Temperature Control Method in a Laboratory Scale Reactor

• US 20140335625A1
• Filed: 05/10/2013
• Published: 11/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Clean Diesel Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: CDTI
• Inventors: Hatfield, Randal L.
• Application Number:
  US13/891,745
• Publication Number:
  US 20140335625A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 436/37
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0016 by regulating a physical variable, e.g. pressure or temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0037 NOx
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/004 CO or CO2
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/20 Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a method of separating variations in the mass flow of gas through a catalyst from the thermal load observed by the temperature control system in a test bench. The method may include separating the temperature control component from the mass flow control component.

Claims

1. An apparatus for analyzing a fluid, comprising:

a heating chamber comprising at least one heating element suitable for heating the fluid to a heating temperature and for imparting a first space velocity to the fluid;

a heating controller suitable for controlling the heating temperature of the fluid;

at least one catalyst sample provided substantially in-line following the heating chamber and suitable for interacting with a first portion of the fluid having a second space velocity;

at least one vent suitable for venting, prior to interacting with the catalyst sample, of a second portion of the fluid, thereby imparting the second space velocity to the first portion of the fluid;

at least one mass flow controller for controlling flow of a mass-flow controlled one of the interacted first portion of the fluid; and

at least three outputs, comprising;

a first output suitable for outputting the mass flow controlled one of the interacted first portion;

a second output suitable for substantially directly outputting a pre-treated one of the interacted first portion; and

a third output suitable for substantially directly outputting the interacted first portion.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a calayst holder suitable for receiving the interacted first portion substantially directly from the catalyst sample.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first space velocity is not equal to the second space velocity.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one fluid comprises gas.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heating controller controls a rate of the heating.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heating controller comprises one selected from the group consisting of a thermocouple, thermistor, and any combination thereof.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heating element comprises a serpentine heater.

8. The appartus of claim 1, further comprising a pre-treatment device suitable for providing the pre-treated one of the interacted first portion.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the pre-treatment device comprises one selected from the group consisting of a heat block, cooling bath, and combinations thereof.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising at least one analyzer suitable for analyzing the fluid output at at least one of the at least three outputs.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the analyzing comprises one selected from the group consisting of flame ionization detection, CO detection, hydrocarbon detection, fourier transform infrared detection, and combinations thereof.

12. A method for analyzing at least one fluid, comprising:

heating at least one fluid in a heating chamber, the heating chamber comprising at least one heating element and at least one heating control for controlling a heating temperature of the at least one fluid;

venting at least a second portion of the at least one fluid after said heating;

interacting a first, non-vented portion of the at least one fluid with a catalyst after said venting;

controlling a flow of the interacted first, non-vented portion of the at least one fluid utilizing at least one mass flow controller;

outputting at least a flow contolled one of the interacted first, non-vented portion of the at least one fluid, and a non-flow controlled one of the interacted first, non-vented portion of the at least one fluid.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, prior to said venting, the at least one fluid comprises a first space velocity, and wherein, following said venting, the at least one fluid comprises a second space velocity, and wherein the first space velocity is unequal to the second space velocity.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one fluid comprises gas.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising controlling a rate of the heating via the heating control.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the heating element comprises a serpentine heater.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising pre-treating the interacted first, non-vented portion using a pre-treatment device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the pre-treatment device comprises one selected from the group consisting of a heat block, cooling bath, and combinations thereof.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising analyzing at least one of the outputted interacted first, non-vented portions of the at least one fluid.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the analyzing comprises one selected from the group consisting of flame ionization detection, CO detection, hydrocarbon detection, fourier transform infrared detection, and combinations thereof.