On-stream analysis

Claim 2

The method of claim 1, wherein said step of flowing said stream around said source comprises the steps of flowing said stream from an outer chamber to an inner chamber nested within said outer chamber, and mixing said stream as it passes through each of said chambers.

Claim 3

The method of claim 1, and exposing said stream to said source at a constant volume per unit time.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1, and flowing said stream away from said source at a speed greater than the speed at which said stream is flowed to said source.

Claim 5

Apparatus for determining the content of a component in a stream of other material comprising a radioactive source for changing said component into a detectable form, irradiator means for causing said stream to flow around said source starting from positions located furthest from said source and ending at positions located closest to said source, means for detecting the amount of said detectable form of said component in said stream, said detection means comprising means to expose said stream containing the detectable form of said component to counter means, and said means for exposing said stream to said counter means comprising a multiturn coil of conduit surrounding said counter means, whereby said stream is flowed around said counter means starting from positions located closest to said counter means and ending at positions furthest from said counter means.

Claim 6

The combination of claim 6, wherein said radioactive source comprises Cf-252.

Claim 7

The combination of claim 6, wherein said stream consists of a hydrocarbon material and said component consists of vanadium.

Claim 8

The combination of claim 8, wherein said radioactive source comprises Cf- 252.

Claim 9

The combination of claim 6, and conduit means for flowing said stream to and from said irradiator means, and wherein the conduit means in which said stream is flowed to said irradiator means is larger than the conduit means in which said stream is flowed away from said irradiator means, whereby said stream is flowed away from said source at a speed greater than the speed at which said stream is flowed to said source.

Claim 10

The combination of claim 6, said irradiator means comprising a continuous multi-turn coil of conduit surrounding said source.

Claim 11

The combination of claim 11, wherein said coil is completely immersed in a hydrogenous material.

Claim 12

The combination of claim 12, and wherein said irradiator assembly comprises an inner spool on which said coil is wound, a pair of end flanges on the ends of said spool, and strap means at the outer ends of said flanges to hold said coil on said spool between said flanges.

Claim 13

The combination of claim 13, wherein said coil consists of aluminum and said hydrogenous material consists of paraffin.

Claim 14

The combination of claim 6, wherein said irradiator means comprises a pair of nested shells, means to turn the inner shell within the outer shell of said pair of shells, mixing vanes on the inside and the outside surfaces of said inner shell, means to flow said stream to the space between said shells, means to flow said stream away from said irradiator means from said inside shell, and means to position said radioactive source within said inner shell.

Claim 15

The combination of claim 6, said detection means comprising ratemeter means for counting the radioactive decays of said detectable form of said component determined by said counter means, and display means driven by said ratemeter means.

Claim 16

The combination of claim 6, and supply means for pumping said stream from a sampling location to said irradiator means, said supply means comprising a variable speed constant displacement pump, whereby a known and adjustable but constant volume flow per unit time is supplied to said irradiator means.