Sample Conditioning System for Low Pressure Gas

• US 20150000426A1
• Filed: 06/18/2014
• Published: 01/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mustang Sampling, LLC
• Original Assignee: Mustang Sampling, LLC
• Inventors: Rolston, Claude A., Thompson, Kenneth O.
• Application Number:
  US14/308,453
• Publication Number:
  US 20150000426A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/863.11
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/14 Suction devices, e.g. pumps; Ejector devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/44 Sample treatment involving radiation, e.g. heat
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2030/062 extracting sample from raw material
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/06 Preparation
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/26 Conditioning of the fluid carrier; Flow patterns
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/88 Integrated analysis systems specially adapted therefor, not covered by a single one of the groups G01N30/04 - G01N30/86
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0016 by regulating a physical variable, e.g. pressure, temperature
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/22 Fuels, explosives liquid hydrocarbons G01N33/28

Abstract

A system and method for conditioning of very low pressure gas samples extracted from a source, heating the samples, boosting the pressure to a level appropriate for analysis, regulating the gas sample temperature and pressure to prevent dew-point dropout from Joules Thompson condensation, and passing the gas sample to an a remotely located analyzer or analyzer array where the electrical power for the pressurizing pump and heated regulator is provided by heat tracing.

Claims

1. A system for conditioning a gas sample from a low pressure gas source, comprising:

a cabinet with an enclosed interior,

a sample gas input line at least partially disposed in the cabinet interior;

a heated gas regulator and for thermally conditioning a sample gas at a low pressure to a temperature preventing dew point condensation;

a control unit for the heated regulator;

a metering pump for drawing the low pressure gas sample into the cabinet and boosting the low pressure sample gas to a pressure of between 10-45 psig, said pump including an electric motor which projects from the exterior of the cabinet;

a first heated gas sample line for communicating the heated gas sample from the heated regulator to the pump and a second gas line for communicating the heated and pressurized gas from the pump to a gas analyzer remotely spaced from the cabinet through an insulated conduit;

electric power providing heat tracing extending through the insulated conduit and into the cabinet; and

a shielded electrical junction box with a heat tracing input fitting and shielded electrical conduits extending between said junction box to each of the heated gas regulator, the control unit, and the electric motor of the pump.

2. The system according to claim 1 further including a pressure relief line and valve located external of the cabinet for relieving pressure exceeding 45 psi of the gas sample following pressurization by the pump.

3. The system according to claim 2 where the pump is a peristaltic pump.

4. The system according to claim 3 where the pump is a dual diaphragm pump.

5. The system according to claim 4 further including a tee-connector in the first heated sample gas line for splitting the gas sample into first and second equal streams for input into the pump.

6. The system according to claim 5 where the pump includes a first and a second gas sample outputs further including a tee-connector in the second gas line combining the outputted heated and pressurized gas sample.

7. The system according to claim 6 further including a second heated regulator disposed in said second gas

8. The system according to claim 7 further including an isolation valve in said input line.

9. The system according to claim 8 where said isolation valve is a cryogenic valve.

10. The system according to claim 9 further including an in-line particulate filter positioned in the cabinet interior and upstream of the isolation valve in said input line.

11. The system according to claim 10 further including a grab sample connection associated with the pressure relief line and proximate to the relief valve.

12. The system according to claim 11 further including an isolation valve disposed in the cabinet interior and in said second gas line.

13. The method of conditioning a low pressure gas for communication to a remotely located analyzer using the system of claim 1.

14. A method for conditioning a gas sample for analysis by a remotely space analyzer without loss of the native gas properties, comprising the steps of:

extracting a gas sample from a low pressure source;

communicating the extracted sample into a conditioning cabinet;

heating the extracted gas sample in a heated regulator;

pressurizing the gas sample to a select pressure with a non-contaminating metering pump;

passing the pressurized and heated gas sample through a cabinet outlet by a conduit to a remotely spaced analyzer while maintaining thermal and pressure stability; and

powering the heated regulator and metering pump with heat tracing passing into the conditioning cabinet through the conduit.

15. The method of claim 14 where the conditioning cabinet includes a gas sample relief line extending from the pump to the cabinet exterior further comprising the step of relieving gas pressure in excess of 45 psi.

16. The method of claim 15 where the metering pump is a dual diaphragm pump further comprising the step of splitting the heated extracted gas sample for pressurization.

17. The method of claim 16 where the conditioning cabinet includes a second heated regulator comprising the step of heating the gas sample after pressurization.