Patent ID: 6959589

Claim:
Apparatus for measuring the concentration and/or particle size distribution of a slurry, said apparatus comprising: a sealed container holding the slurry for applying elevated heat and pressure to the slurry, wherein the sealed container has an inner and outer wall; first and second transducers for respectively transmitting and receiving ultrasonic signals; and a first isolating coupler connecting said first transducer to a first portion of a lateral wall of said container and a second isolating coupler connecting said second transducer to a second portion of the lateral wall of said container for respectively transmitting an ultrasonic signal emitted by said first transducer through the slurry and transmitting an ultrasonic signal exiting said container to said second transducer, wherein the ultrasonic signal undergoes changes in transiting the slurry, with said changes providing a measure of the slurry's concentration and/or particle size distribution, and wherein said first and second couplers respectively isolate said first and second transducers from the heat and pressure in said sealed container.