The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 27, 2009
Filed:
Sep. 22, 2004
Rodney E. Herrington, Albuquerque, NM (US);
Curtis Mitchke, Albuquerque, NM (US);
Rodney E. Herrington, Albuquerque, NM (US);
Curtis Mitchke, Albuquerque, NM (US);
MIOX Corporation, Albuquerque, NM (US);
Abstract
An apparatus and method for detecting carbonate scale. An energy emitting device transmits energy through one optical window, through a fluid stream, and out through a second optical window where the energy is detected by an energy receiving device. As scale, such as that due to carbonate present in the fluid, accumulates on the wetted surface of the optical windows, the transmission of the energy through the optical windows is obscured. The optical windows may optionally be coated and electrically charged to promote the formation of carbonate scale on the wetted surface of the window. The optical windows can be cleaned by reversing their polarity. By correlating the rate of energy intensity reduction to carbonate scale formation, the concentration of carbonate in the fluid stream can be determined. The carbonate detector can be used to alarm, shutdown, or control operation of equipment that may be adversely affected by the presence of carbonate in the fluid stream.