Patent ID: 7135870

Claim:
A sensor device for determining the concentration of fluid components within a fluid mixture comprising: a) a microcontroller; b) a sensor probe including: (i) a probe body having at least two fluid openings for allowing a fluid mixture to flow through the probe body, (ii) a measurement sensor within the probe body, the measurement sensor having a measurement electrode in communication with the fluid mixture and a measurement transmission line, and (iii) a reference sensor within the probe body, the reference sensor having a reference electrode in communication with a reference transmission line, wherein a portion of the reference electrode is covered by a reference isolator; and c) an electronics instrument package in communication with the microcontroller, the electronics instrument package having a signal generating/receiving unit in communication with the measurement transmission line and the reference transmission line, wherein the signal/receiving unit reciprocably activates the measurement electrode and the reference electrode to measure a parameter of the fluid mixture at a predetermined frequency, wherein the microcontroller calculates a permittivity of a component of the fluid mixture based on multiple measurements of the measured parameter by the reference sensor and the measurement sensor; whereby the microcontroller determines the concentration of the component in the fluid mixture using the calculated permittivity.