Automatic pulse tracer velocimeter

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016047682-A1
Application number	US-201514829178-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 18, 2015
Priority date	Aug 18, 2014
Publication date	Feb 18, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An Automatic Pulse Tracer Velocimeter (APTV) including arc-type APTVs and cross-type APTVs along with a field station and a master station capable of wireless communication with a remote computing devices. The APTV measures flow velocity in a flowable medium by injecting a small amount of a conductive tracer solution into a water column. Following injection, a plurality of wire detector pairs positioned downstream of the injection point are programmed to continuously make conductivity measurements at pre-determined time intervals. A tracer curve of the conductivity measurements over time is created and used to obtain velocity measurements.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An arc-type automatic pulse tracer velocimeter (APTV) comprising:
a detector frame having a bottom portion, a top portion and a side portion connecting the bottom portion and the top portion; a plurality of detector wire pairs connected to the detector frame top portion and the detector frame bottom portion, wherein each of the plurality of detector wire pairs are distributed at approximately equal distances from each other along the detector frame top portion and the detector frame bottom portion; a support frame connected to the detector frame; and an injection port connected to the support frame and positioned approximately equidistant from each of the plurality of detector wire pairs.

2 . The arc-type APTV of claim 1 , wherein the bottom portion, top portion and side portion of the detector frame are arcuate, the side portion of the detector frame has a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the first end of the side portion of the detector frame is connected to the top portion of the detector frame and the second end of the side portion of the detector frame is connected to the bottom portion of the detector frame and the bottom portion of the detector frame is parallel to the top portion of the detector frame.

3 . The arc-type APTV of claim 1 , wherein the side portion of the detector frame comprises a plurality of arcuate side panels each having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, wherein each of the first ends of the side panels is connected to the top portion of the detector frame and each of the second ends of the side panels is connected to the bottom portion of the detector frame.

4 . The arc-type APTV of claim 1 , wherein a portion of each of the wires of the plurality of detector wire pairs is stripped of insulation.

5 . The arc-type of claim 1 , further comprising:
a hydrofoil positioned on the injection port.

6 . A cross-type APTV comprising:
a detector frame having a vertical portion having a top portion and a bottom portion, a horizontal portion having a left portion and a right portion and a central portion, wherein the vertical portion and the horizontal portion are connected at the central portion to form a cross shape, the top portion of the vertical portion has a first opening there through, the bottom portion of the vertical portion has a second opening there through, the left portion of the horizontal portion has a third opening there through and the right portion of the horizontal portion has a fourth opening there through; a first detector wire pair connected to the top portion of the vertical portion of the detector frame and to the central portion, wherein the first detector wire pair is at least partially suspended over the first opening; a second detector wire pair connected to the bottom portion of the vertical portion of the detector frame and to the central portion, wherein the second detector wire pair is at least partially suspended over the second opening; a third detector wire pair connected to the left portion of the horizontal portion of the detector frame and to the central portion, wherein the third detector wire pair is at least partially suspended over the third opening; a fourth detector wire pair connected to the right portion of the horizontal portion of the detector frame and to the central portion, wherein the fourth detector wire pair is at least partially suspended over the fourth opening; a support frame connected to the detector frame at an end of the top portion of the vertical portion; and an injection port connected to the support frame and positioned about parallel to the vertical portion of the detector frame and at a predetermined distance from the third detector wire pair and the fourth detector wire pair.

7 . The cross-type APTV of claim 6 , wherein a portion of each of the wires of the first, second, third and fourth detector wire pairs is stripped of insulation.

8 . The cross-type APTV of claim 6 , further comprising:
a hydrofoil positioned on the injection port.

9 . An APTV field station comprising:
an APTV; a pump in fluid communication with the APTV; a tracer reservoir in fluid communication with the pump; a data logger in communication with the APTV and the pump; a transmitter in communication with the data logger; and a power source in electrical communication with the pump and the data logger.

10 . The APTV field station of claim 9 , wherein the APTV is an arc-type APTV.

11 . The APTV field station of claim 9 , wherein the APTV is a cross-type APTV.

12 . The APTV field station of claim 9 , further comprising:
a second APTV, wherein the APTV and the second APTV are arc-type APTVs.

13 . The APTV field station of claim 9 , further comprising:
a second APTV, wherein the APTV and the second APTV are cross-type APTVs.

14 . The APTV field station of claim 9 , further comprising:
a second APTV, wherein the APTV is an arc-type detector and the second APTV is a cross-type APTV.

15 . The APTV field station of claim 9 , wherein the APTV comprises:
a detector frame having a bottom portion a top portion, and a side portion connecting the bottom portion and the top portion; a plurality of detector wire pairs connected to the detector frame top portion and the detector frame bottom portion, wherein each of the plurality of detector wire pairs are distributed at approximately equal distances from each other along the detector frame top portion and detector frame bottom portion; a support frame connected to the detector frame; and an injection port connected to the support frame and positioned approximately equidistant from each of the plurality of detector wire pairs.

16 . The APTV field station of claim 9 , wherein the APTV comprises:
a detector frame having a vertical portion having a top portion and a bottom portion, a horizontal portion having a left portion and a right portion and a central portion, wherein the vertical portion and the horizontal portion are connected at the central portion to form a cross shape, the top portion of the vertical portion has a first opening there through, the bottom portion of the vertical portion a second opening there through, the left portion of the horizontal portion has a third opening there through and the right portion of the horizontal portion has a fourth opening there through; a first detector wire pair connected to the top portion of the vertical portion of the detector frame and to the central portion, wherein the first detector wire pair is at least partially suspended over the first opening; a second detector wire pair connected to the bottom portion of the vertical portion of the detector frame and to the central portion, wherein the second detector wire pair is at least partially suspended over the second opening; a third detector wire pair connected to the left portion of the horizontal portion of the detector frame and to the central portion, wherein the third detector wire pair is at least partially suspended over third opening; a fourth detector wire pair connected to the right portion of the horizontal portion of the detector frame and to the central portion, wherein the fourth detector wire pair is at least partially suspended over fourth opening; a support frame connected to the detector frame at an end of the top portion of the vertical portion; and an injection port connected to the support frame and positioned about parallel to the vertical portion of the detector frame and at a predetermined distance from the third detector wire pair and the fourth detector

Assignees

• Univ Central Florida Res Found

Inventors

• Crawford A James
• Chang Ni-Bin

Classifications

• G01F1/7046

  using electrical loaded particles as tracer, e.g. ions or electrons · CPC title

• G01F1/7088 Primary

  using electrically charged particles as tracers · CPC title

• G01F25/12

  using tracer · CPC title