US3665748A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Portable trace moisture generator for calibration of moisture analyzers
Assignee: Gulf Research and Development Co
•
Filing: 1970-07-02
•
Granted: 1972-05-30
•
Expires: 1990-07-02
Abstract
Abstract An improved calibrator for moisture analyzers is provided. A flow of clean dry carrier gas into two streams, one of which passes through an improved saturator bomb, wherein it is completely saturated with water, and then this saturated stream is mixed with the other dry stream to provide a controlled wet stream for calibration. A capillary restrictor is used to control one of the streams. The invention utilizes a simple mathematical relationship for water concentration, means to vary each of the parameters in the relationship independently of the others, and means to simply determine values for the parameters, whichever are varied during a calibration.
Inventors
- 👤 Richard T Mator
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 14:44
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N33/00; G01N33/0004; G01N33/0006
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 37
Claim 1
Independent Claim
270 words
A method of forming a mixture having a known concentration of a first fluid in a second fluid, comprising the steps of supplying a first flow of said second fluid to a mixing chamber, maintaining said mixing chamber at a first known pressure, supplying a second flow of said second fluid to saturating means containing said first fluid, maintaining said saturating means at a known temperature and a second known pressure whereby said second flow of said second fluid is saturated with the first fluid, flowing the saturated flow from said saturating means to said mixing chamber, flowing a selected one flow of said first flow of said second fluid and said saturated flow through pressure restrictor means prior to flowing said selected one flow into said mixing chamber, wherein said temeperature and said first and second pressures are selected for said first and second fluids so that said first and second fluids will mix in said mixing chamber in the gaseous state, restricting the mixed flow out of said mixing chamber to thereby control the volume of said mixed flow out of said mixing chamber, changing the pressure of said temperature one flow flowing to said pressure restrictor means to thereby control the amount of said selected one flow passing through said pressure restrictor means, whereby the amount of said selected one flow flowing into said mixing chamber is changed while the mixed flow flowing out of said mixing chamber remains unchanged, and determining the amounts of said selected one flow and of said mixed flow to thereby determine the concentrations of said first fluid in said second fluid.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
270 words
A method of forming a mixture having a known concentration of a first fluid in a second fluid, comprising the steps of supplying a first flow of said second fluid to a mixing chamber, maintaining said mixing chamber at a first known pressure, supplying a second flow of said second fluid to saturating means containing said first fluid, maintaining said saturating means at a known temperature and a second known pressure whereby said second flow of said second fluid is saturated with the first fluid, flowing the saturated flow from said saturating means to said mixing chamber, flowing a selected one flow of said first flow of said second fluid and said saturated flow through pressure restrictor means prior to flowing said selected one flow into said mixing chamber, wherein said temeperature and said first and second pressures are selected for said first and second fluids so that said first and second fluids will mix in said mixing chamber in the gaseous state, restricting the mixed flow out of said mixing chamber to thereby control the volume of said mixed flow out of said mixing chamber, changing the pressure of said temperature one flow flowing to said pressure restrictor means to thereby control the amount of said selected one flow passing through said pressure restrictor means, whereby the amount of said selected one flow flowing into said mixing chamber is changed while the mixed flow flowing out of said mixing chamber remains unchanged, and determining the amounts of said selected one flow and of said mixed flow to thereby determine the concentrations of said first fluid in said second fluid.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said selected one flow is said saturated flow.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
77 words
The method of claim 2, wherein said first fluid is water and the concentration of water in said second fluid is determined according to the relationship: where Pwater is the vapor pressure of water at said temperature of the saturating means; wet flow is the amount of the flow out of the saturating means; Ptotal is said second pressure of said saturating means; and total flow is the amount of the mixed flow leaving the mixing chamber.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 2, wherein said second known pressure in said saturating means is greater than said first known pressure in said mixing chamber.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
107 words
The method of claim 2, wherein the mixed flow out of said mixing chamber is supplied to a device for calibrating the ability of said device to detect the concentration of said first fluid, and wherein the amount of the saturated flow generated is determined by simulating the effect of the device being calibrated, stopping said first flow of said second fluid, diverting the saturated flow only through the simulating means and to flow measuring means, reproducing the different changing pressures of said saturated flow going to said pressure restrictor means, and measuring the amount of the saturated flow at each of the different saturated flow pressures.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
53 words
The method of claim 2, wherein said first fluid is water and said second fluid is a water insoluBle substance which is gaseous at atmospheric temperature and pressure, and said saturating means saturates said second flow of said second fluid with water by forcing gaseous second fluid through a confined water soaked sponge.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
39 words
The method of claim 1, wherein all of said second fluid is supplied from a single source and said first and second flows are produced by dividing the outflow of said single source into said first and second flows.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 7, and removing any of said first fluid which may be in said second fluid before dividing said source outflow into said first and second flows.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said first fluid is water and said second fluid is a water insoluble gas.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said second fluid is nitrogen and said first fluid is water.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said second fluid is hydrogen and said first fluid is water.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said second fluid is air and said first fluid is water.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the mixed flow out of said mixing chamber is supplied to a device for calibrating the ability of said device to detect the concentration of said first fluid.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
102 words
The method of claim 13, bypassing a portion of said mixed flow away from said device, and determining the amount so bypassed in order to supply a small enough volume of the mixed first and second fluids suitable for used by said device and yet large enough to permit efficient generation of known concentrations of said first fluid in said second fluid, and wherein the amount of mixed flow generated is determined by determining the amount of the mixed flow taken by the device and the amount of the mixed flow bypassed and by the addition of said last mentioned two amounts.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 1, said pressure restrictor means comprising a capillary tube formed of stainless steel, having a length of about 9 feet, and an inside diameter of about 0.010 inch.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
217 words
Apparatus for generating a mixture of fluids containing a known concentration of a first fluid in a second fluid comprising a mixing chamber, means for holding said mixing chamber at a first known pressure, means to flow second fluid to saturating means containing said first fluid to produce a stream of said second fluid saturated with said first fluid out of said saturating means, means for holding said saturating means at a known temperature and a second known pressure, pressure restrictor means for reducing the pressure of a stream flowing therethrough, means to flow a selected stream of second fluid or said saturated stream to said mixing chamber via said pressure restrictor means and to flow the other of second fluid or said saturated stream directly to said mixing chamber, wherein said temperature and said first and second pressures are selected for said first and second fluids so that said first and second fluids will mix in said mixing chamber in the gaseous state, means for restricting the mixed flow out of said mixing chamber to thereby control the amount of the mixed flow out of said mixing chamber, and means for determining the amounts of said selected stream and of said mixed flow to thereby determine the concentration of said first fluid in said second fluid.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
217 words
Apparatus for generating a mixture of fluids containing a known concentration of a first fluid in a second fluid comprising a mixing chamber, means for holding said mixing chamber at a first known pressure, means to flow second fluid to saturating means containing said first fluid to produce a stream of said second fluid saturated with said first fluid out of said saturating means, means for holding said saturating means at a known temperature and a second known pressure, pressure restrictor means for reducing the pressure of a stream flowing therethrough, means to flow a selected stream of second fluid or said saturated stream to said mixing chamber via said pressure restrictor means and to flow the other of second fluid or said saturated stream directly to said mixing chamber, wherein said temperature and said first and second pressures are selected for said first and second fluids so that said first and second fluids will mix in said mixing chamber in the gaseous state, means for restricting the mixed flow out of said mixing chamber to thereby control the amount of the mixed flow out of said mixing chamber, and means for determining the amounts of said selected stream and of said mixed flow to thereby determine the concentration of said first fluid in said second fluid.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
13 words
The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said selected stream is said saturated stream.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
77 words
The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said first fluid is water and the concentration of water in said second fluid is determined according to the relationship: where Pwater is the vapor pressure of water at said temperature of the saturating means; wet flow is the amount of the flow out of the saturating means; Ptotal is said second pressure of said saturating means; and total flow is the amount of the mixed flow leaving the mixing chamber.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
115 words
The apparatus of claim 17, a source of said second fluid, said means to flow second fluid to said mixing chamber and to said saturating means compRising means to divide the outflow from said source, wherein said first fluid is water and said second fluid is a substance which is gaseous at atmospheric pressure and temperature, said source comprising a pressurized container of said second fluid, pressure regulator means to reduce said supply pressure to said first known pressure which is less than the supply pressure, and pressure regulator means to control the pressure of said saturated stream within a range more than said first known pressure and less than or equal to supply pressure.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
135 words
The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the mixed flow out of said mixing chamber is supplied to a device for calibrating the ability of said device to detect the concentration of said first fluid, means for bypassing a portion of said mixed flow away from said device, and means for determining the amount so bypassed in order to supply a small enough volume of the mixed first and second fluids suitable for use by said device and yet large enough to permit efficient generation of known concentrations of said first fluid in said second fluid, and wherein the amount of mixed flow generated is determined by determining the amount of the mixed flow taken by the device and the amount of the mixed flow bypassed and by the addition of said last mentioned two amounts.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus of claim 20, said means for determining the amount of said mixed flow which is bypassed comprising a rotometer.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
85 words
The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the mixed flow out of said mixing chamber is supplied to a device for calibrating the ability of said device to detect the concentration of said first fluid, means for diverting the mixed flow away from the device to be calibrated including means to simulate the restricting effect of said device, on/off valve means for shutting off the direct flow of first fluid to said mixing chamber, and means for measuring the saturated flow passing through said diverting means.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
12 words
The apparatus of claim 22, said simulating means comprising needle valve means.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
12 words
The apparatus of claim 22, said measuring means comprising a bubble tube.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
36 words
The combination of claim 16, and means for changing the pressure of said selected stream flowing to said pressure restrictor means to thereby control the amount of said selected stream flowing through said pressure restrictor means.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
13 words
The apparatus of claim 16, said pressure restrictor means comprising a capillary tube.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
35 words
The apparatus of claim 16, a source of said second fluid, said means to flow second fluid to said mixing chamber and to said saturating means comprising means to divide the outflow from said source.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus of claim 27, and means for removing any of said first fluid which might be in said source outflow.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus of claim 28, said first fluid being water and said removing means comprising a molecular sieve.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus of claim 28, said first fluid being water and said removing means comprising a drier.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
32 words
The apparatus of claim 16, said pressure restrictor means comprising a capillary tube formed of stainless steel, having a length of about 9 feet, and an inside diameter of about 0.010 inch.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said first fluid is water and said second fluid is a water insoluble substance which is gaseous at atmospheric temperature and pressure.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
53 words
The apparatus of claim 32, said saturating means comprising a saturator bomb having a water soaked sponge located mediately the ends thereof, and means to flow said gaseous second fluid in one end of said bomb, through said sponge, and out the other end of said bomb to thereby produce said saturated stream.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus of claim 33, said means to hold said bomb at a known temperature comprising a container of ice water in which said bomb is located.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus of claim 33, said means to hold said bomb at a known temperature comprising ambient air.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US2583339A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1975-05-30 | 1975-11-29 | 1976-05-30 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1979-05-30 | 1979-11-29 | 1980-05-30 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1983-05-30 | 1983-11-29 | 1984-05-30 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |