Method and apparatus for rapidly and selectively determining purity of process streams

Claim 2

In a method for rapidly determining the purity of multiple process streams in the form of solutions containing dissolved sucrose and other solids with a high degree of reproducible accuracy, the steps of mixing a portion of a selected process stream with water in a closed circulatory system to form a diluted sample, progressively adding additional portions of the process stream to provide a sample of increasing solids concentration, discontinuing the addition of said process stream at such time as the sample achieves a predetermined desired solids concentration, controlling the temperature of said sample to within a predetermined range as respects a particular, desired control temperature, causing the temperature of said sample to oscillate within said predetermined range so as to repeatedly pass through said control temperature, measuring said sample to obtain simultaneous refractometric and polarimetric electrical signals which are proportional, respectively, to the total concentration of solids and the partial concentration of sucrose dissolved in said sample, and converting said electrical signals only at such time as the sample is both at said predetermined desired solids concentration and said predetermined control temperature to an electrical purity readout representing the proportion of dissolved sucrose to total solids.

Claim 3

In a method for rapidly determining the purity of multiple process streams in the form of solutions containing dissolved sucrose and other solids with a high degree of reproducible accuracy, the steps of mixing a portion of a selected process stream with water in a closed circulatory system to form a diluted sample, progressively adding additional portions of the process stream to provide a sample of increasing solids concentration, discontinuing the addition of said process stream at such time as the sample achieves a predetermined desired solids concentration, controlling the temperature of said sample to within a predetermined range as respects a particular, desired control temperature, causing the temperature of said sample to oscillate within said predetermined range so as to repeatedly pass through said control temperature, measuring said sample to obtain simultaneous refractometric and polarimetric electrical signals which are proportional, respectively, to the total concentration of solids and the partial concentration of sucrose dissolved in said sample, and converting said electrical signals only at such time as the sample is both at said predetermined desired solids concentration and said predetermined control temperature to an electrical purity readout representing the proportion of dissolved sucrose to total solids.

Claim 4

In a method for rapidly determining the purity of multiple process streams in the form of solutions containing dissolved sucrose and other solids with a high degree of reproducible accuracy, the steps of mixing a portion of a selected process stream with water in a closed circulatory system to form a diluted sample, progressively adding additional portions of the process stream to provide a sample of increasing solids concentration, discontinuing the addition of said process stream at such time as the sample achieves a predetermined desired solids concentration, controlling the temperature of said sample to within a predetermined range as respects a particular, desired control temperature, causing the temperature of said sample to oscillate within said predetermined range so as to repeatedly pass through said control temperature, measuring said sample to obtain simultaneous refractometric and polarimetric electrical signals which are proportional, respectively, to the total concentration of solids and the partial concentration of sucrose dissolved in said sample, and converting said electrical signals only at such time as the sample is both at said predetermined desired solids concentration and said predetermined control temperature to an electrical purity readout representing the proportion of dissolved sucrose to total solids.

Claim 5

A method as in claim 1 including the step of circulating said sample within said closed circulatory system to effect thermal equilibrium between said sample and optical surfaces involved in said refractometric and polarimetric measurements to obtain said electrical purity readout.

Claim 6

A method as in claim 1 including the steps of introducing said process streams into said closed circulatory system for the purpose of determining individual sample purity readings, and intermittently draining and washing the closed circulatory system to purge traces of prior process streams between each separate purity determination.

Claim 7

In a method for rapidly and selectively determining the purity of process streams containing dissolved sucrose and other solids with a high degree of reproducible accuracy, the steps of forming a generally closed circulatory system, substantially filling said generally closed circulatory system with water, progressively introducing portions of a selected process stream to said closed circulatory system to produce a dilute circulatory sample of progressively increasing solids concentration, controlling the temperature of the sample circulating within said closed circulatory system whereby the sample temperature oscillates through a point of temperature control within a predetermined relatively narrow temperature range, sensing the sucrose concentration of said circulating sample by means of a polarimeter to generate a polarimetric electrical signal proportional to the sucrose concentration of said sample, sensing the total solids concentration of said circulating sample by means of a refractometer to generate a refractometric electrical signal proportional to the total solids concentration of said sample, interrupting the progressive intRoductions of said process stream to said circulating sample in response to a predetermined desired solids concentration sensed by said refractometer, and causing the proportional electric signals generated by said polarimeter and refractometer to be converted to a sucrose purity ratio in response to a subsequent oscillation of said sample temperature through said control point.

Claim 8

In a method for rapidly and selectively determining the purity of process streams containing dissolved sucrose and other solids with a high degree of reproducible accuracy, the steps of forming a generally closed circulatory system, substantially filling said generally closed circulatory system with water, progressively introducing portions of a selected process stream to said closed circulatory system to produce a dilute circulatory sample of progressively increasing solids concentration, controlling the temperature of the sample circulating within said closed circulatory system whereby the sample temperature oscillates through a point of temperature control within a predetermined relatively narrow temperature range, sensing the sucrose concentration of said circulating sample by means of a polarimeter to generate a polarimetric electrical signal proportional to the sucrose concentration of said sample, sensing the total solids concentration of said circulating sample by means of a refractometer to generate a refractometric electrical signal proportional to the total solids concentration of said sample, interrupting the progressive intRoductions of said process stream to said circulating sample in response to a predetermined desired solids concentration sensed by said refractometer, and causing the proportional electric signals generated by said polarimeter and refractometer to be converted to a sucrose purity ratio in response to a subsequent oscillation of said sample temperature through said control point.

Claim 9

A method as in claim 4 including the steps of draining and flushing said generally closed circulatory system with water to purge all traces of previous samples, prior to forming said dilute circulatory sample.

Claim 10

A method as in claim 4 including the step of controlling said predetermined relatively narrow temperature range to within + or -1*C., of said point of temperature control.

Claim 11

A method as in claim 4 including the step of controlling said predetermined relatively narrow temperature range to within +0.05 or -0.05 of said point of temperature control.

Claim 12

A process as in claim 4 including the step of maintaining said point of temperature control at a temperature of the order of 50*C.

Claim 13

A method as in claim 4 including the step of controlling the temperature of the circulating sample by heat exchange.

Claim 14

A method as in claim 8 including the step of controlling the temperature of said circulating sample in part by heat exchange and in part by the inlet temperature of said selected process stream.

Claim 15

A method as in claim 4 wherein said predetermined solids concentration is an arbitrarily determined value within the range from about 10* to no more than about 25* Brix.

Claim 16

A method as in claim 4 wherein said proportional electrical signals are converted to said sucrose purity ratio by arbitrarily adjusting said refractometric electrical signal to a scale from 0 to 100, and subsequently adjusting said polarimetric electrical signal to a null position with respect to 0 on the same scale, thereby providing a sucrose purity ratio in terms of percentage.

Claim 17

A method as in claim 4 wherein the steps to determine the sucrose purity ratio for a particular process stream are accomplished within a period of about 3 to no more than 5 minutes.

Claim 18

A method as in claim 4 wherein the steps to obtain a sucrose purity ratio are selectively accomplished with respect to each of several successive process streams at approximately 3 to 5 minute intervals.

Claim 19

In a system of apparatus for rapidly and selectively determining the purity of multiple streams containing dissolved sucrose and other solids with a high degree of reproducible accuracy, means forming a closed circulatory system, pump means to circulate liquid through said closed circulatory system, means controlling the temperature of liquid circulating in said closed circulatory system with respect to a predetermined control temperature, refractometric means in said closed circulatory system to provide an electrical signal proportional to the concentration of total solids in liquids circulating in said closed circulatory system, polarimetric means in said closed circulatory system to provide an electric signal proportional to the concentration of sucrose in liquids circulating in said closed circulatory system, indicating means responsive to the electrical signals from said refractometric and polarimetric means to indicate the ratio of sucrose to total solids concentration in said circulating liquids, valve means for introducing substantially pure water to said closed circulatory system, separate valve means for selectively introducing portions of a selected sucrose containing process stream to said circulatory system, means controlling the operation of said respective valve means whereby a sample of progressively increasing solids concentration is caused to circulate within said closed circulatory system, means responsive to a particular predetermined solids concentration of liquids circulating in said closed circulating system to clOse said separate valve means, and means responsive to the temperature of liquids circulating in said closed circulatory system only at said predetermined control temperature to actuate said indicating means.

Claim 20

In a system of apparatus for rapidly and selectively determining the purity of multiple streams containing dissolved sucrose and other solids with a high degree of reproducible accuracy, means forming a closed circulatory system, pump means to circulate liquid through said closed circulatory system, means controlling the temperature of liquid circulating in said closed circulatory system with respect to a predetermined control temperature, refractometric means in said closed circulatory system to provide an electrical signal proportional to the concentration of total solids in liquids circulating in said closed circulatory system, polarimetric means in said closed circulatory system to provide an electric signal proportional to the concentration of sucrose in liquids circulating in said closed circulatory system, indicating means responsive to the electrical signals from said refractometric and polarimetric means to indicate the ratio of sucrose to total solids concentration in said circulating liquids, valve means for introducing substantially pure water to said closed circulatory system, separate valve means for selectively introducing portions of a selected sucrose containing process stream to said circulatory system, means controlling the operation of said respective valve means whereby a sample of progressively increasing solids concentration is caused to circulate within said closed circulatory system, means responsive to a particular predetermined solids concentration of liquids circulating in said closed circulating system to clOse said separate valve means, and means responsive to the temperature of liquids circulating in said closed circulatory system only at said predetermined control temperature to actuate said indicating means.

Claim 21

Apparatus as in claim 15 wherein said means forming the closed circulatory system include a sample preparation tank and conduit means in fluid communication with said refractometric and said polarimetric means.

Claim 22

Apparatus as in claim 16 including float means in said sample preparation tank to control the valve means introducing substantially pure water to said closed circulatory system.

Claim 23

Apparatus as in claim 16 wherein said means controlling the temperature of liquids circulating in said closed circulatory system include heating means within said sample preparation tank and temperature control means therefor.

Claim 24

Apparatus as in claim 15 wherein said means controlling the temperature of liquids circulating in said closed circulatory system include heat exchange means operable to control the temperature of process materials introduced to and circulating within said closed circulatory system.

Claim 25

Apparatus as in claim 15 wherein the temperature of liquids circulating in said closed circulatory system is controlled within predetermined limits above and below a predetermined control temperature by means of relay logic controlling means, said last named means controlling cooling means in communication with said closed circulatory system to effect temperature reductions and likewise said separate valve means for introducing relatively hot sucrose containing process streams to thereby effect temperature increases, whereby the temperature of said circulating liquid is caused to oscillate within said predetermined limits and through said control temperature.

Claim 26

Apparatus as in claim 15 wherein said indicating means includes a slidewire having a potential equal to the proportional output of said refractometric means and a contact movable on said slidewire to a null position at a potential equal to the proportional output of said polarimetric means.

Claim 27

Apparatus as in claim 21 wherein said slidewire is subdivided over a range of 0 to 100, whereby the null position of the contact indicates the concentration of sucrose determined by the polarimetric means as a percentage proportion with respect to the total solids as determined by the refractometric means.

Claim 28

Apparatus as in claim 15 wherein said indicating means operates only on closing of said separate valve means to prevent further introductions of a selected sucrose containing process stream, whereby said means actuating the purity ratio indicating means is responsive to said predetermined control temperature only at a predetermined control temperature and solids concentration of said circulating sample.