Microwave measurement of the mass of frozen hydrogen pellets

Patent Application · Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1988

OSTI ID:5440038

Talanker, V; Greenwald, M

A nondestructive apparatus and method for measuring the mass of a moving object, based on the perturbation of the dielectric character of a resonant microwave cavity caused by the object passing through the cavity. An oscillator circuit is formed with a resonant cavity in a positive feedback loop of a microwave power amplifier. The moving object perturbs the resonant characteristics of the cavity causing a shift in the operating frequency of the oscillator proportional to the ratio of the pellet volume to the volume of the cavity. Signals from the cavity oscillation are mixed with a local oscillator. Then the IF frequency from the mixer is measured thereby providing a direct measurement of pellet mass based upon known physical properties and relationships. This apparatus and method is particularly adapted for the measurement of frozen hydrogen pellets.

• Research Organization: Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Cambridge, MA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-78ET51013
• Assignee: US Dept. of Energy
• Patent Number(s): PATENTS-US-A7226571
• Application Number: ON: DE91017145; PPN: US 7-226571
• OSTI ID: 5440038
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
FUEL PELLETS
MEASURING METHODS
NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING
MASS
CAVITY RESONATORS
HYDROGEN
INVENTIONS
MICROWAVE AMPLIFIERS
OSCILLATORS
TOKAMAK DEVICES
AMPLIFIERS
CLOSED PLASMA DEVICES
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
MATERIALS TESTING
MICROWAVE EQUIPMENT
NONMETALS
PELLETS
RESONATORS
TESTING
THERMONUCLEAR DEVICES
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