主权项 |
1. A method of monitoring the accumulation of scale on a surface in contact with a liquid medium, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a refractometer having an photon emission source, a prism which emitted photons pass through, and an optical sensor constructed and arranged to detect photons that are refracted through the prism, the prism having at least one measuring surface, positioning the measuring surface relative to the medium such that emitted photons will be refracted as a result of the properties of the medium, determining a control critical angle of refraction for the medium for photons emitted by the emission source, emitting photons from the emission source, measuring the cell fouling factor of the measured critical angle of refraction relative to the control critical angle, and calculating the scale formation based on the measured cell fouling factor. |