US-12625111-B2 - Measurement apparatus and measurement method

Abstract

A measurement apparatus 1 disposed with respect to a container 105 containing a liquid L. The measurement apparatus 1 includes output detectors fixed to the container 105 that output ultrasonic waves that propagate in the liquid L in the container 105 and detect the ultrasonic waves propagated in the liquid L. The measurement apparatus 1 also includes a controller 50 that measures a state of the liquid L in the container 105 based on the ultrasonic waves detected by the output detectors.

Inventors

• Rai ITOU

Assignees

• YOKOGAWA ELECTRIC CORPORATION

Dates

Publication Date

20260512

Application Date

20230913

Priority Date

20220914

Claims (11)

1. 1 . A measurement apparatus disposed with respect to a container containing a liquid for stirring an object in the liquid, the measurement apparatus comprising: output detectors fixed to the container, the output detectors being configured to output ultrasonic waves that propagate in the liquid in the container and detect the ultrasonic waves propagated in the liquid; and a controller configured to measure a state of the liquid in the container based on the ultrasonic waves detected by the output detectors, wherein the state of the liquid includes a product state of the liquid in stirring, the controller is configured to measure the product state of the liquid based on reference data regarding the product state of the liquid in a first reference state and measurement data regarding the product state of the liquid in stirring, and the controller is configured to calculate a difference of the measurement data from the reference data and determine that the stirring of the object with respect to the liquid is complete when the difference is constant over a defined time.
2. 2 . The measurement apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the state of the liquid includes a position of a liquid surface of the liquid in the container, and the controller is configured to measure the position of the liquid surface of the liquid based on detection signals of the ultrasonic waves detected by the output detectors.
3. 3 . The measurement apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to calculate a position between one of the output detectors that indicates a first detection signal and another adjacent one of the output detectors that indicates a second detection signal different from the first detection signal as the position of the liquid surface of the liquid.
4. 4 . The measurement apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the state of the liquid includes presence or absence of bubbles or particles, and the controller is configured to measure the presence or absence of bubbles or particles based on at least one of a positive or negative beginning of a waveform and speed of sound of an ultrasonic wave detected by the output detectors.
5. 5 . The measurement apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the controller is configured to determine that bubbles are present when the positive or negative beginning of the waveform while the liquid is in use is inverted relative to the positive or negative beginning of a reference waveform while the liquid is in a second reference state.
6. 6 . The measurement apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the state of the liquid includes density of bubbles or particles, and the controller is configured to measure the density of bubbles or particles based on the speed of sound of an ultrasonic wave detected by the output detectors.
7. 7 . The measurement apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the output detectors are disposed along an outer surface of the container, and the output detectors are configured to detect a reflected or transmitted wave of the ultrasonic wave output.
8. 8 . The measurement apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the output detectors include a homogenizer that uses the ultrasonic waves to disintegrate and disperse the object in the liquid, and the output detectors detect the ultrasonic waves from the homogenizer.
9. 9 . The measurement apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller further measures at least one of the viscosity of the liquid in the container, the pressure of the liquid in the container, the temperature of the liquid in the container, or the appearance of the liquid in the container.
10. 10 . A measurement method performed by a measurement apparatus disposed with respect to a container containing a liquid for stirring an object in the liquid, the measurement method comprising: outputting ultrasonic waves that propagate in the liquid in the container; detecting, at a fixed position relative to the container, the ultrasonic waves propagated in the liquid; and measuring a state of the liquid in the container based on the ultrasonic waves detected, wherein the state of the liquid includes a product state of the liquid in stirring, the measuring further comprises measuring the product state of the liquid based on reference data regarding the product state of the liquid in a first reference state and measurement data regarding the product state of the liquid in stirring, and calculating a difference of the measurement data from the reference data and determining that the stirring of the object with respect to the liquid is complete when the difference is constant over a defined time.
11. 11 . A measurement apparatus disposed with respect to a container containing a liquid, the measurement apparatus comprising: output detectors fixed to the container, the output detectors being configured to output ultrasonic waves that propagate in the liquid in the container and detect the ultrasonic waves propagated in the liquid; and a controller configured to measure a state of the liquid in the container based on the ultrasonic waves detected by the output detectors, wherein the state of the liquid includes presence or absence of bubbles or particles, and the controller is configured to measure the presence or absence of bubbles or particles based on at least one of a positive or negative beginning of a waveform and speed of sound of an ultrasonic wave detected by the output detectors, and the controller is configured to determine that bubbles are present when the positive or negative beginning of the waveform while the liquid is in use is inverted relative to the positive or negative beginning of a reference waveform while the liquid is in a second reference state.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION The present application claims priority to and the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-146571 filed Sep. 14, 2022 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-138393 filed Aug. 28, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a measurement apparatus and a measurement method. BACKGROUND Technology related to stirring for mixing objects in liquids is conventionally known. For example, Patent Literature (PTL) 1 describes a thickening support system and a stirrer that facilitate achieving a desired thickening. CITATION LIST Patent Literature PTL 1: JP 2021-137196 A SUMMARY A measurement apparatus according to at least one embodiment is a measurement apparatus disposed with respect to a container containing a liquid, the measurement apparatus comprising: output detectors fixed to the container, the output detectors being configured to output ultrasonic waves that propagate in the liquid in the container and detect the ultrasonic waves propagated in the liquid; and a controller configured to measure a state of the liquid in the container based on the ultrasonic waves detected by the output detectors. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings: FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a measurement apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the measurement apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1; FIG. 3A is a graph illustrating example 1 of a detection signal from a detector; FIG. 3B is a graph illustrating example 2 of a detection signal from a detector; FIG. 3C is a graph illustrating example 3 of a detection signal from a detector; FIG. 3D is a graph illustrating example 4 of a detection signal from a detector; FIG. 4A is a graph illustrating example 5 of a detection signal from a detector; FIG. 4B is a graph illustrating example 6 of a detection signal from a detector; FIG. 4C is a graph illustrating example 7 of a detection signal from a detector; FIG. 4D is a graph illustrating example 8 of a detection signal from a detector; FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explanation of example 1 of operation of the measurement apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1; FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explanation of example 2 of operation of the measurement apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1; FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of detection signals when a container is empty; FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example 1 of detection signals when a container is not empty; FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example 2 of detection signals when a container is not empty; FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example 3 of detection signals when a container is not empty; FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example 4 of detection signals when a container is not empty; FIG. 12 is a flowchart for explanation of example 3 of operation of the measurement apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1; FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram for explanation of example 3 of operation of the measurement apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1; FIG. 14 is a flowchart for explanation of example 4 of operation of the measurement apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1; FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram for explanation of a calculation method for calculating the speed of sound in a liquid; FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram illustrating Variation 1 of the measurement apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1; FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram illustrating Variation 2 of the measurement apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1; FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram illustrating Variation 3 of the measurement apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1; FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram illustrating Variation 4 of the measurement apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1; FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram illustrating Variation 5 of the measurement apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1; FIG. 21 is a schematic diagram illustrating Variation 6 of the measurement apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1; FIG. 22 is a schematic diagram illustrating Variation 7 of the measurement apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1; and FIG. 23 is a graph illustrating an example of measurement data obtained by the measurement apparatus illustrated in FIG. 22. DETAILED DESCRIPTION However, conventional technology has not adequately considered the point of quantitatively measuring the state of a liquid used in stirring and the like by sensing other than sensing a specific physical quantity, during stirring in the container, and without opening a lid of a container. It would be helpful to provide a measurement apparatus and a measurement method able to more easily measure the state of a liquid. A measurement apparatus according to at least one embodiment is a measurement apparatus disposed with respect to a container containing a liquid, the measurement apparatus comprising: output detectors