Continuous total organic carbon analyzer and method

Claim 1

Apparatus for determining the total quantity of organic carbon as a pollutant in an aqueous stream in terms of CO2, the determination being on a continuous basis in terms of weight of CO2 per unit volume of flow of a sample taken from the stream comprising: a reservoir into which the sample flows continuously, means to maintain a predetermined volume of the sample in the reservoir, and acidification chamber, conduit means providing communication between the reservoir and chamber for continuous delivery of the sample to the chamber means to deliver and acid to the contents of the chamber at a predetermined volumetric rate proportional to the volumetric rate of flow of the sample to convert inorganic compounds containing carbon contained in the sample to a salt, a sparge column to separate carbon dioxide from the sample, conduit means to transfer the sample from the chamber to the column, means to feed a gas to the column at a constant volumetric rate to effect such separation, a fluidized bed reactor to vaporize and oxidize the total organic carbon, conduit means to deliver the sample to the bottom the the reactor bed and means to feed oxygen to the bottom of the reactor bed, heat-exchange means to receive and cool the CO2 output of the reactor and means for measuring the CO2 content of the sample on a continuous basis.

Claim 8

The method of measuring the total quantity of organic carbon continuously by analyzing a sample stream thereof flowing at a constant volumetric rate comprising the steps of: a. continuously delivering the stream at a constant volumetric rate to a chamber, b. maintaining a constant volume of the sample in the chamber, c. adding an acid to said volume at a predetermined constant rate and normality to convert inorganic compounds containing carbon in the sample to salts, d. stripping CO2 from the sample to obtain an effluent virtually free of inorganic carbon, e. delivering the effluent at a predetermined volumetric rate to the bottom of bed of a fluidized bed reactor. f. concurrently feeding oxygen to the bottom of the bed of the reactor at some multiple of the stoichiometric requirement to completely oxidize the total organic carbon in the sample to carbon dioxide and g. measuring the content of carbon dioxide on a continuous basis.

Claim 9

The method of measuring the total quantity of organic carbon continuously by analyzing a sample stream thereof flowing at a constant volumetric rate comprising the steps of: a. continuously delivering the stream at a constant volumetric rate to a chamber, b. maintaining a constant volume of the sample in the chamber, c. adding an acid to said volume at a predetermined constant rate and normality to convert inorganics in the sample to salts, d. stripping CO2 from the sample to obtain an effluent virtually free of inorganic carbon, e. delivering the effluent at a predetermined volumetric rate to the bottom of the bed of a fluidized bed reactor. f. concurrently feeding oxygen to the bottom of the bed of the reactor at some multiple of the stoichiometric requirement to completely oxidize the total organic carbon in the sample to carbon dioxide and g. condensing most of the water vapor in the effluent, h. eliminating the water, i. measuring the content of carbon dioxide on a continuous basis.