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:
Oct. 04, 2011
Filed:
Sep. 19, 2008
Nathan G. Stoddard, Gettysburg, PA (US);
Roger F. Clark, Frederick, MD (US);
Nathan G. Stoddard, Gettysburg, PA (US);
Roger F. Clark, Frederick, MD (US);
BP Corporation North America Inc., Naperville, IL (US);
Abstract
Methods and systems are provided for monitoring a solid-liquid interface, including providing a vessel configured to contain an at least partially melted material; detecting radiation reflected from a surface of a liquid portion of the at least partially melted material; providing sound energy to the surface; measuring a disturbance on the surface; calculating at least one frequency associated with the disturbance; and determining a thickness of the liquid portion based on the at least one frequency, wherein the thickness is calculated based on L=(2−1)/4, where f is the frequency where the disturbance has an amplitude maximum, vis the speed of sound in the material, and m is a positive integer (1, 2, 3, . . . ).