Analyzer device and method

• US 7,556,773 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2007
• Issued: 07/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Analytical Developments Limited
• Original Assignee: Analytical Developments Limited
• Inventors: Horan, Martin, Horan, Kathleen, O'Mahony, Seamus
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden; Jill
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sasaki; Shogo
• Application Number:
  US11/847,421
• Publication Number:
  US 20070292308A1
• Time in Patent Office: 677 Days
• Field of Search: 422/68.1, 422/78, 422 8205- 8209, 422/82.11, 422/236, 422/237, 436/145, 436/146, 436/160, 436164-166, 436/172
• US Class Current: 422/78
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/00955 Sampling of the particulate material, the reactants or the products
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 13/10 Preparation of ozone
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/1097 characterised by the valves valves in general F16K

Abstract

An analyzer for oxidizing and measuring samples containing some liquid comprising: a reactor vessel; a sample pump; a base pump connected to a base reservoir; an ozone generator adapted to create and flow ozone; an acid pump connected to an acid reservoir; a sampling valve connected to the sample pump, the acid pump, and the base pump; a circulation pump connected to the reactor vessel for mixing the sample, the liquid acid, the liquid base, and the ozone to oxidize at least a portion of the sample to its lowest state forming an oxidized liquid sample; a sample chamber for receiving the oxidized liquid sample; an analysis pump in communication with the sample chamber; and a measuring cell for receiving the oxidized liquid sample, measuring the oxidized liquid sample with a detector to optically measure at least one frequency of absorption of at least one component in the sample.

Claims

1. An analyzer comprising:

a. a reactor vessel;

b. a sample pump for flowing a sample into the reactor vessel;

c. a base pump connected to a base reservoir for flowing a liquid base to the reactor vessel;

d. an ozone generator adapted to create ozone and flow the ozone to the reactor vessel;

e. an acid pump connected to an acid reservoir for flowing a liquid acid to the reactor vessel;

f. a sampling valve connected to the sample pump, the acid pump, and the base pump for selectively flowing the sample, the liquid base, the liquid acid, or combinations thereof, into the reactor vessel;

g. a circulation pump connected to the reactor vessel for mixing the sample, the liquid acid, the liquid base, and the ozone to oxidize at least a portion of the sample to its lowest state forming an oxidized liquid sample;

h. a sample chamber for receiving the oxidized liquid sample in communication with the reactor vessel;

i. an analysis pump in communication with the sample chamber for flowing the oxidized liquid sample from the reactor vessel to the sample chamber;

j. a reagent pump for pumping reagent from a reagent source;

k. a mixer for introducing reagent from the reagent pump to at least one of the oxidized liquid samples;

l. a multicomponent detector comprising at least one measuring cell for receiving the oxidized liquid sample, measuring the oxidized liquid sample optically using a frequency of absorption of at least one component in the sample; and

wherein the analysis pump is reversible for flowing oxidized liquid sample into the sample chamber upstream of the measuring cell after a measurement has been made;

m. a cleaning pump connected to a cleaning fluid reservoir for flowing a cleaning fluid to the measuring cell;

n. a flushing pump connected to a water supply for flowing water to the measuring cell after the cleaning fluid has flowed through the measuring cell;

o. a cleaning fluid three way valve communicating between the cleaning pump, the measuring cell and the sample chamber; and

p. a flushing valve communicating between the flushing pump, the measuring cell, and the sample chamber.

2. The analyzer of claim 1, further comprising a second detector for optically measuring at least one frequency of absorption of at least one component in the oxidized liquid sample not measured by the first detector.

3. The analyzer of claim 1, further comprising a cleaning system for cleaning the sample pump and the sample chamber of the oxidized liquid sample, and a sample delivery line connected to the sample pump, and a sampling valve disposed in the sample delivery line.

4. The analyzer of claim 1, further comprising an ammonia gas detector connected to the reactor vessel.

5. The analyzer of claim 4, further comprising an ammonia gas removal device for removing ammonia gas from the reactor vessel.

6. The analyzer of claim 1, further comprising a flow controller connected to the ozone generator for controlling ozone production.

7. The analyzer of claim 1, further comprising an ozone destructor in communication with the reactor vessel.

8. The analyzer of claim 1, further comprising a carbon dioxide analyzer connected to the reactor vessel for detecting, measuring, or detecting and measuring inorganic carbon, organic carbon, sodium oxalates, or combinations thereof.

9. The analyzer of claim 8, further comprising a carbon dioxide removal device for removing carbon dioxide, carbonate, or combinations thereof from the reactor vessel.

10. The analyzer of claim 1, further comprising a two-way acid control valve having an inlet for receiving the liquid acid from the acid pump, a first outlet for flowing the liquid acid to the sampling valve, and a second outlet for flowing the liquid acid to the reactor vessel.

11. The analyzer of claim 1, wherein the sampling valve further comprises an internal flow controller.

12. The analyzer of claim 1, wherein the liquid acid, the liquid base, and the sample can be mixed prior to insertion in the reactor vessel for oxidization with ozone.

13. The analyzer of claim 1, wherein the multicomponent detector determines total nitrogen concentration, phosphorous concentration, phosphate concentration, ammonia concentration, concentrations of heavy metal, or combinations thereof.

14. The analyzer of claim 1, wherein the multicomponent detector is a photodiode array for optically measuring at least one component of the oxidized liquid sample.

15. The analyzer of claim 1, further comprising a processor connected to the analyzer for controlling the operations of the analyzer, reading at least one data, calculating at least one result, and displaying the at least one result on at least one display.

16. The analyzer of claim 13, wherein the total nitrogen concentration is nitrate concentrations, bound nitrogen concentrations, nitrogen mixed ammonia concentrations, nitrite concentrations, or combinations thereof.

17. The analyzer of claim 1 further comprising a ultraviolet oxidizing chamber disposed between the circulation pump and the reactor.