| 摘要 |
A bubble detector/direction sensor for detecting the presence of liquid and gas in a stream of liquid and gas segments flowing through an elongated transparent tube and for sensing the direction of flow of the stream. The sensor has first and se cond light sources, first and second input fiber optic bundles, and first and second collection fiber optic bundles. The first and second input fiber optic bundles c ouple the first and second light sources to first and second sides of the tube, respec tively, so that light passes through the tube. When the tube is filled with liquid, the light passing therethrough from each light source passes through first and second predetermined regions. When the tube is filled with gas, the light passing therethrough passes outside of the predetermined regions. The first and second collection fiber optic bundles are coupled to the second and first sides of the tube, respectively, outside of the predetermined regions. A circuit is provided for producing signals indicating the presence of liquid in the tube, the presence of gas in the tube, and the direction of flow of liquid and gas through the tube based upo n the light received by the first and second collection fiber optic bundles. In altern ative embodiments, the sensor includes an additional collection fiber optic bundle cou pled to the second side of the tube that is positioned within the first predetermined region. In these embodiments, the circuit produces a signal indicating the presence of a liquid in the tube containing a marker dye having known absorbance characteristi cs based upon the light received by each of the collection fiber optic bundles and the known absorbance characteristics.
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