MICROWAVE MONITORING OF SEA WATER CONTAMINATION OF NAVY FUEL OILS,
Abstract
Studies of microwave monitoring techniques have resulted in a potential method of monitoring of the percentage of sea water contamination to an accuracy of 0.25%. Investigation was made of both the dielectric constant and the dissipation (microwave energy loss) characteristics of contaminated fuel. The dissipation measurement gave the greater accuracy which improved with increasing microwave frequency. The dissipation measured for all samples of uncontaminated fuels was very small compared to the sensitivity to water, so that the effects of the differences in the different sources of fuel were minimized. Testing of samples from all parts of the world with accurately mixed percentages of sea water showed that this microwave technique can be used to monitor the percentage of sea water to within 0.25% of the actual value regardless of the source of the oil. The ability to measure to this order of accuracy was limited, in part, by the difficulty of preparing sufficiently precise sample mixtures for testing the technique. The microwave technique also lends itself readily to convenient practical implementation of continuous monitoring of fuel flowing to the furnaces. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 21, 1967
- Accession Number
- AD0655819
Entities
People
- Dean D. Howard
- Michael C. Licitra
- Nathaniel A. Thomas
- Robert M. Roe
Organizations
- United States Naval Research Laboratory