Fractionator indicating and control method

Claim 2

FIG-01

Claim 3

IN A FRACTIONATION SYSTEM WHEREIN THE EFFICIENCY OF SEPARATION IS CONTROLLED BY ADJUSTMENT OF AN OPERATING VARIABLE, THE STEPS WHICH COMPRISE CONTINUOUSLY WITH DRAWING SAMPLES FRON TWO SPACED LOCATIONS IN THE FRACTIONATION COLUMN, PASSING A BEAM OF RADIATION CAPABLE OF BEING REFRACTED SEQUENTIALLY THROUGH THE TWO SAMPLES, WHEREBY SAID BEAM IS DEFLECTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RELATIVE REFRACTION INDICES OF THE TWO SAMPLES, PRODUCING AN OUTPUT REPRESENTATIVE OF SUCH DEFLECTION, CONTROLLING SAID OPERATING VARIABLE TO MAINTAIN SAID DEFLECTION AT A CONSTANT PRESELECTED VALUE, SAID SPACED LOCATIONS BOTH BEING AT A REGION WHERE THERE IS SUBSTANTIALLY NO VARIATION IN THE CONCENTRATION GRADIENTS OF THE COMPONENTS PRESENT IN THE OVERHEAD PRODUCT, THE UPPER LOCATION BEING AT A REGION NORMALLY FREE FROM HEAVY COMPONENTS PRESENT IN THE BOTTOM PRODUCT,THE LOWER LOCATION BEING AT A REGION NORMALLY CONTAING APPRECIABLE AMOUNTS OF SUCH COMPONENTS.

Claim 4

IN A FRACTIONATION SYSTEM WHEREIN THE EFFICIENCY OF SEPARATION IS CONTROLLED BY ADJUSTMENT OF AN OPERATING VARIABLE, THE STEPS WHICH COMPRISE CONTINUOUSLY WITH DRAWING SAMPLES FRON TWO SPACED LOCATIONS IN THE FRACTIONATION COLUMN, PASSING A BEAM OF RADIATION CAPABLE OF BEING REFRACTED SEQUENTIALLY THROUGH THE TWO SAMPLES, WHEREBY SAID BEAM IS DEFLECTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE RELATIVE REFRACTION INDICES OF THE TWO SAMPLES, PRODUCING AN OUTPUT REPRESENTATIVE OF SUCH DEFLECTION, CONTROLLING SAID OPERATING VARIABLE TO MAINTAIN SAID DEFLECTION AT A CONSTANT PRESELECTED VALUE, SAID SPACED LOCATIONS BOTH BEING AT A REGION WHERE THERE IS SUBSTANTIALLY NO VARIATION IN THE CONCENTRATION GRADIENTS OF THE COMPONENTS PRESENT IN THE OVERHEAD PRODUCT, THE UPPER LOCATION BEING AT A REGION NORMALLY FREE FROM HEAVY COMPONENTS PRESENT IN THE BOTTOM PRODUCT,THE LOWER LOCATION BEING AT A REGION NORMALLY CONTAING APPRECIABLE AMOUNTS OF SUCH COMPONENTS.