Hrl Laboratories, LLC

Paul O Braatz

Kevin W Kirby

Robert N Schwartz

A method and sensor for determining the ratio of two components in a fluid mixture comprising a test cell in open communication with the fluid mixture and a reference cell containing a desired fluid mixture not in contact with the fluid mixture being tested, said reference and test cells having the same cell geometry. By use of a capacitance divider system, one determines the relative capacitances of said cells correlated with the dielectric constants of the respective fluid mixtures and ascertains the ratio of one component to the other component in the fluid mixture on the basis of the linear and monotonic correlation between the dielectric constant of the mixture at a given temperature and the ratio of one component to the other component. Preferably a mixture of methanol and water is tested such as for use as a feed to a reformer used in supplying hydrogen to a fuel cell. A fixed capacitor equivalent to the reference cell at a given temperature is usually substituted for the latter.

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Thousand Oaks, CA, United States of America

Paul O Braatz