Apparatus and method for detecting valve mechanical effectiveness in a chemical composition analyzer
First Claim
1. An apparatus for determining whether a mechanical component in a chemical composition analyzer is defective, the apparatus comprising:
- a mechanical component mounted within an enclosed chemical composition analyzer;
a transducer coupled to the mechanical component, the transducer configured to directly measure an intrinsic mechanical component property; and
a processor in communication with the transducer, the processor configured to determine whether the mechanical component is defective using the intrinsic mechanical component property.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for determining whether a mechanical component in a chemical composition analyzer is defective, the apparatus including a mechanical component, a transducer coupled to the mechanical component, the transducer configured to measure a mechanical component property, and a processor in communication with the transducer, the processor configured to determine whether the mechanical component is defective using the mechanical component property. In an embodiment, the processor is configured to compare the mechanical component property to a baseline to determine whether the mechanical component property is within a predetermined range of the baseline, and responsive to the determination that the mechanical component property is not within the predetermined range of the baseline, indicate that the mechanical component is defective. In other embodiments, the mechanical component is a valve and the apparatus is incorporated into a chemical composition analyzer. Also disclosed is a method for determining whether a mechanical component in a chemical composition analyzer is defective.
13 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus for determining whether a mechanical component in a chemical composition analyzer is defective, the apparatus comprising:
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a mechanical component mounted within an enclosed chemical composition analyzer;
a transducer coupled to the mechanical component, the transducer configured to directly measure an intrinsic mechanical component property; and
a processor in communication with the transducer, the processor configured to determine whether the mechanical component is defective using the intrinsic mechanical component property. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12)
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10. (canceled)
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13. An apparatus comprising:
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a valve;
a transducer coupled to the valve, the transducer configured to directly measure a sound caused by a valve event, the valve event being identified prior to the direct sound measurement; and
a processor in communication with the transducer, the processor configured to compare the sound to a baseline to determine whether the sound is within a predetermined range of the baseline, and indicate that the valve is defective in response to the determination that the sound is not within the predetermined range of the baseline. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of determining whether a mechanical component mounted within an enclosed chemical composition analyzer is defective, the method comprising:
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disposing a transducer adjacent the mechanical component;
operating the chemical composition analyzer;
actuating the mechanical component;
measuring directly an intrinsic mechanical component property while operating the chemical composition analyzer;
determining whether the mechanical component is defective using the intrinsic mechanical component property;
indicating the mechanical component defectiveness. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification