Fluid analyzer manifold and techniques

• US 10,639,627 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2019
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes, a GE Company, LLC (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Sanroma, John Paul, Hake, Mariah Inez
• Primary Examiner(s): West, Paul M.
• Application Number:
  US16/248,964
• Publication Number:
  US 20190160459A1
• Time in Patent Office: 475 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/026 Fluid interfacing between devices or objects, e.g. connectors, inlet details
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2200/12 Specific details about manufacturing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0627 Sensor or part of a sensor is integrated
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/0877 Flow chambers
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 2300/18 Means for temperature control
• CPC Class Codes: B01L 3/502 with fluid transport, e.g. in multi-compartment structures centrifugal-type cuvettes G01N21/07; analysis by separation into components G01N30/00; automatic analysers G01N35/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/002 Devices for supplying or distributing samples to an analysing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1095 for supplying the samples to flow-through analysers for a specific analyser see relevant groups, e.g. under G01N15/00, G01N21/00, G01N27/00, G01N30/00, H01J49/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1097 characterised by the valves valves in general F16K

Abstract

A fluid analyzer manifold for facilitating flow of a fluid through at least one surface mounted component for analysis by a fluid analyzer. The exemplary fluid analyzer manifold can include an analysis chamber for connection with the fluid analyzer, a first flow channel having a first surface opening and a second flow channel having a second surface opening on the fluid analyzer manifold, and a mounting area on the fluid analyzer manifold. The mounting area can include the first and second surface openings of the first and second flow channels, and facilitates surface mounting the at least one surface mounted component to the fluid analyzer manifold.

Claims

1. A fluid analyzer manifold comprising:

an in-situ analysis chamber formed in a solid bar of material so as to be integrated within a unibody fluid analyzer manifold formed from the solid bar of material, the in-situ analysis chamber configured to contain a fluid, wherein the fluid is separated from fluid analyzer electronics via a window such that the fluid is analyzed while it is contained in the in-situ analysis chamber without directly exposing fluid analyzer electronics to the fluid, and the fluid analyzer is a laser-based fluid analyzer;

a first flow channel having a first flow output opening on the unibody fluid analyzer manifold and a second flow channel having a second flow output opening on the unibody fluid analyzer manifold; and

a first mounting area on the unibody fluid analyzer manifold, the mounting area including the first and second flow output openings of the first and second flow channels, wherein the mounting area facilitates surface mounting at least one surface mounted component to the fluid analyzer manifold.

2. The fluid analyzer manifold of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second flow channels is in direct fluidic communication with the in-situ analysis chamber.

3. The fluid analyzer manifold of claim 1, further comprising a third flow channel, the third flow channel having a third flow output opening and being in direct fluidic communication with the in-situ analysis chamber, wherein the first mounting area further includes the third flow output opening.

4. The fluid analyzer manifold of claim 1, further comprising:

a third flow channel, the third flow channel having a third flow output opening and a fourth flow output opening on the unibody fluid analyzer manifold, wherein the first mounting area further includes the third flow output opening; and

a second mounting area including the fourth flow output opening and facilitating surface mounting another component of the at least one component on the unibody fluid analyzer manifold.

5. The fluid analyzer manifold of claim 1, further comprising a heating channel spaced apart from and extending along a length of the in-situ analysis chamber, the heating channel including a heater configured to minimize a temperature gradient within the in-situ analysis chamber during the analysis.

6. The fluid analyzer manifold of claim 1, further comprising a fluid analyzer mounting portion configured to mechanically connect the fluid analyzer to the in-situ analysis chamber.

7. The fluid analyzer manifold of claim 1, wherein the first flow channel extends transverse to the second flow channel and the at least one surface mounted component facilitates a transverse change in direction of the flow of the fluid from one of the first or second flow channels to the other of the first or second flow channels.

8. The fluid analyzer manifold of claim 1, wherein the at least one surface mounted component comprises one or more of a valve, a pressure regulator, a fluid filter, a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, or a rotameter.

9. The fluid analyzer manifold of claim 1, further comprising an ultrasonic transducer integrated with the unibody fluid analyzer manifold.

10. A fluid analyzer manifold comprising:

an in-situ analysis chamber formed in a solid bard of material so as to be integrated within a unibody fluid analyzer manifold formed from the solid bar of material, the in-situ analysis chamber configured to contain a fluid under analysis by a fluid analyzer, wherein the fluid is separated from fluid analyzer electronics via a window such that the fluid is analyzed while it is contained in the in-situ analysis chamber without directly exposing fluid analyzer electronics to the fluid, and the fluid analyzer is a laser-based fluid analyzer;

an inlet channel having an inlet opening and an outlet channel having an outlet opening on the unibody fluid analyzer manifold, the inlet and outlet channels each being in fluid communication with the in-situ analysis chamber;

a first flow channel comprising a first flow input opening and a first flow output opening on the unibody fluid analyzer manifold;

a second flow channel comprising a second flow input opening and a second flow output opening on the unibody fluid analyzer manifold;

a bypass channel comprising a bypass input opening and a bypass output opening on the unibody fluid analyzer manifold; and

a mounting area and a bypass mounting area on the unibody fluid analyzer manifold, the mounting area including the first flow output opening, the second flow input opening, and the bypass input opening, and the bypass mounting area including the bypass output opening, wherein the mounting area facilitates surface mounting a first surface mounted component to the unibody fluid analyzer manifold and the bypass mounting area facilitates mounting a second surface mounted component to the unibody fluid analyzer manifold.

11. The fluid analyzer manifold of claim 10, further comprising an ultrasonic transducer integrated with the unibody fluid analyzer manifold.

12. A method comprising:

forming an in-situ analysis chamber in a solid bar of material, the in-situ analysis chamber formed so as to be integrated within a unibody fluid analyzer manifold fabricated from the solid bar of material, the in-situ analysis chamber configured to contain a fluid under analysis by a fluid analyzer, wherein the fluid analyzer is a laser-based fluid analyzer and the in-situ analysis chamber is further formed to directly couple to instrumentation included in the laser-based fluid analyzer;

machining the solid bar of material to form an inlet channel having an inlet opening and an outlet channel having an outlet opening on the unibody fluid analyzer manifold, the inlet and outlet channels each being in direct fluidic communication with the in-situ analysis chamber, a first flow channel comprising a first flow input opening and a first flow output opening on the unibody fluid analyzer manifold, a second flow channel comprising a second flow input opening and a second flow output opening on the unibody fluid analyzer manifold, and a bypass channel comprising a bypass input opening and a bypass output opening on the unibody fluid analyzer manifold; and

forming a mounting area and a bypass mounting area on the unibody fluid analyzer manifold, the mounting area including the first flow output opening, the second flow input opening, and the bypass input opening, and the bypass mounting area including the bypass output opening, wherein the mounting area facilitates surface mounting a first component of the surface mounted components to the unibody fluid analyzer manifold and the bypass mounting area facilitates mounting a second component of the surface mounted components to the unibody fluid analyzer manifold.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the machining comprises gundrilling the solid bar of material to form at least a portion of the first flow channel or the second flow channel.