Automatic Titration Device

• US 20190003961A1
• Filed: 06/29/2017
• Published: 01/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hydrite Chemical Co.
• Original Assignee: Hydrite Chemical Co.
• Inventors: Kenowski, Andy
• Granted Patent: US 11,231,360 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/02 Devices for withdrawing samples sampling of foundation soil E02D1/04; collecting or conveying radioactive samples G01T7/00, e.g. G01T7/02, G01T7/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/2806 Means for preparing replicas of specimens, e.g. for microscopal analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/253 for batch operation, i.e. multisample apparatus analytical automats G01N35/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/79 Photometric titration
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 31/16 using titration
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/02 Viewing or reading apparatus stereoscopic systems G02B30/00

Abstract

A titration system is disclosed for determining content of an analyte in a sample. The titration system comprises: a controller; a reaction vessel; a titration vessel and an indicator vessel in fluid communication with the reaction vessel; a spectroscopy unit; a sensor for outputting a signal to the controller based on a force exerted by the reaction vessel on the sensor. The controller executes a stored program to: (i) perform titration by delivering to the reaction vessel a first mass of a first fluid comprising the sample, a second mass of a second fluid comprising indicator, and a third mass of a third fluid comprising titrant; (ii) detect color change in the mixture in the reaction vessel based on a signal from the spectroscopy unit and stop titration; and (iii) calculate content of the analyte in the sample based on the first mass, the second mass, and the third mass.

Claims

1. A titration system for determining content of an analyte in a sample, the titration system comprising:

a controller;

a reaction vessel for containing the sample comprising the analyte;

a titration vessel in fluid communication with the reaction vessel;

an indicator vessel in fluid communication with the reaction vessel;

a spectroscopy unit in electrical communication with the controller, the spectroscopy unit including a radiation source and a receiver positioned adjacent to the reaction vessel to detect a color change in a mixture in the reaction vessel;

a sensor in electrical communication with the controller, the sensor being positioned adjacent to the reaction vessel, the sensor outputting a signal to the controller based on a force exerted by the reaction vessel in a direction toward the sensor;

wherein the controller is configured to execute a stored program in the controller to;

(i) perform titration by delivering a first mass of a first fluid comprising the sample to the reaction vessel, delivering a second mass of a second fluid comprising an indicator to the reaction vessel, delivering a third mass of a third fluid comprising a titrant to the reaction vessel to create the mixture;

(ii) detect the color change in the mixture in the reaction vessel based on a signal received from the spectroscopy unit and stop titration; and

(iii) calculate a content of the analyte in the sample based on the first mass, the second mass, and the third mass.

2. The titration system of claim 1, further comprising a sample vessel in fluid communication with a needle to deliver the sample to the reaction vessel dropwise during the titration.

3. The titration system of claim 1, wherein the sample vessel is in fluid communication with a cleaning system, the sample vessel receiving the sample from the cleaning system.

4. The titration system of claim 1, wherein the indicator vessel and the titration vessel are further in fluid communication with a gas supply unit to pressurize the titration vessel and the indicator vessel to a pressure.

5. The titration system of claim 4, wherein the pressure is between 1 and 5 psi.

6. The titration system of claim 4, wherein the gas supply unit is in fluid communication with the reaction vessel to deliver a gas through the mixture during titration.

7. The titration system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a load cell.

8. The titration system of claim 1, wherein the sample comprises an alkaline solution, a non-alkaline solution, a titratable halogen solution, an acidic solution, a conveyor lubricant, a sanitizing solution, or a hydrogen peroxide solution.

9. The titration system of claim 8, wherein the titratable halogen solution is selected from the group consisting of a titratable chlorine solution, titratable iodine solution, and a titratable chlorine dioxide solution.

10. The titration system of claim 8, wherein the titrant comprises sodium thiosulfate, an acid, a base, sodium lauryl sulfate, and copper sulfate.

11. The titration system of claim 10, wherein the acid comprises hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, phosphoric acid or mixtures thereof.

12. The titration system of claim 8, wherein the indicator comprises phenolphthalein, potassium iodine, starch indicator, bromophenol blue, quaternary ammonium indicator, ferroin indicator, 1-(2-pyridylazo)-2-naphthol (PAN) indicator, thymol blue, or ammonium molybdate.

13. The titration system of claim 8, wherein the analyte comprises hydroxide ions, hydrogen ions, chlorine, iodine, peroxyacetic acid, a chelant, hydrogen peroxide, conveyor lubricant, and quaternary ammonium compounds.

14. A titration system comprising:

a controller;

a reaction vessel;

a titration vessel in fluid communication with a titration valve, the titration valve being in fluid communication with the reaction vessel, the titration valve being moveable between an open position in which titrant can be delivered from the titration vessel to the reaction vessel and a closed position in which the titrant is blocked from entering the reaction vessel from the titration vessel, the titration valve being in electrical communication with the controller;

an indicator vessel in fluid communication with an indicator valve, the indicator valve being in fluid communication with the reaction vessel, the indicator valve being moveable between an open position in which indicator can be delivered from the indicator vessel to the reaction vessel and a closed position in which indicator is blocked from entering the reaction vessel from the indicator vessel, the indicator valve being in electrical communication with the controller;

a sensor positioned adjacent to the reaction vessel, the sensor outputting signals to the controller based on a mass of a fluid contained in the reaction vessel;

a spectroscopy unit including a radiation source and a receiver positioned adjacent to the reaction vessel, the spectroscopy unit configured to detect a color change of the fluid in the reaction vessel;

the spectroscopy unit being in electrical communication with the controller;

wherein the controller is configured to execute a program stored in the controller to;

(i) calculate a first mass of a first fluid in the reaction vessel based on a first signal received from the sensor, the first fluid comprising a sample;

(ii) move the indicator valve from the closed position to the open position to deliver indicator from the indicator vessel to the reaction vessel, move the indicator valve to the closed position, and calculate a second mass of a second fluid in the reaction vessel based on a second signal received from the sensor, the second fluid comprising the sample and the indicator delivered to the reaction vessel;

(iii) move the titration valve from the closed position to the open position to deliver titrant from the titration vessel to the reaction vessel, move the titration valve from to the closed position when a color change is detected based on a third signal received from the spectroscopy unit, and calculate a third mass of a third fluid in the reaction vessel based on a fourth signal received from the sensor, the third fluid comprising the sample and the indicator delivered to the reaction vessel and the titrant delivered to the reaction vessel; and

(iv) calculate a concentration of an analyte in the sample based on the first mass, the second mass, and the third mass.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising a gas supply unit in fluid communication with the titration vessel to pressurize the titration vessel to a pressure.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the pressure is between 1 and 5 psi.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the gas supply unit is further in fluid communication with the reaction vessel to inject a gas into fluid in the reaction vessel.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the titration valve and the indicator valve each comprise a pinch valve.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the sensor comprises a load cell.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the reaction vessel is in fluid communication with a reaction valve, the reaction valve being in fluid communication with a source of the first fluid, the reaction valve being moveable between an open position in which the first fluid is delivered to the reaction vessel and a closed position in which the first fluid is blocked from entering the reaction vessel, the reaction valve being in electrical communication with the controller.

21. The system of claim 14, further comprising a hollow needle in fluid communication with the titration valve, the needle separating the titrant delivered to the reaction vessel into droplets for delivery to the second fluid.

22. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

one or more additional titration vessels, each additional titration vessel being in fluid communication with an associated titration valve, each associated titration valve being in fluid communication with the reaction vessel, each associated titration valve being moveable between an open position in which titrant can be delivered from its associated titration vessel to the reaction vessel and a closed position in which titrant is blocked from entering the reaction vessel from the titration vessel, each associated titration valve being in electrical communication with the controller.

23. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

one or more additional indicator vessels, each additional indicator vessel being in fluid communication with an associated indicator valve, each associated indicator valve being in fluid communication with the reaction vessel, each associated indicator valve being moveable between an open position in which indicator can be delivered from its associated indicator vessel to the reaction vessel and a closed position in which indicator is blocked from entering the reaction vessel from the indicator vessel, each associated indicator valve being in electrical communication with the controller.

24. The system of claim 14, wherein the reaction vessel is in fluid communication with a cleaning system, the reaction vessel receiving the sample from the cleaning system.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein

the cleaning system comprises a clean-in-place system, a waste treatment system, a membrane, or a sanitizer.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein

the cleaning system comprises a storage tank for containing a chemical and further comprises a pump for delivering the chemical to the storage tank,

the controller is in electrical communication with the pump, and

the controller is configured to execute the program stored in the controller to:

(v) turn on the pump to deliver the chemical to the storage tank based on the concentration of the analyte in the sample.