Jon V Hokanson, Age 69Napavine, WA

4354244, Oct 12, 1982

Feb 25, 1980

6/124339

Christopher S. Miller - Seattle WA
Daniel F. Pope - Issaquah WA
Jon V. Hokanson - Everett WA

Eur-Control M&D, U.S.A., Inc. - Bellevue WA

G06G 758

364556

A sample box is provided for selectively receiving, retaining and discharging samples of particulate material during a plurality of successive measurement cycles. A data processor receives a plurality of input signals representing the measured weight of the sample box and the measured temperature, conductivity, and moisture (based on electrical impedance) of each sample. Using supplier-related data stored in a memory and entered through a keyboard and display, the data processor determines, for each sample, its wet bulk density, its electronic oven dry percentage from the moisture based on electrical impedance, and its density oven dry percentage from the wet bulk density. From the density and electronic oven dry percentages and the temperature of the sample, the data processor determines if the sample contains frozen moisture and also determines if the electronic and density oven dry percentages are based on valid input data. If both oven dry percentages are based on valid input data and if the sample does not contain frozen moisture, the data processor selects an average of the density and electronic oven dry percentages as a verified oven dry percentage. If both oven dry percentages are valid and frozen moisture is detected, the data processor determines a degree of frozenness factor for the sample from the density and electronic oven dry percentages, and selects a quantity equal to the density oven dry percentage, modified by the degree of frozenness, factor as the verified oven dry percentage.

5815264, Sep 29, 1998

Apr 7, 1997

8/835188

Barry W. Reed - Auburn WA
Jon V. Hokanson - Redmond WA
Oliver S. Hamann - Redmond WA
Thomas W. Montague - Redmond WA

Laser Sensor Technology, Inc - Redmond WA

G01N 2149

356336

An in-situ imaging system suitable for analyzing particles or droplets contained in process reactor vessels or pipelines at full process concentrations is disclosed. The system includes a light source capable of high peak power output operated in a pulsed mode that is located inside of a probe. The light from the light source is coupled into an optical fiber. The light is carried by the optical fiber to a lens system near the end of the probe which focuses the light through a window to the area which coincides with the field of view in the focal plane of the imaging optics. The imaging optics collect the light which is back-scattered from particles or droplets, magnifying the image and projecting it onto an image detector such as a CCD array.

5426501, Jun 20, 1995

Jan 6, 1993

8/001382

Jon V. Hokanson - Redmond WA
Barry W. Reed - Auburn WA

Laser Sensor Technology, Inc. - Redmond WA

G01N 1502

356335

Apparatus and a method are disclosed for determining the sizes of particles entrained in a fluid over a relatively wide range of sizes and determining the distribution of particles in a plurality of size increments. A sample of particles is fed into a drop tube, allowing the particles to be distributed at a relatively low density and fall through a sensing region defined at an intermediate point in the drop tube. A laser diode produces coherent light that is focused with a lens, forming a sheet of coherent light that is directed transversely through transparent sides of the drop tube toward a lens that focuses the sheet of coherent light on a photodetector. A laser intensity control circuit maintains a constant light intensity output from the laser diode when no particle is present in the sensing region and compensates for ambient light. When a particle in the size range of 32. mu. to 4000. mu. falls through the sensing region, a chord around the particle is illuminated by the relatively thin sheet of coherent light, and the level of an electrical signal produced by photodetector is reduced in direct proportion to the portion of the sheet of coherent light that is occluded by the particle.

5619043, Apr 8, 1997

Sep 21, 1994

8/310630

Ekhard Preikschat - Bellevue WA
Jon V. Hokanson - Redmond WA
Barry W. Reed - Auburn WA

Laser Sensor Technology, Inc. - Redmond WA

G01N 2149

250574

The present invention describes an optical technique for analyzing undiluted, multi-phase fluid flows as typically encountered inside reactor vessels or flow lines in the chemical industries. In particular the technique uses a pulsed, coherent light source and measures the back-scattered light collected over a wide scattering angle. A light beam is relayed via a set of lenses down a long probe tube, through a window at a probe tip to illuminate the material that is passing past the window. The light beam is pulsed to "freeze" the motion of the particles streaming past the window. The backscattered light is collected by the same set of optics and is focused on the front surface of a CCD chip. The lens closest to the front window has a short focal length with a large numerical aperture to collect the back-scattered light over a wide range of backward angles, thereby increasing the detection sensitivity to larger particles, which lie behind and are partially obscured by the myriad of smaller particles closest to the window. The probe tube is inserted through an insertion assembly so that the front viewing window is in direct contact with the material flow, and can be positioned so that the flow will provide a continuous and representative stream of material past the window.