Flow control for gas analyzing apparatus

Claim 2

In a gas analyzing system including a gas chromatograph means, a mass spectrometer means, and an effluent flow path means extending therebetween, said flow path means including the input chamber of a membrane type separator means which serves as an inlet means to said mass spectrometer, and a viscous flow splitter means disposed in said flow path means between said chromatograph column and said separator for normally removing a small percentage of the effluent from said flow path for detection purposes, the improvement comprising: throttle valve means disposed in said flow path means downstream of said separator for impeding the flow of gas in said flow path and thus increasing the percentage of the effluent which is caused to pass out of said flow path through said splitter means and therefore reducing the percentage of the effluent supplied to said inlet means of said mass spectrometer.

Claim 3

In a gas analyzing system as recited in claim 1 wherein valve control means responsive to the output of said gas chromatograph or said mass spectrometer are provided for controlling Said throttle valve means to control the amount of sample which is allowed to be introduced into said mass spectrometer.

Claim 4

In a gas analyzing system including a gas chromatograph means and a mass spectrometer means operatively coupled together by a gas flow means so as to serially perform an analysis on a sample of gaseous material, the output of said gas chromatograph being directly coupled through said gas flow means in flowthrough relation to the inlet system of said mass spectrometer, said gas flow means extending externally beyond said inlet system, and a fixed ratio splitter means disposed in the connecting path of said flow means between said gas chromatograph and said inlet system the improvement comprising: throttle valve means disposed in the external portion of said gas flow means beyond said inlet system for controlling the actual division of gas flow through the respective flow passages of said splitter means without altering the physical relationship of said flow passages.

Claim 5

In a gas analyzing system including a gas chromatograph means and a mass spectrometer means operatively coupled together by a gas flow means so as to serially perform an analysis on a sample of gaseous material, the output of said gas chromatograph being directly coupled through said gas flow means in flowthrough relation to the inlet system of said mass spectrometer, said gas flow means extending externally beyond said inlet system, and a fixed ratio splitter means disposed in the connecting path of said flow means between said gas chromatograph and said inlet system the improvement comprising: throttle valve means disposed in the external portion of said gas flow means beyond said inlet system for controlling the actual division of gas flow through the respective flow passages of said splitter means without altering the physical relationship of said flow passages.

Claim 6

In a gas analyzing system as recited in claim 3 wherein throttle valve control means responsive to the output of said gas chromatograph or said mass spectrometer means are provided for controlling said throttle valve means to control the percentage of sample gas which is caused to flow through said inlet system.

Claim 7

In a gas analyzing system as recited in claim 4 wherein said inlet system is a permeable membrane type separator.

Claim 8

A gas analyzing system comprising: a gas chromatograph means having an effluent orifice, a mass spectrometer means including an inlet means which separates certain materials from a sample gas caused to flow through an input chamber thereof, the downstream side of said input chamber having an exhaust port means through which said gas is exhausted after having passed through said input chamber, fluid flow path means connecting said effluent orifice of said chromatograph to said inlet means of said spectrometer, flow splitting means disposed within said flow path means for splitting off a portion of a gas passing through said flow path means, said portion ultimately being exhausted through a second exhaust port means, and throttle valve means disposed at at least one of said exhaust ports for controlling the split ratio of said flow splitting means by constricting the flow passage through which the gas is passed before being exhausted thereby altering the balance of pressure drops between the respective exhaust ports and the splitting means which as a consequence alters the split ratio of said splitting means.

Claim 9

A gas analyzing system comprising: a gas chromatograph means having an effluent orifice, a mass spectrometer means including an inlet means which separates certain materials from a sample gas caused to flow through an input chamber thereof, the downstream side of said input chamber having an exhaust port means through which said gas is exhausted after having passed through said input chamber, fluid flow path means connecting said effluent orifice of said chromatograph to said inlet means of said spectrometer, flow splitting means disposed within said flow path means for splitting off a portion of a gas passing through said flow path means, said portion ultimately being exhausted through a second exhaust port means, and throttle valve means disposed at at least one of said exhaust ports for controlling the split ratio of said flow splitting means by constricting the flow passage through which the gas is passed before being exhausted thereby altering the balance of pressure drops between the respective exhaust ports and the splitting means which as a consequence alters the split ratio of said splitting means.

Claim 10

A gas analyzing system as set forth in claim 6 wherein said inlet means is a permeable membrane type separator means.

Claim 11

A gas analyzing system as set forth in claim 7 wherein throttle valve control means are provided responsive to a predetermined characteristic of said sample gas so as to control the application of said gas to said inlet means.