UNIT FOR MEASURING THE FALLING SPEED OF PARTICLES IN SUSPENSION IN A FLUID AND DEVICE COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE MEASURING UNIT AND ONE AUTOMATIC SAMPLER

摘要

A unit for measuring the falling speed of particles in suspension in a fluid comprises a sealed container (6) having an opening (9) and defining an open compartment (15) comprising the opening and intended to contain the fluid, and a sealed compartment (16), sealing means separating the open compartment from the sealed compartment, and means for measuring the falling speed placed in the sealed compartment and comprising at least three electromagnetic radiation emitters distributed along a longitudinal axis (L) of the open compartment, each emitter being oriented according to a radiation axis crossing the open compartment at different heights along the longitudinal axis, an equal number of receivers distributed along the longitudinal axis, each receiver being placed in the radiation axis of a corresponding emitter, means for controlling the emitters and the receivers, and a system for acquiring data connected to the receivers, the acquired data being used to obtain the falling speed of the particles and the change of same as a function of the height in the open compartment and as a function of time, said change quantifying the flocculation of the particles.