System and method for monitoring a stack gas
First Claim
1. A stack gas monitor system for real-time spectrophotometric determination in a spectrophotometric portion of said system of a concentration of a first gas having a characteristic absorption spectrum and which is selectably introducible as a measured amount into a stack gas stream of a plurality of stack gases flowing as a sample gas stream through a gas flow portion of said system with at least a second gas of said stack gas stream having an absorption spectrum extending within an ultraviolet spectral range of wavelengths of radiation and having absorbance values therein which are higher than absorbance values of said first gas when introduced into said stack gas stream to form a composite gas stream, said system comprising:
- means for calibrating the system with a plurality of measured amounts of said first gas flowing through said gas flow portion and providing in response thereto for at least one wavelength within said characteristic absorption spectrum spectrophotometric calibration data in said spectrophotometric portion for storage in a calibration data file of a data processing member associated with said spectrophotometric portion of said system, thereby providing a first gas concentration calibration;
means for terminating the calibration with said first gas;
means for establishing a stack gas stream blank in said system with a sample of a predetermined amount of said plurality of stack gases flowing through said gas flow portion and providing in response thereto spectrophotometric stack gas blank data in said spectrophotometric portion for storage in a stack gas blank data file of said data processing member;
means for introducing a measured amount of said first gas into said stack gas stream, thereby forming said composite gas stream;
means for verifying the flow of a sample of a predetermined amount of said composite gas stream through said gas flow portion;
means for measuring spectrophotometric composite gas data in said spectrophotometric portion in response to said verified flow of said composite gas stream sample;
means for calculating the absorbance values of said first gas having said characteristic absorption spectrum in said composite gas within said ultraviolet spectral range of wavelengths;
means for determining the concentration of said first gas in said composite gas; and
means for monitoring said concentration of said first gas in said stack gas stream of said plurality of stack gases.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A stack gas monitor system has an optimized gas flow portion which is permanently installed in a fossil fuel burning facility, and to which a spectrophotometric portion can be readily coupled for real-time determination in the system of a concentration of a first gas having a characteristic absorption spectrum and which is selectably introducible as a measured amount into a stack gas stream. A sample of the stack gas stream is flowing through the gas flow portion, with at least one gas of the sample stream having an absorption spectrum extending within an ultraviolet range of wavelengths of radiation and having absorbance values within this range which are higher than absorbance values of the first gas. The system can be purged and can be calibrated with the first gas. Stack gas blank data are obtained in the absence of the first gas. Composite gas data are provided upon introduction of the first gas into the stack gas. Absorbance values for the first gas in the composite gas are calculated, and first gas concentration levels are determined and are monitored on a periodic basis.
54 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A stack gas monitor system for real-time spectrophotometric determination in a spectrophotometric portion of said system of a concentration of a first gas having a characteristic absorption spectrum and which is selectably introducible as a measured amount into a stack gas stream of a plurality of stack gases flowing as a sample gas stream through a gas flow portion of said system with at least a second gas of said stack gas stream having an absorption spectrum extending within an ultraviolet spectral range of wavelengths of radiation and having absorbance values therein which are higher than absorbance values of said first gas when introduced into said stack gas stream to form a composite gas stream, said system comprising:
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means for calibrating the system with a plurality of measured amounts of said first gas flowing through said gas flow portion and providing in response thereto for at least one wavelength within said characteristic absorption spectrum spectrophotometric calibration data in said spectrophotometric portion for storage in a calibration data file of a data processing member associated with said spectrophotometric portion of said system, thereby providing a first gas concentration calibration; means for terminating the calibration with said first gas; means for establishing a stack gas stream blank in said system with a sample of a predetermined amount of said plurality of stack gases flowing through said gas flow portion and providing in response thereto spectrophotometric stack gas blank data in said spectrophotometric portion for storage in a stack gas blank data file of said data processing member; means for introducing a measured amount of said first gas into said stack gas stream, thereby forming said composite gas stream; means for verifying the flow of a sample of a predetermined amount of said composite gas stream through said gas flow portion; means for measuring spectrophotometric composite gas data in said spectrophotometric portion in response to said verified flow of said composite gas stream sample; means for calculating the absorbance values of said first gas having said characteristic absorption spectrum in said composite gas within said ultraviolet spectral range of wavelengths; means for determining the concentration of said first gas in said composite gas; and means for monitoring said concentration of said first gas in said stack gas stream of said plurality of stack gases. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A stack gas monitor method of real-time spectrophotometric determination in a spectrophotometric portion of a monitor system of a concentration of a first gas having a characteristic absorption spectrum and which is selectably introducible as a measured amount into a stack gas stream of a plurality of stack gases flowing as a sample gas stream through a gas flow portion of said system with at least a second gas of said stack gas stream having an absorption spectrum extending within an ultraviolet spectral range of wavelengths of radiation and having absorbance values therein which are higher than absorbance values of said first gas when introduced into said stack gas stream to form a composite gas stream, said method comprising the steps of:
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calibrating the system with a plurality of measured amounts of said first gas flowing through said gas flow portion and providing in response thereto for at least one wavelength within said characteristic absorption spectrum spectrophotometric calibration data in said spectrophotometric portion for storage in a calibration data file of a data processing member associated with said spectrophotometric portion of said system, thereby providing a first gas concentration calibration; terminating the calibration with said first gas;
establishing a stack gas stream blank in said system with a sample of a predetermined amount of said plurality of stack gases flowing through said gas flow portion and providing in response thereto spectrophotometric stack gas blank data in said spectrophotometric portion for storage in a stack gas blank data file of said data processing member;introducing a measured amount of said first gas into said stack gas stream, thereby forming said composite gas stream; verifying the flow of a sample of a predetermined amount of said composite gas stream through said gas flow portion; measuring spectrophotometric composite gas data in said spectrophotometric portion in response to said verified flow of said composite gas stream sample; calculating in real time the absorbance values of said first gas having said characteristic absorption spectrum in said composite gas within said ultraviolet spectral range of wavelengths; determining in real time the concentration of said first gas in said composite gas; and monitoring said concentration of said first gas in said stack gas stream of said plurality of stack gases. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification