Patent ID: 6122956
Filing Date: 2000-09-26
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
A method of monitoring the solids concentration of a liquid-solid slurry flowing in a slurry pipeline comprising the steps of:providing an annular array of sensor electrodes in a section of the pipeline, said sensor electrodes being equally spaced around the pipeline and having one end extending therethrough into contact with the flowing slurry,applying an electrical signal to each adjacent pair of said sensing electrodes and measuring the conductivity of the slurry between each pair of electrodes in succession around the array,averaging the conductivity measured between each pair of sensor electrodes,providing a pair of spaced reference electrodes in contact with the liquid phase of the slurry,applying an electrical signal to said reference electrodes and measuring the conductivity of the liquid phase of the slurry, andcomparing the conductivity measured by said sensor electrodes and the average of the conductivity measured by said pairs of reference electrodes and producing an output signal proportional to the solids content in the slurry.