Gas ionization sensor

• US 20040245993A1
• Filed: 12/31/2003
• Published: 12/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Original Assignee: Honeywell International Inc.
• Inventors: Bonne, Ulrich
• Application Number:
  US10/750,483
• Publication Number:
  US 20040245993A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/464
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/24 Suction devices G01N1/22 - G01N1/2294 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2030/642 photoionisation detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2035/00881 network configurations
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/67 using electric arcs or discharges
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/70 and measuring current or voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/64 Electrical detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 30/7206 interfaced to gas chromatograph interfaces in general for introducing or extracting samples to be analysed with specially adapted mass spectrometer, see H01J49/04
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0004 Gaseous mixtures, e.g. polluted air gaseous biological material G01N33/497; exhaust gas of internal combustion engines G01M15/102
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0011 Sample conditioning in general G01N1/28
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/22 Fuels, explosives liquid hydrocarbons G01N33/28
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 35/00871 Communications between instruments or with remote terminals

Abstract

A sensor having electrodes connectable to an AC or DC voltage for powering an electrical discharge such as a corona, glow, arc, or the like. Additional electrodes connectable to analysis voltage may be proximate to the discharge providing electrodes. The discharge may ionize a sample fluid of varying chemical composition, flowing through a channel where the electrodes are situated. The discharge may be part of a group of sensors sensing the fluid flowing from a particle filter, gas chromatograph (GC) separator, thermal conductivity detector (TCD), optical sensors, photo ionization detector (PID), and to additional micro discharge devices (MDDs) and a mass spectrometer and/or a processor for analysis and processing to obtain results and information about the sample fluid composition.

Claims

1. An ionization sensor comprising:

a first electrode situated in a first plane;

a second electrode situated in the first plane;

a third electrode situated in a second plane; and

a fourth electrode situated in a third plane; and

wherein;

the second plane is approximately parallel to the first plane; and

the first and second electrodes are proximate to the third and fourth electrodes.

2. The sensor of claim 1, wherein:

the first and second electrodes have first and second terminals for connection to a first power supply; and

the third and fourth electrodes have first and second terminals for connection to a second power supply.

3. The sensor of claim 2, wherein the third and fourth electrodes form an electrical discharge gap.

4. The sensor of claim 3, wherein the first, second and third planes are approximately in the same plane.

5. The sensor of claim 3, wherein:

the first plane is situated on a first surface of a first wafer;

the second plane is situated on a second surface of a second wafer; and

the first and second wafers form a fluid flow channel.

6. An ionization sensor comprising:

a first electrode having a first plurality of prongs situated approximately in a plane; and

a second electrode having a second plurality of prongs situated approximately in the plane and proximate to the first plurality of prongs to form a plurality of electrical discharge gaps between the first and second electrodes.

7. The sensor of claim 6, further comprising a channel, wherein the channel comprises the first and second electrodes.

8. The sensor of claim 7, wherein the channel is a fluid flow channel.

9. The sensor of claim 8, further comprising a spectrometer optically coupled to the plurality of electrical discharge gaps.

10. The sensor of claim 9, wherein the plane is approximately parallel to a fluid flow direction of the channel.

11. The sensor of claim 9, further comprising:

a third electrode situated approximately in the plane and proximate to the first and second electrodes; and

a fourth electrode situated approximately in the plane and proximate to the first and second electrodes.

12. The sensor of claim 11, wherein:

an A.C. voltage supply is connected to the first and second electrodes; and

a D.C. voltage supply is connected to the third and fourth electrodes.

13. The sensor of claim 12, wherein first and second electrodes have a dielectric coating.

14. The sensor of claim 13, wherein the third and fourth electrodes have no dielectric coating.

15. The sensor of claim 9, further comprising a processor connected to the spectrometer.

16. An ionization sensing means comprising:

means for conveying a flow of a fluid; and

means for providing an ionizing electrical discharge situated in the means for conveying a flow of a fluid.

17. The means of claim 16, wherein the fluid is a gas.

18. The means of claim 17, further comprising a means for enabling measurement of a variable discharge current as a composition of the gas in the discharge changes with time.

19. The means of claim 18, wherein the composition of the gas in the discharge changes with time in accordance with concentration peaks eluting from a gas chromatography analyzer.

20. The means of claim 16, further comprising a spectrometer optically coupled to the channel.

21. The means of claim 16, further comprising means for separating individual gas constituents of a sample fluid, if the fluid is a gas mixture.

22. The means of claim 21, further comprising means for determining thermal conductivity connected to the means for separating.

23. The means of claim 22, further comprising means for determining flow of a fluid situated proximate to the means for separating.

24. A method for ionization sensing, comprising:

providing a channel for a flow of a fluid; and

providing an ionization electrical discharge in the channel.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising providing spectral analysis of light in the channel.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising making a plurality of measurements with the spectral analysis of light in the channel to minimize false positives.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

providing flow sensing in the channel; and

providing thermal conductivity detection proximate to the channel.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising providing separating in the channel.

29. A gas ionization sensor comprising:

a first electrode situated in a plane; and

a second electrode situated in the plane; and

wherein;

the first and second electrodes are discharge power electrodes; and

the first and second electrodes are discharge current sense electrodes.

30. The sensor of claim 29, wherein the first and second electrodes sense presence and changes of analytes in a gas proximate to the electrodes.