Hydrogen concentration measuring apparatus

Claim 1

APPARATUS FOR MEASURING HYDROGEN CONCENTRATION IN A FLUID HAVING HYDROGEN AND NON-HYDROGEN CONSTITUENTS AND HAVING IN COMBINATION: A CONTAINER HAVING AN INLET THERETO AND AN OUTLET THEREFROM FOR ACCOMMODATING SAID FLUID; AN EXTENDED LENGTH FO A SMALL-DIAMETER TUBE SELECTIVELY PERMEABLE TO HYDROGEN HAVING A CLOSED END AND AN OPEN END, SAID HYDROGEN-PERMEABLE TUBE BARRING THE NONHYDROGEN CONSTITUENTS OF SAID FLUID FROM THE INSIDE OF SAID TUBE, SO THAT THE PARTIAL PRESSURES OF SAID NON-HYDROGEN CONSTITUENTS ARE NOT EXERTED IN THE INSIDE OF SAID TUBE; MEANS HOLDING SAID SMALL DIAMETER TUBE WITHIN SAID CONTAINER WHEREBY THE EXTERIOR SURFACE AND CLOSED END OF SAID TUBE ARE IN CONTACT WITH SAID FLUID FLOWING THROUGH SAID CONTAINER; AN ELECTRODE WITHIN SAID CONTAINER IN CONTACT WITH SAID FLUID FLOWING THROUGH SAID CONTAINER; A SOURCE OF ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL CONNECTED TO SAID ELECTRODE AND TO SAID TUBE AND SO POLARIZED THAT THE HYDROGEN IONS ARE ATTRACTED TO SAID TUBE, SORBED ON THE SURFACE THEREOF, DIFFUSED THERETHROUGH, AND DESORBED ONTHE INSIDE THEREOF; A HYDROGEN-PERMEABLE MEMBRANE CONNECTED TO THE INSIDE OF SAID TUBE SO AS TO RECEIVE THE DESORBED HYDROGEN THEREIN AT A PARTIAL JPRESSURE, SAID HYDROGEN-PERMEABLE MEMBRANE BARRING THE NON-HYDROGEN CONSTITUENTS OF THE SURROUNDING ATMOSPHERE FROM THE INSIDE OF SAID TUBE, SO THAT THE PARTIAL PRESSURES OF SAID NON-HYDROGEN CONSTITUENTS ARE NOT EXETED IN THE INSIDE OF SAID TUBE; AN ELECTRICAL HEATER ARRANGED TO HEAT SAID MEMBRANE AND THEREBY TO VARY THE HYDROGEN PERMEABILITY THEREOF; A SOURCE OF ELECTRICITY CONNECTED TO SAID HEATER TO SUPPLY POWER THERETO; AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE PRESSURE OF THE DESORBED HYDROGEN ON THE INSIDE OF SAID TUBE AND OF SAID MEMBRANE AND OPERABLE TO VARY THE POWER APPLIED TO SAID HEATER AND, CONSEQUENTLY, TO VARY THE AMOUNT OF HYDROGEN WHICH PASSES THROUGH SAID MEMBRANE.