Infrared analysis apparatus
First Claim
1. IN A METHOD FOR DETERMINING A SPECIFIC CONSTITUENT OF A FLUID MIXTURE BY INFRARED ANALYSIS IN WHICH A PORTION OF SAID MIXTURE IS SUPPLIED TO A SAMPLE CELL THEREFOR. DUAL BEAMS OF INFRARED RADIATION FROM A COMMON SOURCE ARE PASSED SIMULTANEOUSLY THROUGH SAID SAMPLE CELL AND THE MIXTURE PORTION THEREIN ALONG SEPARATE PATHS, IN WHICH ONE OF SAID BEAMS IS THEN PASSED THROUGH A FILTER CELL CONTAINING A RELATIVELY PURE PORTION OF SAID SPECIFIC CONSTITUENT WHILE THE OTHER BEAM IS PASSED THROUGH A COMPENSATOR CELL CONTAINING A PORTION OF A FLUID AT LEAST PARTIALLY OPAQUE TO INFRARED RADIATION, SAID BEAMS EACH IMPINGING THEREAFTER UPON ONE OF A PAIR OF RADIATION SENSITIVE DETECTOR ELEMENTS CONNECTED IN OPPOSITION TO ONE ANOTHER IN AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT SO AS TO PRODUCE A DIFFERENTIAL CURRENT THEREIN IN RESPONSE TO ANY VARIATION OF THE INTENSITY OF SAID BEAMS FROM A PREDETERMINED VALUE THEREFOR, AND IN WHICH THE INTENSITY OF SAID BEAMS AND THE ELECTRICAL BALANCE OF SAID CIRCUIT ARE ADJUSTED INITIALLY TO ESTABLISH A PREDETERMINED NULL POINT, THE ADDITIONAL STEPS WHICH COMPRISE PERIODICALLY PURGING SAID SAMPLE CELL OF SAID FLUID MIXTURE, REPLACING SAID MIXTURE WITH AN INFRARED TRANSPARENT FLUID THEREBY TO INDUCE A FIRST VOLTAGE SIGNAL IN SAID ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT, REPLACING SAID INFRARED TRANSPARENT FLUID IN SAID SAMPLE CELL WITH AN INFRARED ABSORBING FLUID OTHER THAN SAID SPECIFIC CONSTITUENT TO INDUCE A SECOND VOLTAGE SIGNAL IN SAID ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT AND VARYING THE INTENSITY OF AT LEAST ONE OF SAID RADIATION BEAMS IN PROPORTION TO ANY DIFFERENTIAL VOLTAGE BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND SIGNALS, SO AS TO ERASE SAID DIFFERENTIAL VOLTAGE AND REESTABLISH A NULL POINT BALANCE IN SAID ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT.
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1 Claim
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1. IN A METHOD FOR DETERMINING A SPECIFIC CONSTITUENT OF A FLUID MIXTURE BY INFRARED ANALYSIS IN WHICH A PORTION OF SAID MIXTURE IS SUPPLIED TO A SAMPLE CELL THEREFOR. DUAL BEAMS OF INFRARED RADIATION FROM A COMMON SOURCE ARE PASSED SIMULTANEOUSLY THROUGH SAID SAMPLE CELL AND THE MIXTURE PORTION THEREIN ALONG SEPARATE PATHS, IN WHICH ONE OF SAID BEAMS IS THEN PASSED THROUGH A FILTER CELL CONTAINING A RELATIVELY PURE PORTION OF SAID SPECIFIC CONSTITUENT WHILE THE OTHER BEAM IS PASSED THROUGH A COMPENSATOR CELL CONTAINING A PORTION OF A FLUID AT LEAST PARTIALLY OPAQUE TO INFRARED RADIATION, SAID BEAMS EACH IMPINGING THEREAFTER UPON ONE OF A PAIR OF RADIATION SENSITIVE DETECTOR ELEMENTS CONNECTED IN OPPOSITION TO ONE ANOTHER IN AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT SO AS TO PRODUCE A DIFFERENTIAL CURRENT THEREIN IN RESPONSE TO ANY VARIATION OF THE INTENSITY OF SAID BEAMS FROM A PREDETERMINED VALUE THEREFOR, AND IN WHICH THE INTENSITY OF SAID BEAMS AND THE ELECTRICAL BALANCE OF SAID CIRCUIT ARE ADJUSTED INITIALLY TO ESTABLISH A PREDETERMINED NULL POINT, THE ADDITIONAL STEPS WHICH COMPRISE PERIODICALLY PURGING SAID SAMPLE CELL OF SAID FLUID MIXTURE, REPLACING SAID MIXTURE WITH AN INFRARED TRANSPARENT FLUID THEREBY TO INDUCE A FIRST VOLTAGE SIGNAL IN SAID ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT, REPLACING SAID INFRARED TRANSPARENT FLUID IN SAID SAMPLE CELL WITH AN INFRARED ABSORBING FLUID OTHER THAN SAID SPECIFIC CONSTITUENT TO INDUCE A SECOND VOLTAGE SIGNAL IN SAID ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT AND VARYING THE INTENSITY OF AT LEAST ONE OF SAID RADIATION BEAMS IN PROPORTION TO ANY DIFFERENTIAL VOLTAGE BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SECOND SIGNALS, SO AS TO ERASE SAID DIFFERENTIAL VOLTAGE AND REESTABLISH A NULL POINT BALANCE IN SAID ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT.
Specification
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- Resources
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Current AssigneeJohn A. Hinlicky, John J. Heigl
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Original AssigneeJohn A. Hinlicky, John J. Heigl
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InventorsHeigl, John J., Hinlicky, John A.
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Application NumberUS03/254,412Time in Patent Office1,419 DaysField of SearchUS Class Current250/252.1CPC Class CodesG01N 21/3504 for analysing gases, e.g. m...
