US4098650A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and analyzer for determining moisture in a mixture of gases containing oxygen
Assignee: Thermo Lab Instruments Inc
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Filing: 1976-11-08
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Granted: 1978-07-04
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Expires: 1996-11-08
Abstract
Abstract The moisture content of a gaseous mixture containing oxygen and the amount of other constituent gases in said mixture are determined by measuring, with an electrochemical cell, the ratio of oxygen partial pressures of a sample flow of said mixture and a comparison flow of a mixture of gases differing from said sample flow only by the reduction of the moisture content to a known level or, if moisture is not present, the reduction to a known level of the content of such other gaseous constituent. Also, provision is made to permit determining the amount of free oxygen in said gaseous mixture.
Inventors
- 👤 Donald A. Sayles
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 20:15
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N27/00; G01N27/26; G01N27/403; G01N27/406; G01N27/407; G01N27/4067; G01N33/00; G01N33/0004; G01N33/0009; G01N33/0022; G01N33/0024
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
116 words
A method for determining the total amount of water vapor in a mixture of gases containing oxygen which comprises, providing a first stream of said mixture of gases, providing a second stream of said mixture of gases, treating said second stream in a condenser to remove a portion of said water vapor and reduce the concentration of said water vapor in said second stream to a known level to form a treated second stream containing a known concentration of said water vapor, introducing said first stream and said treated second stream into a heated ceramic electrochemical cell, and measuring the ratio of oxygen partial pressures of said first stream and said treated second stream of gases.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
116 words
A method for determining the total amount of water vapor in a mixture of gases containing oxygen which comprises, providing a first stream of said mixture of gases, providing a second stream of said mixture of gases, treating said second stream in a condenser to remove a portion of said water vapor and reduce the concentration of said water vapor in said second stream to a known level to form a treated second stream containing a known concentration of said water vapor, introducing said first stream and said treated second stream into a heated ceramic electrochemical cell, and measuring the ratio of oxygen partial pressures of said first stream and said treated second stream of gases.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
43 words
A method as in claim 1 wherein the length of the streams are controlled so that the transport time for said first stream and said treated second stream will be nearly equal causing said streams to be measured with the same time delay.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method as in claim 1 which includes cooling said condenser with a thermoelectric "Peltier effect" device.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
14 words
A method as in claim 1 which includes cooling said condenser by mechanical refrigeration.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
A method as in claim 1 which includes controlling the temperature of said condenser so that said second stream is dried to a known predetermined level.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
110 words
Apparatus for determining the total amount of water vapor in a mixture of gases containing oxygen which comprises, means for providing a first stream of said mixture of gases, means for providing a second stream of said mixture of gases, means for treating said second stream in a condenser and removing a portion of said water vapor to provide a treated second gas stream containing a known level of said water vapor, means to introduce said first stream and said treated second stream into a heated ceramic electrochemical cell, and means for measuring the ratio of oxygen partial pressures of said first stream and said treated second stream of gases.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
110 words
Apparatus for determining the total amount of water vapor in a mixture of gases containing oxygen which comprises, means for providing a first stream of said mixture of gases, means for providing a second stream of said mixture of gases, means for treating said second stream in a condenser and removing a portion of said water vapor to provide a treated second gas stream containing a known level of said water vapor, means to introduce said first stream and said treated second stream into a heated ceramic electrochemical cell, and means for measuring the ratio of oxygen partial pressures of said first stream and said treated second stream of gases.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
Apparatus as in claim 6 which includes means for intermittently replacing said treated second stream with a stream of air or other gas of known oxygen partial pressure.
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) | 1981-07-03 | 1982-01-02 | 1982-07-04 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1985-07-03 | 1986-01-02 | 1986-07-04 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1989-07-03 | 1990-01-02 | 1990-07-04 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |