Ultrasonic hydrometer

Patent · Tue Apr 17 04:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:6451333

Swoboda, C A

The disclosed ultrasonic hydrometer determines the specific gravity (density) of the electrolyte of a wet battery, such as a lead-acid battery. The hydrometer utilizes a transducer that when excited emits an ultrasonic impulse that traverses through the electrolyte back and forth between spaced sonic surfaces. The transducer detects the returning impulse, and means measures the time ''t'' between the initial and returning impulses. Considering the distance ''d'' between the spaced sonic surfaces and the measured time ''t'', the sonic velocity ''V'' is calculated with the equation ''V=2d/t''. The hydrometer also utilizes a thermocouple to measure the electrolyte temperature. A hydrometer database correlates three variable parameters including sonic velocity in and temperature and specific gravity of the electrolyte, for temperature values between 0/sup 0/ and 40/sup 0/ C. and for specific gravity values between 1.05 and 1.30. Upon knowing two parameters (the calculated sonic velocity and the measured temperature), the third parameter (specific gravity) can be uniquely found in the database. The hydrometer utilizes a microprocessor for data storage and manipulation. The disclosed modified battery has a hollow spacer nub on the battery side wall, the sonic surfaces being on the inside of the nub and the electrolyte filling between the surfaces to the exclusion of intervening structure. An accessible pad exposed on the nub wall opposite one sonic surface allows the reliable placement thereagainst of the transducer.

• Assignee: Dept. of Energy
• Patent Number(s): US 4442700
• OSTI ID: 6451333
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

25 ENERGY STORAGE
250902* -- Energy Storage-- Batteries-- Performance & Testing
ACOUSTIC TESTING
COMPUTERS
DENSIMETERS
DISTANCE
ELECTRIC BATTERIES
ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
ELECTROLYTES
ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
LEAD-ACID BATTERIES
MATERIALS TESTING
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MICROELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
MICROPROCESSORS
NONDESTRUCTIVE TESTING
PHASE VELOCITY
PULSES
RADIOMETRIC GAGES
SOUND WAVES
TESTING
TIME MEASUREMENT
TRANSDUCERS
ULTRASONIC TESTING
ULTRASONIC WAVES
VELOCITY