementioned device is inexpensive and can be used to quickly and accurately measure numerous physical and chemical property changes, including but not limited to the rate of chemical cure, change in tack, and rate of mass loss, for example, rate of moisture, solvent and/or plasticizer change.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device said device comprising an actuator and a sensor:
a) said sensor comprising a frame, a magnet, a coil having an electrical connection and a membrane having a periphery, said magnet, coil and membrane being disposed in said frame, said membrane being further physically connected to said frame at said membrane's periphery, said coil being concentric to said magnet but not in physical contact with said magnet, said coil being bonded to said membrane said membrane not being in physical contact with said magnet, said magnet being attached to said frame opposite of said membrane;
b) said, actuator comprising a frame, a magnet, a coil having an electrical connection and a membrane having a periphery, said membrane being further physically connected to said frame at said membrane's periphery said coil being concentric to said magnet but not in physical contact with said magnet, said coil being bonded to said membrane, said membrane not being in physical contact with said magnet, said magnet being attached to said frame opposite of said membrane;
said sensor's magnet and said actuator's magnet having opposite polarities or sensor's magnet and said actuator's magnet having the same polarities, when said sensor's magnet and said actuator's magnet have the same polarities said device further comprising a fixture in which said sensor and said actuator are disposed, said sensor and said actuator being electrically isolated.

2. The device of claim 1 comprising an alternating current signal source, an amplifier, and a waveform measuring device, said amplifier being electrically connected to said waveform measuring device and to said sensor's coil's electrical connection; said alternating current signal source being connected to said actuator's coil's electrical connection.

3. The device of claim 1 comprising an alternating current signal source and a waveform measuring device comprising an amplifier, said waveform measuring device being connected to said sensor's coil's electrical connection; said alternating current signal source being connected to said actuator's coil's electrical connection.

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein
a) said sensor's
(i) frame comprising a non-magnetic metal and/or a ceramic;
(ii) magnet having a Curie temperature above the Curie temperature above the operational temperature of said device;
(iii) coil having a modulus of elasticity and tensile strength at the operational temperature of said device that is at least 75% of the modulus of elasticity and tensile strength of said coil at 25° C.; and
(iv) membrane having a modulus of elasticity and tensile strength at the operational temperature of said device that is at least 75% of the modulus of elasticity and tensile strength of said coil at 25° C.;

b) said actuator's
(i) frame comprising a non-magnetic metal and/or a ceramic;
(ii) magnet having a Curie temperature above the Curie temperature above the operational temperature of said device;
(iii) coil having a modulus of elasticity and tensile strength at the operational temperature of said device that is at least 75% of the modulus of elasticity and tensile strength of said coil at 25° C.; and
(iv) membrane having a modulus of elasticity and tensile strength at the operational temperature of said device that is at least 75% of the modulus of elasticity and tensile strength of said coil at 25° C.;

c) said fixture, when present, comprising a non-magnetic metal and/or a ceramic.

5. The device according to claim 4 , wherein
a) said sensor's
(i) frame consists essentially of a non-magnetic metal and/or a ceramic;
(ii) magnet is a samarium-cobalt magnet or a neodymium magnet;
(iii) coil having a modulus of elasticity and tensile strength at the operational temperature of said device that is at least 90% of the modulus of elasticity and tensile strength of said coil at 25° C., said coil comprising copper, an alloy of copper, tungsten, an alloy of tungsten and/or a refractory alloy; and
(iv) membrane having a modulus of elasticity and tensile strength at the operational temperature of said device that is at least 90% of the modulus of elasticity and tensile strength of said coil at 25° C., said membrane comprising steel, titanium, an alloy of titanium, nickel, an alloy of nickel, aluminum and/or an alloy of aluminum;

b) said actuator's
(i) frame consists essentially of a non-magnetic metal and/or a ceramic;
(ii) magnet is a samarium-cobalt magnet or a neodymium magnet;
(iii) coil having a modulus of elasticity and tensile strength at the operational temperature of said device that is at least 90%, of the modulus of elasticity and tensile strength of said coil at 25° C., said coil comprising copper, an alloy of copper, tungsten, an alloy of tungsten and/or a refractory alloy; and
(iv) membrane having a modulus of elasticity and tensile strength at the operational temperature of said device that is at least 90% of the modulus of elasticity and tensile strength of said coil at 25° C., said membrane comprising steel, titanium, an alloy of titanium, nickel, an alloy of nickel, aluminum and/or an alloy of aluminum.

6. The device according to claim 5 , wherein
a) said sensor's
(i) coil has a modulus of elasticity and tensile strength at the operational temperature of said device that is at least 95%, of the modulus of elasticity and tensile strength of said coil at 25° C.; and
(ii) membrane has a modulus of elasticity and tensile strength at the operational temperature of said device that is at least 95% of the modulus of elasticity and tensile strength of said coil at 25° C.;

b) said actuator's
(i) coil has a modulus of elasticity and tensile strength at the operational temperature of said device that is at least 95% of the modulus of elasticity and tensile strength of said coil at 25° C.; and
(ii) membrane has a modulus of elasticity and tensile strength at the operational temperature of said device that is at least 95% of the modulus of elasticity and tensile strength of said coil at 25° C.

7. The device according to claim 6 , wherein
a) said sensor's
(i) coil has a modulus of elasticity and tensile strength at the operational temperature of said device that is at least 99%, of the modulus of elasticity and tensile strength of said coil at 25° C.; and
(ii) membrane has a modulus of elasticity and tensile strength at the operational temperature of said device that is at least 99% of the modulus of elasticity and tensile strength of said coil at 25° C.;

b) said actuator's
(i) coil has a modulus of elasticity and tensile strength at the operational temperature of said device that is at least 99% of the modulus of elasticity and tensile strength of said coil at 25° C.; and
(ii) membrane has a modulus of elasticity and tensile strength at the operational temperature of said device that is at least 99% of the modulus of elasticity and tensile strength of said coil at 25° C.

8. The device according to claim 4 comprising a fixture.

9. The device according to claim 4 comprising a fixture that comprises a non-magnetic metal and/or a ceramic.

10. The device according to claim 1 , said device having an operational range of from about 0.02 hertz to about 20 kilohertz.

11. The device according to claim 10 , said device having an operational range of from about 100 hertz to about 2 kilohertz.

Assignees

• Us Gov Air Force
• Us Air Force

Inventors

• Spowart Jonathan E
• Rowbottom Colin
• Hauser Carly S
• Lindgren Eric A

Classifications

• G01N2011/147

  Magnetic coupling · CPC title

• G01N11/16

  by measuring damping effect upon oscillatory body · CPC title

• G01N2011/0086

  magnetic properties · CPC title

• G01N11/00 Primary

  Investigating flow properties of materials, e.g. viscosity, plasticity; Analysing materials by determining flow properties · CPC title