Apparatus for monitoring the quality of water

• US 4,940,667 A
• Filed: 12/28/1987
• Issued: 07/10/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ionics Incorporated (Veolia Environnement SA)
• Original Assignee: Ionics Incorporated (Veolia Environnement SA)
• Inventors: Goldstein, Arthur J., Parsi, Edgardo J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nucker, Christine M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALEXANDER, LYLE
• Application Number:
  US07/138,757
• Time in Patent Office: 925 Days
• Field of Search: 436/38, 436/143, 436/150, 436/157, 436/181, 422/78
• US Class Current: 436/157
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/22 in the gaseous state specially adapted for biological material G01N33/497; measuring breath flow A61B5/087
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/06 of a liquid involving electrolysis G01N27/26
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 31/12 using combustion G01N25/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/1846 Total carbon analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 20/20 Controlling water pollution; Waste water treatment

Abstract

An apparatus is disclosed for monitoring the quality of water, said apparatus comprising a first heated zone, means for introducing at least a portion of said water into said first heated zone, means for gently evaporating at least part of the water in the first heated zone and passing the vapor into and through a second heated zone, means for maintaining the temperature of said second heated zone in the range of from about 450° to about 1000° C., means for collecting and condensing vapor from said second heated zone to condensed liquid water and means for measuring the electrical impedance of at least a portion of said condensed liquid water.

Claims

1. Apparatus for monitoring volatile organic compounds in water, said apparatus comprising a first heated zone, means for introducing at least a portion of said water into said first heated zone, means for gently evaporating at least part of the water in the first heated zone and passing the vapor at substantially atmospheric pressure into and through a reforming and/or oxidizing zone, electric heating means for maintaining the temperature of said reforming and/or oxidizing zone in the range of from about 450°

to about 1000°

C., whereby reformable and/or oxidizable volatile organic compounds in said water are reformed and/or oxidized at least in part into second compounds volatile in said temperature range which second compounds are at least partially soluble in water and at least partially ionizable therein, means for collecting and condensing water vapor from said reforming and/or oxidizing zone to condensed liquid water and means for measuring the electrical impedance of at least a portion of said condensed liquid water.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said reforming and/or oxidizing zone comprises a material selected from the group consisting of quartz, vitreous silica, mullite, porcelain, pyroceram and 84 to 100% alumina.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said means for maintaining the temperature of said reforming and/or oxidizing zone is positioned within said reforming and/or oxidizing zone and comprises a material selected from the group consisting of Nichrome, 80-20 Ni-Cr, 80-20 Ni-Cr+Al, 60-15-25 Ni-Cr-Fe, 50-18-32 Ni-Cr-Fe, 37-18-43-2 Ni-Cr-Fe-Si, 72-22-4 Fe-Cr-Al, 72-22-4 Fe-Cr-Al+Co, Pt, 90-10 Pt-Ir, 60-40 Pt-Rh, Ta and MoSi₂ adapted to be heated electrically directly or by induction.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said first heated zone comprises a reservoir adapted to boil water, said reservoir containing structures to promote nucleated boiling.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said reforming and/or oxidizing zone contains extended surfaces.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said means for collecting and condensing water vapor from said reforming and/or oxidizing zone contains extended surface.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said reforming and/or oxidizing zone contains extended surfaces selected from the group consisting of wires, ribbons, filaments, gauze, grains, beads, saddles, coils and wool.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said first heated zone comprises a heatable reservoir with a mist eliminator means located thereafter.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8 in which said mist eliminator is located directly above said reservoir and containing means for the continuous refluxing of condensate back into said reservoir.

10. A process for monitoring volatile organic compounds in water comprising gently boiling at least part of a portion of said water into a reforming and/or oxidizing zone at substantially atomospheric pressure having a temperature in the range of from about 450°

to about 1000°

C., whereby reformable and/or oxidizable volatile organic compounds in said water are reformed and/or oxidized at least in part into second compounds volatile in said temperature range which second compounds are at least partially soluble in water and at least partially ionizable therein, collecting and condensing at least part of the water vapor from said reforming and/or oxidizing zone into condensed liquid water and measuring the electrical impedance of said condensed liquid water.

11. In an apparatus adapted to remove at least in part organics from water having in combination therewith an instrument for monitoring volatile organic compounds in effluent water from said apparatus, said compounds reformable and/or oxidizable at temperatures in the range of from about 450°

C. to about 1000°

C. in the presence of water vapor and/or air and/or oxygen at substantially atmospheric pressure, said instrument comprising a reforming and/or oxidizing zone, means for controlled, nucleated boiling of at least part of a portion of said effluent water into said zone, electric heating means for maintaining the temperature of said zone in the range of from about 450°

to about 1000°

C., means for collecting and condensing water vapor from said zone to condensed liquid water and means for measuring the electrical impedance of at least a portion of said condensed liquid water.

12. The instrument of claim 11 having means for automatically generating a signal as determined by the quality of the water being monitored.

13. The instrument of claim 12 having further means for shutting off or bypassing the effluent water from the apparatus.

14. Apparatus for monitoring organic compounds in water, said compounds reformable and/or oxidizable at temperatures in the range of from about 450°

C. to about 1000°

C. in the presence of water vapor and/or air and/or oxygen at substantially atmospheric pressure, said apparatus comprising a reforming and/or oxidizing zone, means for introducing at least a portion of said water into said zone, electric heating means for maintaining the temperature of said zone in the range of from about 450°

C. to about 1000°

C., whereby reformable and/or oxidizable volatile organic compounds in said water are reformed and/or oxidized at least in part into second compounds volatile in said temperature range which second compounds are at least partially soluble in water and at least partially ionized therein, means for collecting and condensing water vapor from said zone to condensed liquid water and means for measuring the electrical impedance of at least a portion of said condensed liquid water.

15. A process for monitoring volatile organics contained in water comprising boiling at least part of a sample of said water in a first heated zone while maintaining said first zone at a temperature which is not sufficient to oxidize and/or reform said volatile organics, passing into a second heated zone at least part of the resulting water vapor along with volatile organics while maintaining said second heated zone at a temperature sufficient to oxidize and/or reform said volatile organics into water soluble, electrically conducting substances, collecting and condensing at least part of the resulting vapor from the sample of said water from the second heated zone into liquid water and measuring the electrical impedance of said liquid water.