Gas sample conditioning system

• US 7,162,933 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2005
• Issued: 01/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mustang Sampling, LLC
• Original Assignee: Valtronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Gerhold, Walter F., Thompson, Kenneth O
• Primary Examiner(s): RAEVIS, ROBERT R
• Application Number:
  US11/169,619
• Publication Number:
  US 20060000298A1
• Time in Patent Office: 565 Days
• Field of Search: 738/631.1
• US Class Current: 73/863.11
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/2214 by sorption
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/2247 Sampling from a flowing stream of gas
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/2267 separating gas from liquid, e.g. bubbles
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/20 using a sampling valve
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/30 of temperature

Abstract

A gas sample and conditioning device for sampling gas in a storage or transport device and conditioning the gas to avoid dew point dropout of the gas. A chamber for regulating the temperature and the pressure of the gas is provided with external A.C. or D.C. power using the leads of existing heat tracing cables to avoid the need for additional power sources to power the temperature and pressure regulating devices within the chamber.

Claims

1. A gas sampling and conditioning system comprising:

a probe device operable to extract a gas sample from a gas-containing device;

a gas conditioning device operable to receive the gas sample from said probe device, wherein said gas conditioning device comprises one or more components requiring electrical power;

an analyzer device operable to receive the gas sample from said gas conditioning device and determine constituent components of the gas sample;

a first transport device operable to carry gas from said gas conditioning device to said analyzer device, wherein said first transport device is heated by a first heat tracing device that conducts electrical power and generates heat;

an intermediate enclosure device operably connected to said probe device, wherein said intermediate enclosure device is for receiving the gas sample from said probe device and heating the gas sample to maintain the gas sample at a substantially constant temperature; and

a second transport device operable to carry the heated gas sample from said intermediate enclosure device to said gas conditioning device;

wherein the one or more components of said gas conditioning device that require electrical power derive the electrical power from the first heat tracing device and

wherein said second transport device comprises a second heat tracing device electrically connected to, and deriving electrical power from, said first heat tracing device.

2. A system as recited in claim 1, wherein said intermediate enclosure device comprises a third heat tracing device integral with or electrically connected to said second heat tracing device.

3. A gas sampling and conditioning system comprising:

a probe device operable to extract a gas sample from a gas-containing device;

a gas conditioning device operable to receive the gas sample from said probe device, wherein said gas conditioning device comprises one or more components requiring electrical power;

an analyzer device operable to receive the gas sample from said gas conditioning device and determine constituent components of the gas sample; and

a first transport device operable to carry gas from said gas conditioning device to said analyzer device, wherein said first transport device is heated by a first heat tracing device that conducts electrical power and generates heat;

wherein the one or more components of said gas conditioning device that require electrical power derive the electrical power from the first heat tracing device;

wherein said gas conditioning device comprises a pressure regulating device operable to heat the gas sample and regulate the pressure of the gas sample to a predetermined pressure value.

4. A system as recited in claim 3, wherein said pressure regulating device is heated and derives electrical power from the first heat tracing device.

5. A system as recited in claim 3, wherein said pressure regulating device reduces the pressure of the gas sample to a value required by said analyzer device and heats the gas sample before and after the pressure is regulated to the predetermined value.

6. A gas sampling and conditioning system comprising:

a probe device operable to extract a gas sample from a gas-containing device;

a gas conditioning device operable to receive the gas sample from said probe device, wherein said gas conditioning device comprises one or more components requiring electrical power;

an analyzer device operable to receive the gas sample from said gas conditioning device and determine constituent components of the gas sample;

a first transport device operable to carry gas from said gas conditioning device to said analyzer device, wherein said first transport device is heated by a first heat tracing device that conducts electrical power and generates heat,

a liquid separator device in communication with said probe device for receiving the gas sample and separating liquid phase constituent components from vapor phase constituent components of the gas sample; and

a pressure regulating device in communication with said liquid separator device and operable to heat the vapor phase gas sample received from said liquid separator device and regulate the pressure of the vapor phase gas sample to a predetermined pressure value;

wherein the one or more components of said gas conditioning device that require electrical power derive the electrical power from the first heat tracing device.

7. A gas sampling and conditioning system comprising:

a probe device operable to extract a gas sample from a gas-containing device;

a gas conditioning device operable to receive the gas sample from said probe device, wherein said gas conditioning device comprises one or more components requiring electrical power;

an analyzer device operable to receive the gas sample from said gas conditioning device and determine constituent components of the gas sample; and

a first transport device operable to carry gas from said gas conditioning device to said analyzer device, wherein said first transport device is heated by a first heat tracing device that conducts electrical power and generates heat;

a junction device electrically connected to the first heat tracing device for distributing electrical power to one or more other devices within said gas conditioning device; and

a heat generating device electrically connected to said junction device for generating heat within said gas conditioning device;

wherein the one or more components of said gas conditioning device that require electrical power derive the electrical power from the first heat tracing device.

8. A method of sampling and conditioning a gas sample comprising:

extracting the gas sample from a volume of gas to be conditioned;

separating any liquid phase gas from the vapor phase gas of the gas sample;

heating the vapor phase gas to a value within a predetermined temperature range;

regulating the pressure of the vapor phase gas of the gas sample to a value within a predetermined pressure range;

outputting conditioned vapor phase gas within the predetermined temperature and pressure ranges to an analyzer for determination of the constituent components of the conditioned vapor phase gas; and

applying electrical power from a heat tracing device operable to heat the outputted conditioned vapor phase gas to a device in which said heating and pressure regulation are performed.

9. A method as recited in claim 8 further comprising transporting the outputted conditioned vapor phase gas to the analyzer via a device heated by the heat tracing device.