Optical gas analyzer
First Claim
1. In an optical gas analyzer including in combination, a sample chamber, a reference chamber, to provide dual optical paths one for analysis of a sample gas, the other for reference, radiation projector means mounted at one end of said chambers, means for chopping and directing the radiation beams alternately along the two paths, the improvement which comprises radiation detector means positioned at the other end of said chambers comprising:
- A. housing means open at the front end thereof and defining a cavity,B. a reflective surface within said cavity facing the front end of said housing means to reflect energy beams transmitted along said paths,C. a spectral filter mounted in said cavity in spaced relation to the reflective surface for receiving reflected energy beams,D. a detector mounted within said cavity adjacent the spectral filter to receive the radiation beams through said spectral filter,E. sealing means cooperating with said housing means to provide an air tight seal to said cavity and permitting energy beams to enter through the front end of said housing means to engage the reflective surface and be reflected therefrom towards the spectral filter, andF. masking means contained within said cavity in the form of a spectrally absorbing gas so as to eliminate the effect of an interfering gas that is contained in spectral proximity to the gas of interest in the sample gas such that the gas having spectral absorbing lines which overlap in the region covered by the spectral filter and specifically tuned to the absorption spectrum of the gas of interest is substantially eliminated.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An optical gas analyzer is disclosed utilizing the infrared absorption principle having a sample chamber and reference chamber with infrared source and detector assembly spaced at opposite ends of and in alignment with the chambers with baffle means provided in cooperating relation with the infrared source to prevent cross-currents with respect thereto and masking means provided in cooperating relation with the detector assembly to mask out a gas having a partially overlapping infrared absorption band. The electronic processing system utilizes the total area under the signal waveform to derive the desired measurement. In addition barometric correction means is provided to permit on site calibration by the user of the gas analyzer.
25 Citations
45 Claims
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1. In an optical gas analyzer including in combination, a sample chamber, a reference chamber, to provide dual optical paths one for analysis of a sample gas, the other for reference, radiation projector means mounted at one end of said chambers, means for chopping and directing the radiation beams alternately along the two paths, the improvement which comprises radiation detector means positioned at the other end of said chambers comprising:
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A. housing means open at the front end thereof and defining a cavity, B. a reflective surface within said cavity facing the front end of said housing means to reflect energy beams transmitted along said paths, C. a spectral filter mounted in said cavity in spaced relation to the reflective surface for receiving reflected energy beams, D. a detector mounted within said cavity adjacent the spectral filter to receive the radiation beams through said spectral filter, E. sealing means cooperating with said housing means to provide an air tight seal to said cavity and permitting energy beams to enter through the front end of said housing means to engage the reflective surface and be reflected therefrom towards the spectral filter, and F. masking means contained within said cavity in the form of a spectrally absorbing gas so as to eliminate the effect of an interfering gas that is contained in spectral proximity to the gas of interest in the sample gas such that the gas having spectral absorbing lines which overlap in the region covered by the spectral filter and specifically tuned to the absorption spectrum of the gas of interest is substantially eliminated. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. In an optical gas analyzer including in combination, a sample chamber, a reference chamber, to provide dual optical paths one for analysis of a sample gas, the other for reference, radiation projector means mounted at one end of said chambers, means for chopping and directing the radiation beams alternately along the two paths, the improvement which comprises radiation detector means positioned at the other end of said chambers comprising:
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A. housing means open at the front end thereof and defining a cavity, B. a reflective surface within said cavity facing the front end of said housing means to reflect energy beams transmitted along said paths, C. a spectral filter mounted in said cavity in spaced relation to the reflective surface for receiving reflected energy beams, D. detector means mounted within said cavity adjacent the spectral filter, E. sealing means cooperating with said housing means to provide an air tight seal to said cavity and permitting energy beams to enter through the front end of said housing means to engage the reflective surface and be reflected therefrom towards the spectral filter, wherein said sealing means includes; 1. a plate extending across the open end of said housing means in sealed relation thereto and having spaced apart apertures extending substantially in axial alignment with the sample and reference chambers, and 2. a transparent member mounted in sealed relationship to each of said apertures that permits the energy beams to pass therethrough, and F. masking means contained within said cavity in the form of a spectrally absorbing gas so as to eliminate the effect of an interfering gas that is contained in spectral proximity to the gas of interest in the sample gas such that the gas having spectral absorbing lines which overlap in the region covered by the spectral filter and specifically tuned to the absorption spectrum of the gas of interest is substantially eliminated, wherein said masking means includes; - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 33, 35, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 44)
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23. an inlet port opening into the cavity,an inlet valve communicating with the inlet port,an outlet port opening into the cavity, andan outlet valve communicating with the outlet port, such that the cavity may be filled by having the gas enter through the inlet valve and the gas in the cavity purged through said outlet valve.
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26. In an optical gas analyzer including in combination, a sample chamber, a reference chamber to provide dual optical paths one for analysis of a sample gas, the other for reference, means for alternately chopping the two paths, detector means positioned at one end of the dual optical paths, the improvement which comprises radiation projector means positioned at the other end of the dual optical paths comprising:
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A. casing means open at the front end thereof and defining a cavity, B. an infrared emitting element extending within the cavity, C. an interior reflective surface within the cavity to reflect means from the emitting element through the dual optical paths of the sample and reference chambers to the detector means, D. a plate extending across the open end of said casing means in fixed relation thereto, having spaced apart apertures extending substantially in axial alignment with the sample and reference chambers, E. means for mounting said plate in sealed relation to said front end of said casing means, F. baffle means mounted on said plate in front of the infrared element to prevent buffeting by air currents so as to reduce to a minimum the optical noise which is generated by the infrared emitting element, and G. said baffle means comprises a transparent baffle member mounted in fixed sealed relationship to each one of said apertures such that each said baffle member permits the energy beams to pass therethrough.
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32. An optical gas analyzer for determining the concentration of a gas in a sample chamber, comprising:
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A. an infrared source of energy disposed on one end of said sample chamber for emitting a first beam of infrared energy through said sample chamber; B. a reference chamber disposed proximate said infrared source of energy for receiving a second beam of infrared energy therethrough; C. a first photoelectric detector disposed to receive said first and second beam of infrared energy for providing a sample signal voltage when said first beam impinges thereon and a reference signal voltage when said second beam impinges thereon; D. interrupter means disposed in the path of said first and second infrared beams for sequentially interrupting said beams; E. automatic gain control means coupled to said first detector for providing a constant system gain between successive signal measurements; F. means for developing a first sync voltage displaced in time and related to said sample signal voltage and a second sync voltage displaced in time and related to said reference signal voltage; G. means for combining said first and second sync voltages for providing a zero sync signal voltages; H. clamping means coupled to said combining means and said automatic gain control means for clamping the output signal voltage from said automatic gain control means during the high level on the zero sync signal voltage; I. inverting amplifier means coupled to said clamping means for providing said output signal voltage in an inverted polarity; J. first and second switching means, said first switching means being coupled to said inverting amplifier and being activated by said sample signal voltage, said second switching means being coupled to said clamping means and being activated by said reference signal voltage, said first and second switching means providing a time multiplexing of said direct and inverted signal voltages; K. balancing means coupled to said direct and inverted signal voltages for equalizing the amplitudes of said direct and inverted signal voltages; L. integration means coupled to said balancing means for providing a DC voltage proportional to the amplitude of said sample signal voltage; M. display means coupled to said interruption means for displaying said DC voltages in a suitable manner; N. comparator means coupled to said balancing means and a reference voltage for comparing the amplitude of said direct signal voltage with said reference voltage and providing an output voltage related to the difference therebetween; and O. error detector means coupled between said comparator means and said automatic gain control means for coupling the comparator means output voltage to said automatic gain control means in the proper polarity for stabalizing the gain thereof. - View Dependent Claims (34, 36)
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43. The method of obtaining a DC output voltage related to the amount of concentration of a gas in a sample chamber comprising the steps of:
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A. providing a source of infrared energy disposed on one end of said sample chamber, said energy source emitting a first beam of energy through said chamber; B. providing a reference chamber disposed proximate said source of energy for receiving a second beam of infrared energy therethrough; C. providing a sample signal voltage and a reference signal voltage when said first and second beam respectively impinges upon a first photoelectric detector; D. interrupting said first and second infrared beam in a sequential manner; E. stabilizing the gain between successive signal measurement of the first detector output voltage by automatic gain control circuit means; F. developing a first sync voltage displaced in time and related to said sample signal voltage and a second sync voltage displaced in time and related to said reference signal voltage; G. combining said first and second sync voltages to provide a zero sync signal voltage; H. clamping the output signal voltage from said automatic gain control circuit means during the high level on the zero sync signal voltage; I. inverting said output signal voltage; J. providing a time multiplexing of said direct and inverted signal voltages; K. equalizing the amplitudes of said direct and inverted signal voltages; L. integrating said sample signal voltage to provide a DC voltage proportional to the amplitude of said signal voltage; M. displaying said DC voltage; N. comparing the amplitude of said direct signal voltage with said reference voltage to provide an output voltage related to the difference therebetween; and O. coupling said difference voltage to said automatic gain control means in the proper polarity for stabilizing the gain thereof. - View Dependent Claims (45)
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Specification