Apparatus for detecting and measuring the hydrogen content in a liquid substance
First Claim
1. An apparatus for measuring the concentration of gaseous hydrogen dissolved in a liquid substance, comprising:
- an electrochemical detection device for determining said concentration of hydrogen in said liquid substance, and generating a current having a value proportional to said concentration;
said detection device comprises;
first and second electrodes;
an electrolyte means, separating said electrodes for causing a reaction of oxidation of the hydrogen diffused through a polymeric membrane at said first electrode, and a reaction of reduction of an oxygen-containing gas at said second electrode so as to generate said current proportional to the concentration of gaseous hydrogen; and
a polymeric membrane permeable to hydrogen, separating said liquid substance from said first electrode;
a device connected to said detection device to drain therefrom said liquid substance;
a display device for displaying the concentration detected by said detection device;
a circuit for amplifying a voltage corresponding to said current proportional to said concentration when said current flows through a load resistance mounted across the input of said amplifying circuit;
potentiometers acting on the amplifying circuit for controlling calibration and zero-setting of said display device; and
a control circuit for governing the operation sequence of said detection device, said drain device and said display device in accordance with a predetermined operating sequence, said control circuit comprising an oscillator-divider generating a signal corresponding to an adjustable unit time interval of said predetermined operation sequence;
a divider receiving said unit time interval signal and feeding a first decoder, said first decoder energizing a display unit displaying a state of said predetermined sequence, and feeding a second decoder defining actuation instants of said drain device and said display device, said second decoder controlling, according to the state of the sequence defined by said divider, the time of setting into memory in said display device of a measure supplied by said detection device, and the time of starting and stopping said drain device said second decoder also generates a signal for blocking said oscillator-divider when said predetermined sequence is terminated.
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Abstract
The invention relates to an apparatus for measuring the concentration of gaseous hydrogen dissolved in a liquid substance. The apparatus comprises an electrochemical cell constituted of a polymeric membrane in contact with a sample of the liquid substance and which is permeable to hydrogen, of an electrolyte capable of causing an oxidation reaction of the hydrogen diffused through the polymeric membrane, at a first electrode, and a reduction reaction of an oxygenated gas at a second electrode, so as to deliver an electric current proportional to the hydrogen concentration to be measured. An electrovalve operates, when activated, to exhaust the liquid substance sample at a predetermined instant in the measuring process. Moreover, the circuit amplifies a voltage corresponding to the value of the current proportional to the concentration, which current flows through a load resistance mounted in parallel across the first and second electrodes and the input of the amplifying circuit. A display device is connected to the output of the amplifying circuit and supplies a digital measure of the hydrogen concentration in the liquid substance. A control unit determines the operation times of the electrochemical cell, of the electrovalve as well as of the digital display device pursuant to a predetermined sequence.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. An apparatus for measuring the concentration of gaseous hydrogen dissolved in a liquid substance, comprising:
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an electrochemical detection device for determining said concentration of hydrogen in said liquid substance, and generating a current having a value proportional to said concentration;
said detection device comprises;
first and second electrodes;
an electrolyte means, separating said electrodes for causing a reaction of oxidation of the hydrogen diffused through a polymeric membrane at said first electrode, and a reaction of reduction of an oxygen-containing gas at said second electrode so as to generate said current proportional to the concentration of gaseous hydrogen; and
a polymeric membrane permeable to hydrogen, separating said liquid substance from said first electrode;a device connected to said detection device to drain therefrom said liquid substance; a display device for displaying the concentration detected by said detection device; a circuit for amplifying a voltage corresponding to said current proportional to said concentration when said current flows through a load resistance mounted across the input of said amplifying circuit; potentiometers acting on the amplifying circuit for controlling calibration and zero-setting of said display device; and a control circuit for governing the operation sequence of said detection device, said drain device and said display device in accordance with a predetermined operating sequence, said control circuit comprising an oscillator-divider generating a signal corresponding to an adjustable unit time interval of said predetermined operation sequence;
a divider receiving said unit time interval signal and feeding a first decoder, said first decoder energizing a display unit displaying a state of said predetermined sequence, and feeding a second decoder defining actuation instants of said drain device and said display device, said second decoder controlling, according to the state of the sequence defined by said divider, the time of setting into memory in said display device of a measure supplied by said detection device, and the time of starting and stopping said drain device said second decoder also generates a signal for blocking said oscillator-divider when said predetermined sequence is terminated. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification