Southwest Research Institute

Eric Kelner

Thomas E Owen

Thomas B Morrow

Steven Petullo

Ali Minachi

Marion Burzynski, Jr

A gas energy meter that acquires the data and performs the processing for an inferential determination of one or more gas properties, such as heating value, molecular weight, or density. The meter has a sensor module that acquires temperature, pressure, CO2, and speed of sound data. Data is acquired at two different states of the gas, which eliminates the need to determine the concentration of nitrogen in the gas. A processing module receives this data and uses it to perform a 'two-state' inferential algorithm.

Gas energy meter for inferential determination of thermophysical properties of a gas mixture at multiple states of the gas

A sensor for measuring the speed of sound in a gas. The sensor has a helical coil, through which the gas flows before entering an inner chamber. Flow through the coil brings the gas into thermal equilibrium with the test chamber body. After the gas enters the chamber, a transducer produces an ultrasonic pulse, which is reflected from each of two faces of a target. The time difference between the two reflected signals is used to determine the speed of sound in the gas.

Growing community of inventors

San Antonio, TX, United States of America

Eric Kelner