US3871827A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus for determining small amounts of carbon monoxide or hydrogen in atmospheric air
Assignee: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften eV
•
Filing: 1973-04-25
•
Granted: 1975-03-18
•
Expires: 1993-04-25
Abstract
Abstract Carbon monoxide and hydrogen are determined in atmospheric air by reaction with yellow mercuric oxide at elevated temperature and optical determination of the elementary mercury in the air stream behind the reaction chamber. Water vapor is removed by drying and other reactive gases are eliminated by molecular sieves having suitably dimensioned pores before contact with the mercuric oxide. Hydrogen in the presence of carbon monoxide is determined by first selectively oxidizing the carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide. The effect of hydrogen on the carbon monoxide measurements is compensated for by a zero setting established after removal of the carbon monoxide. The temperature of the mercuric oxide is selected to minimize or maximize reaction with hydrogen.
Inventors
- 👤 Wolfgang Seiler
- 👤 Ulrich Schmidt
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 02:25
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N31/00; G01N31/005; G01N21/00; G01N21/17; G01N21/25; G01N21/31; G01N21/3103; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T436/00; Y10T436/20; Y10T436/204998; Y10T436/205831; Y10T436/22
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
22 words
HEATING MEANS FOR HEATING SAID PURIFIED MIXTURE TO A REACTION TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENT TO PERMIT REACTION OF SAID ONE COMPONENT WITH MERCURIC OXIDE,
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
22 words
HEATING MEANS FOR HEATING SAID PURIFIED MIXTURE TO A REACTION TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENT TO PERMIT REACTION OF SAID ONE COMPONENT WITH MERCURIC OXIDE,
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
69 words
APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING THE CONCENTRATION IN A GAS MIXTURE OF ONE GASEOUS COMPONENT CAPABLE OF REDUCING MERCURIC OXIDE TO METALLIC MERCURY, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING: A PURIFYING MEANS PERMEABLE TO SAID COMPONENT WHILE SUBSTANTIALY IMPERVIOUS TO AT LEAST ONE OTHER COMPONENT OF SAID MIXTURE CAPABLE OF REDUCING SAID MERCURIC OXIDE; B. MEASURING MEANS FOR MEASURING THE REMAINDER OF MERCURIC OXIDE REDUCING COMPONENTS IN THE PURIFIED MIXTURE, SAID MEASURING MEANS INCLUDING:
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
69 words
APPARATUS FOR DETERMINING THE CONCENTRATION IN A GAS MIXTURE OF ONE GASEOUS COMPONENT CAPABLE OF REDUCING MERCURIC OXIDE TO METALLIC MERCURY, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING: A PURIFYING MEANS PERMEABLE TO SAID COMPONENT WHILE SUBSTANTIALY IMPERVIOUS TO AT LEAST ONE OTHER COMPONENT OF SAID MIXTURE CAPABLE OF REDUCING SAID MERCURIC OXIDE; B. MEASURING MEANS FOR MEASURING THE REMAINDER OF MERCURIC OXIDE REDUCING COMPONENTS IN THE PURIFIED MIXTURE, SAID MEASURING MEANS INCLUDING:
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
66 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said measuring means include a body of heat conducting metal, said cell being embedded in said body, and said heating means including a heating element embedded in said body and offset from said cell in one direction, said reaction chamber being embedded in said body and offset from said cell in a direction away from said heating element.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
25 words
a reaction chamber maintained by said heating means at said temperature and charged with yellow mercuric oxide for contact with the heated purified mixture, and
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
25 words
a reaction chamber maintained by said heating means at said temperature and charged with yellow mercuric oxide for contact with the heated purified mixture, and
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
25 words
A REACTION CHAMBER MAINTAINED BY SAID HEATING MEANS AT SAID TEMPERATURE AND CHARGED WITH YELLOW MERCURIC OXIDE FOR COTACT WITH THE HEATED PURIFIED MIXTURE, AND
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
A REACTION CHAMBER MAINTAINED BY SAID HEATING MEANS AT SAID TEMPERATURE AND CHARGED WITH YELLOW MERCURIC OXIDE FOR COTACT WITH THE HEATED PURIFIED MIXTURE, AND
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
48 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said heating means further include a conduit connecting said purifying means to said reaction chamber and embedded in said body, respective walls of said conduit, said chamber, and said cell in contact with said mixture consisting essentially of fused silica.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
63 words
A MEASURING CELL MAINTAINED BY SAID HEATING MEANS AT LEAST SAID TEMPERATURE; C. CONVEYING MEANS FOR PASSING STREAM OF SAID MIXTURE SEQUENTIALLY THROUGH SAID PURIFYING MEANS, SAID HEATING MEANS, SAID REACTION CHAMBER, AND SAID MEASURING CELL; AND D. OPTICAL SENSING MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE PRESENCE OF ELEMENTARY MERCURY IN SAID CELL FOR PRODUCING INDICIA INDICATIVE OF THE CONCENTRATION OF MERCURY IN SAID CELL.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
63 words
A MEASURING CELL MAINTAINED BY SAID HEATING MEANS AT LEAST SAID TEMPERATURE; C. CONVEYING MEANS FOR PASSING STREAM OF SAID MIXTURE SEQUENTIALLY THROUGH SAID PURIFYING MEANS, SAID HEATING MEANS, SAID REACTION CHAMBER, AND SAID MEASURING CELL; AND D. OPTICAL SENSING MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE PRESENCE OF ELEMENTARY MERCURY IN SAID CELL FOR PRODUCING INDICIA INDICATIVE OF THE CONCENTRATION OF MERCURY IN SAID CELL.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
65 words
a measuring cell maintained by said heating means at least at said temperature; c. conveying means for passing a stream of said mixture sequentially through said purifying means, said heating means, said reaction chamber, and said measuring cell; and d. optical sensing means responsive to the presence of elementary mercury in said cell for producing indicia indicative of the concentration of mercury in said cell.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
65 words
a measuring cell maintained by said heating means at least at said temperature; c. conveying means for passing a stream of said mixture sequentially through said purifying means, said heating means, said reaction chamber, and said measuring cell; and d. optical sensing means responsive to the presence of elementary mercury in said cell for producing indicia indicative of the concentration of mercury in said cell.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
41 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein said cell has a cavity of substantially cylindrical shape bounded at each axial end by two spacedly parallel windows, the windows at each axial end defining an insulating chamber sealed from said cavity.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
45 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein said cell has an inlet orifice and an outlet orifice, said orifices each communicating with said cavity and being spaced from each other along the axis of said cavity and in opposite radial direction from said axis.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
35 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein said windows are substantially impervious to light having a wave length of less than 2200 Angstrom units while being substantially fully transparent to light of greater wavelength.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
14 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein said conduit is a helical tube.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
23 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said mercuric oxide is granular, having a grain size of not less than 0.5 mm.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
28 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said conveyinG means include a pump arranged ahead of said purifying means in the direction of flow of said stream.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
56 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein atmospheric air is a predominant component of said mixture, said one component is carbon monoxide, said purifying means include drying means for removing moisture from said air, and a molecular sieve having a pore size of approximately 10 Angstrom units, and said reaction temperature is 180* - 220*C.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
84 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein atmospheric air is a predominant component of said mixture, said one component is hydrogen, said purifying means include drying means for removing moisture from said air, a molecular sieve having aan average pore size of approximately 5 Angstrom units, and oxidizing means for selectively oxidizing present carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide, said conveying means passing said air sequentially through said drying means, said sieve, and said oxidizing means, and said reaction temperature being 200* to 250*C.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
111 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising zero setting means for establishing indicia representative of the absence of said one component, said zero setting means including oxidizing means for oxidizing said one component to a gas incapable of reacting with said mercuric oxide at said reaction temperature and a by-pass conduit, said oxidizing means and said by-pass conduit being interposed in parallel arrangement between said purifying means and said measuring means, selector valve means for alternatively passing said stream through said ozidizing means and said by-pass conduit, and adjustable throttling means in said by-pass conduit for equalizing the flow resistance of said by-pass conduit and of said oxidizing means.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
48 words
Apparatus as set forth in claim 12, wherein said sensing means include recording means for producing a durable record of said concentration of mercury, and timing means operatively connected to said selector valve means for operating the valve means in timed sequence with operation of said recording means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-03-17 | 1978-09-16 | 1979-03-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-03-17 | 1982-09-16 | 1983-03-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-03-17 | 1986-09-16 | 1987-03-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |