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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Refrigeration efficiency monitoring system

Patent ·
OSTI ID:7174351
The patent describes a device useful for monitoring the thermodynamic state of a fluid flowing through a conduit. It comprises: a first electromechanical transducer, means to acoustically couple the first transducer to a conduit, a precision oscillator which provides a driving electrical signal characterized by an ultrasonic frequency to the first transducer, a second electromechanical transducer, means to acoustically couple the second transducer to the conduit in a spaced relationship to the first transducer, a receive amplifier tuned to the output frequency of the oscillator operating to receive and amplify the ultrasonic signal received from the second transducer, a tracking receiver-decoder operating to convert the ultrasonic signal received from the receive amplifier into a digital logic signal, an integrator circuit operating to average the digital logic signal from the tracking receiver-decoder, and a comparator connected to the output of the integrator operating to compare the averaged DC output from the integrator with a preset reference voltage and to provide first and second signals indicative of the comparison.
Assignee:
NOV; NOV-90-008329; EDB-90-077628
Patent Number(s):
US 4882928; A
Application Number:
PPN: US 7-255880--A
OSTI ID:
7174351
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English