US 11,726,051 B2
Apparatus for monitoring a fluid
Alexander Edward Smith, Sutton Coldfield (GB); and Maxim Harry Joseph Swinbourne, Sutton Coldfield (GB)
Assigned to 4T2 SENSORS LTD, Sutton Coldfield (GB)
Appl. No. 17/287,929
Filed by 4T2 SENSORS LTD, Sutton Coldfield (GB)
PCT Filed Oct. 18, 2019, PCT No. PCT/GB2019/052979
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 22, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/084281, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 30, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 1817278 (GB), filed on Oct. 24, 2018; and application No. 1819732 (GB), filed on Dec. 3, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0396698 A1, Dec. 23, 2021
Int. Cl. G01R 27/26 (2006.01); G01N 27/04 (2006.01); G01N 27/06 (2006.01); G01N 27/22 (2006.01); G01N 33/14 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 27/046 (2013.01) [G01N 27/06 (2013.01); G01N 27/228 (2013.01); G01N 33/14 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
10. An apparatus for measuring at least one property of a fluid under test, the apparatus comprising:
a processing apparatus comprising a processor and a memory configured to store data indicative of a relationship between an expected value indicative of a capacitance quantity and an expected value indicative of a conductivity quantity for a reference fluid over a range of temperatures, the processing apparatus configured to:
receive a sense signal from a capacitive fluid sensor;
receive an alternating drive/reference signal;
determine a measured value indicative of a conductivity quantity of the fluid under test based on the sense signal and the drive/reference signal;
determine a measured value indicative of a capacitance quantity of the fluid under test based on the sense signal and the drive/reference signal; and
determine an expected value indicative of the capacitance or conductivity quantity of the fluid under test by using the measured value indicative of the conductivity or capacitance quantity, respectively, and the stored data; and determine a difference between the expected and measured values indicative of the capacitance or conductivity quantity respectively.