Sample handling means for use in gas analysis apparatus

Claim 2

A gaseous sample handling apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein said means for selectively cooling at least one short segment of said conduit means includes means for variable passing a cooling fluid across the outer surface of said short segment of said conduit means thus causing the temperature of said short segment to be reduced at a rate exceeding the rate at which thermal energy is being supplied by the current being passed therethrough.

Claim 3

A gaseous sample handling apparatus as recited in claim 3 wherein said means for passing a cooling fluid across the outer surface of said short segment of said conduit means comprises a second conduit means of greater cross-sectional area than said first mentioned conduit means and through the walls of which said first mentioned conduit means is passed so that the length of said short segment is defined by the intersection of the first mentioned conduit means with the walls of said second conduit means, and valve means in said second conduit means for regulating the flow of said cooling fluid through said second conduit means.

Claim 4

A gas analyzing apparatus comprising: a gas chromatograph for time separating the gaseous constituents of a sample mixture of gases injected thereinto, qualitative Gas-analyzing means for identifying said gaseous constituents of said sample mixture, gas-handling means for connecting the output of said gas chromatograph to the input of said qualitative gas-analyzing means, said gas-handling means including a valve means for selectively directing the effluent of said gas chromatograph into either of two flow paths, one of which ultimately leads to the input of said qualitative gas-analyzing means through a sample concentration and storage means, said last mentioned means including an elongated section of generally tubular conduit, means for supplying thermal energy uniformly along the length of said elongated section, and means for selectively cooling one of a plurality of well defined relatively short portions of said uniformly heated elongated section of conduit so as to cause the temperature of said short portions to be reduced below the condensation temperature of the sample gas being transported therethrough by the carrier gas.

Claim 5

A gas-analyzing apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein said conduit means has electrically resistive properties and said means for continuously applying heat to said conduit means includes a current supply means coupled to either end of said conduit for passing a predetermined current through said conduit so as to cause said conduit to be heated to a temperature adequate to vaporize the sample being passed therethrough.

Claim 6

A gas-analyzing apparatus as set forth in claim 6 wherein said cooling means for selectively cooling at least one short segment of said conduit means includes means for variably passing a cooling fluid across the outer surface of said short segment of said conduit means thus causing the temperature of said short segment to be reduced at a rate exceeding the rate at which thermal energy is being supplied thereto.

Claim 7

A gas-analyzing apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein said means for passing a cooling fluid across the outer surface of said short segment of conduit means comprises a second conduit means of greater cross-sectional area than said first mentioned conduit means and through the walls of which said first mentioned conduit means is passed so that the length of said short segment is defined by the intersection of said first mentioned conduit means with the walls of said second conduit means, and valve means in said second conduit means for regulating the flow of said cooling fluid through said second conduit means.

Claim 8

A gas analysis apparatus including a gas chromatograph, a qualitative gas-analyzing means, and a gas-handling means coupling the effluent output of said gas chromatograph to the input of said qualitative gas-analyzing means, said gas-handling means comprising: an elongated section of generally tubular conduit forming a portion of the flow path coupling said chromatograph and said qualitative gas-analyzing means, means for applying heat to said section uniformly along its length so as to raise the temperature of the gases flowing therethrough to within a predeterminate range of temperatures, and means for cooling at a variable selected rate from at least one segment of said elongated section so as to cause substantially all of the sample gas passing therethrough to condense on the walls of said segment and to remain there until the temperature of said segment is again raised above the condensing temperature of the sample gas.

Claim 9

A gas analysis apparatus as recited in claim 9 wherein said conduit has electrically resistive properties and said means for continuously applying heat to said conduit means includes a current supply means coupled to either end of said conduit for passing a predetermined current through said conduit so as to cause said conduit to be heated to a temperature adequate to vaporize the sample passing therethrough.

Claim 10

A gas analysis apparatus as recited in claim 10 wherein said means for selectively cooling at least one segment of said conduit includes means for passing a cooling fluId across the outer surface of said segment of said conduit thus causing the temperature of said segment to be reduced at a rate exceeding the rate at which thermal energy is being applied thereto.

Claim 11

A gas sample handling apparatus as set forth in claim 1 in which said cooling means variably cools at least one of a plurality of short segments of said conduit means.