Fluid composition analysis device and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9557258-B2
Application number	US-201314651173-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2013
Priority date	Dec 20, 2012
Publication date	Jan 31, 2017
Grant date	Jan 31, 2017

Abstract

The invention relates in particular to a device for determining one or more fluid properties of a fluid. The device preferably comprises a flow distributor comprising a cavity, an inlet to the cavity, one or more outlets from the cavity, and one or more flow deflecting elements present in the cavity and/or one or more flow dividing wall elements of the cavity, wherein the one or more flow deflecting elements and/or the flow dividing wall elements being arranged in such a manner that it provides sub-streams of different strength through the outlet. Furthermore, the device comprises an analyzer downstream of the outlet of the flow distributor comprising means adapted to provide a read-out indicative of the strengths of sub-streams.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for determining one or more fluid properties of a fluid, the device comprising:
i) a flow distributor comprising:
a cavity having an inlet and at least two outlets
one or more flow deflecting elements present in the cavity and/or one or more flow dividing wall elements of the cavity,

wherein the one or more flow deflecting elements and/or the flow dividing wall elements are arranged such that they define at least two flow channels, said at least two flow channels having different lengths, each proceeding from said inlet to an outlet with different variation in cross sections and in curvature at least along a part of the channel, thereby the flow channels being configured to divide a fluid flowing through said inlet into separate substreams flowing out of a separate outlet with different strength; and
ii) an analyser arranged downstream, of the outlets of the flow distributor and receiving the fluid flowing out of the outlets, the analyser comprising a read-out indicative of the strengths of sub-streams.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more flow deflecting elements are barriers arranged inside the cavity.

3. The device according to claim 2 , wherein the flow distributor comprises a side wall, a top and a bottom defining a box-shaped cavity and the inlet being provided in the side wall; and wherein the barriers are shaped as elongate elements with parallel sidewalls and extending from the top and to the bottom of the cavity.

4. The device according to claim 3 , wherein three barriers are arranged inside the cavity, the barriers being arranged downstream of each other and at different inclination relative to the direction of the flow into the cavity at the inlet.

5. The device according to claim 3 , wherein the flow distributor comprises a first outlet in the sidewall above and downstream of the most downstream arranged barrier, and a second outlet in the sidewall below and downstream of the most downstream arranged barrier.

6. The device according to claim 5 , wherein the cross sectional area of the first outlet is smaller than the cross sectional area of the second outlet.

7. The device according to claim 3 , wherein the cavity comprises an upper and a lower side wall section and, wherein the barriers and the inlet are dislocated toward the upper side wall section.

8. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the cavity comprises a bifurcation region and, wherein:
the flow dividing wall elements below and downstream of the bifurcation region provide a meander shaped channel leading to a first outlet of the cavity, and
the flow dividing wall elements upstream of the bifurcation region provide a diverging flow channel in the cavity, and
the flow dividing wall elements above the bifurcation region provide a second outlet of the cavity.

9. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the analyser comprises:
a flow channel connected via inlets to the one or more outlets of the flow distributor.

10. The device according to claim 9 , wherein the read-out indicative of the strengths of sub-streams comprises a moveable element or a bead, arranged in the channel(s) of the analyser.

11. The device according to claim 10 , wherein the moveable element is releasably arranged in the channel in a first position prior to feeding a not initial occupying fluid through the device.

12. The device according to claim 9 , wherein the read-out indicative of the strengths of sub-streams comprises a gas bubble generator, arranged in the channel(s) of the analyser.

13. The device according to claim 9 , wherein the read-out indicative of the strengths of sub-streams comprises a fluid present in the channel(s) of the analyser.

14. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the analyser comprises a separate flow channel for each outlet of the flow distributor, each separate flow channel being connected to a separate outlet of the flow distributor.

15. A method of determining one or more fluid properties by use of a device according to claim 1 , the method comprising:
feeding a pre-selected amount of fluid through the device of claim 1 ,
observing the read-out indicative of the strengths of sub-streams, and
determining from the read-out the fluid property/properties based on a calibration containing corresponding values of fluid property/properties and read-outs.

16. The method of determining one or more fluid properties according to claim 15 , wherein the feeding of a pre-selected amount of fluid through the device is performed by feeding the fluid into the device at a constant volume flow.

17. The method of determining one or more fluid properties according to claim 15 , wherein the feeding of a pre-selected amount of fluid through the device is performed by feeding the fluid into the device at non-constant volume flow.

Assignees

• Univ Danmarks Tekniske

Inventors

• Okkels Fridolin

Classifications

• B01L3/502746

  characterised by the means for controlling flow resistance, e.g. flow controllers, baffles or throttle valves · CPC title

• B01L2300/0864

  comprising only one inlet and multiple receiving wells, e.g. for separation, splitting · CPC title

• G01N11/08 Primary

  by measuring pressure required to produce a known flow · CPC title

• G01N11/04 Primary

  through a restricted passage, e.g. tube, aperture · CPC title

• B01L2300/0816

  Cards, e.g. flat sample carriers usually with flow in two horizontal directions · CPC title