Patent ID: 8482295
Filing Date: 2013-07-09
Classification: B22D,F27D,G01F

Abstract:
1. A method of measuring the level of a phase from a plurality of phases of a conductive or semi-conductive mixture within a vessel, the method comprising: providing a vessel containing a conductive or semi-conductive mixture including a plurality of phases, the vessel comprising a sidewall; providing a refractory layer between the vessel sidewall and the conductive or semi-conductive mixture; transmitting at least one electromagnetic and/or eddy current signal into the vessel sidewall at a plurality of different levels so that each of the transmitted electromagnetic and/or eddy current signals impinges upon the conductive or semi-conductive mixture at substantially the same level at which each electromagnetic and/or eddy current signal is transmitted stimulating at least one corresponding reflected electromagnetic and/or eddy current signal; receiving the at least one corresponding reflected electromagnetic and/or eddy current signal, the reflected electromagnetic and/or eddy current signal originating at the interface between the vessel sidewall and the refractory layer or at the interface between the refractory layer and the conductive or semi-conductive mixture or at the interface of a process accretion layer formed on interior surface of the refractory layer and the conductive or semi-conductive mixture; and processing the at least one reflected electromagnetic and/or eddy current signal to determine the level of at least one phase from the plurality of phases in the conductive or semi-conductive mixture and the thickness of either the refractory layer or the process accretion layer or both.