US 11,906,500 B1
Apparatus for measuring fuel thermal stability, deposit formation rate, and in-situ reactivity via optical methods
William K. Lewis, Dayton, OH (US); Elizabeth M Craft, Dayton, OH (US); and Patrick S Walsh, Dayton, OH (US)
Assigned to The Government of the United States of America as Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH (US)
Filed by Government of the United States, as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH (US)
Filed on Sep. 28, 2020, as Appl. No. 17/034,243.
Int. Cl. G01N 33/28 (2006.01); G01N 15/06 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 33/2805 (2013.01) [G01N 15/0612 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus comprising:
a) a chamber, said chamber having an inlet, and an outlet
b) one or more areas of said apparatus providing optical access to said chamber, said one or more areas being configured to deliver and collect light via fiber optics and/or free space couplings;
c) one or more heat sources capable of heating one or more areas of said chamber;
d) one or more devices for providing a pressure differential between said chamber's inlet and said chamber's outlet, said one or more devices being located in communication with said chamber's inlet or said chamber's outlet with the proviso that when said apparatus comprises two or more of said devices, said devices may be located in communication with said chamber's inlet and/or said chamber's outlet;
e) one or more devices for controlling the absolute pressure in said chamber, said one or more devices being located in communication with said chamber's inlet or said chamber's outlet with the proviso that when said apparatus comprises two or more of said devices, said devices may be located in communication with said chamber's inlet and/or said chamber's outlet, said one or more devices when in communication with said chamber's inlet being located before or after said any of said one or more devices for providing a pressure differential between said chamber's inlet and said chamber's outlet that are in communication with said chamber's inlet; preferably said apparatus comprises one device for controlling the absolute pressure in said chamber, said device being located in communication with said chamber's outlet;
f) one or more devices for providing light to said one or more areas of optical access to said chamber;
g) one or more devices for collecting light from said one or more areas of optical access to said chamber;
h) one or more devices for measuring one or more properties of said collected light and optionally one or more devices for one or more properties of said provided light and/or one or more devices for measuring one or more properties of said collected light and optionally one or more properties of said provided light; and
i) optionally, one or more optical filters for filtering light, said one or more optical filters for filtering light being placed before and/or incorporated into said one or more devices for providing light to said one or more areas of optical access to said chamber, before and/or incorporated into said one or more devices for collecting light from said one or more areas of optical access to said chamber and/or before and/or incorporated into said one or more devices for measuring one or more properties of said collected light and optionally one or more properties of said provided light.