US4191541A — Method and apparatus for gas sample analysis

Claim 1

Independent Claim 190 words

Apparatus for withdrawing a gas from a source and conditioning the gas for subsequent analysis for total reduced sulfur content, which comprises: a gas probe having an inlet for a stream of gas and an outlet therefor, a conduit, having electrical resistance means to provide heat to a gas stream flowing therein, extending from the probe outlet to a condenser, said condenser having a passage through which a gas stream can flow and be cooled by indirect heat exchange with a cooling fluid and vapor in the gas condensed to liquid, a second conduit from the condensor passage to a means for producing a vacuum which causes a gas stream to enter the probe and flow through the heatable conduit to and through the condenser passage and the second conduit, a third conduit for delivering a stream of gas from the second conduit to a scrubber to wash the gas stream with a scrubbing liquid, means for removing the gas stream from the scrubber and separating entrained scrubbing liquid, and means for pumping the scrubbed gas stream, from which scrubbing liquid has been removed, to an analyzer and flow meter.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 190 words

Apparatus for withdrawing a gas from a source and conditioning the gas for subsequent analysis for total reduced sulfur content, which comprises: a gas probe having an inlet for a stream of gas and an outlet therefor, a conduit, having electrical resistance means to provide heat to a gas stream flowing therein, extending from the probe outlet to a condenser, said condenser having a passage through which a gas stream can flow and be cooled by indirect heat exchange with a cooling fluid and vapor in the gas condensed to liquid, a second conduit from the condensor passage to a means for producing a vacuum which causes a gas stream to enter the probe and flow through the heatable conduit to and through the condenser passage and the second conduit, a third conduit for delivering a stream of gas from the second conduit to a scrubber to wash the gas stream with a scrubbing liquid, means for removing the gas stream from the scrubber and separating entrained scrubbing liquid, and means for pumping the scrubbed gas stream, from which scrubbing liquid has been removed, to an analyzer and flow meter.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 46 words

Apparatus according to claim 1 in which a removable tube of substantially inert material is inside of the conduit extending from the probe to about the condenser for the gas stream to flow therethrough to maintain the gas stream out of other contact with the conduit.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 13 words

Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the scrubber is a counter-current scrubber.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 31 words

Apparatus according to claim 1 including a means to provide a cool fluid for use in the condenser to cool the gas stream by indirect heat exchange with a cooling fluid.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 16 words

Apparatus according to claim 4 in which the means supplies cold air as the cooling fluid.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 22 words

Apparatus according to claim 5 including a vortex cooler for supplying cold air to the condenser to cool the gas stream indirectly.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 46 words

Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the means for producing a vacuum includes a means downstream thereof for venting a major portion of the gas stream to waste so that the third conduit conveys a remaining minor portion of the gas stream to the scrubber.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 49 words

Apparatus according to claim 1 including a scrubbing liquid reservoir container and means to withdraw scrubbing liquid from the container and feed it continuously at a uniform rate once through the scrubber as the gas stream flows through the scrubber and then feed the used scrubbing liquid to waste.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 57 words

Apparatus according to claim 8 in which the scrubber has at least two stages in series, conduit means communicates with the two stages for delivering scrubbing liquid from the downstream second stage to the upstream first stage, and the means to withdraw the scrubbing liquid from the container has means to feed it to the second stage.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 29 words

Apparatus according to claim 9 including means to continuously drain scrubbing liquid from the first stage at about the same rate it is received therein from the second stage.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 16 words

Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the means for producing a vacuum is an aspirator.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 25 words

Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the third conduit communicates with the second conduit between the condenser and the means for producing a vacuum.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 43 words

Apparatus according to claim 12 in which the second conduit is positioned to direct flow therethrough of condensed liquid from the condenser to a means downstream thereof for draining off the condensed liquid while avoiding flow of condensed liquid into the third conduit.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 33 words

Apparatus according to claim 12 in which the third conduit is substantially smaller diametrically than the second conduit to thereby feed only a minor amount of the initial gas stream to the scrubber.

Claim 16

Independent Claim 144 words

A method comprising: withdrawing a stream of hot gas containing water vapor from a source believed to contain a gaseous reduced sulfur content, continuously maintaining the withdrawn stream of hot gas at a temperature above the dew point temperature of the gas, feeding the stream of hot gas to a condenser to condense the water vapor from the gas, removing the condensed water with the stream of previously hot but now cooled gas from the condenser, diverting a minor portion of the cooled gas stream, substantially devoid of water, to a scrubber, scrubbing the cooled gas stream in the scrubber with a scrubbing liquid, withdrawing the scrubbed gas stream from the scrubber, separating residual scrubbing liquid from the scrubbed gas stream, and feeding the scrubbed gas stream to an analyzer and flow meter to determine the total reduced sulfur content in the gas stream.

Claim 17

Independent Claim 144 words

A method comprising: withdrawing a stream of hot gas containing water vapor from a source believed to contain a gaseous reduced sulfur content, continuously maintaining the withdrawn stream of hot gas at a temperature above the dew point temperature of the gas, feeding the stream of hot gas to a condenser to condense the water vapor from the gas, removing the condensed water with the stream of previously hot but now cooled gas from the condenser, diverting a minor portion of the cooled gas stream, substantially devoid of water, to a scrubber, scrubbing the cooled gas stream in the scrubber with a scrubbing liquid, withdrawing the scrubbed gas stream from the scrubber, separating residual scrubbing liquid from the scrubbed gas stream, and feeding the scrubbed gas stream to an analyzer and flow meter to determine the total reduced sulfur content in the gas stream.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 23 words

A method according to claim 15 in which the hot gas is cooled in the condensor by cold air from a vortex cooler.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 27 words

A method according to claim 15 in which the water and a major portion of the cooled gas stream from the condenser are continuously fed to waste.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 33 words

A method according to claim 15 in which the cooled gas stream is scrubbed by a once through continuous counter-current flow of scrubbing liquid and the used scrubbing liquid is fed to waste.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 41 words

A method according to claim 18 in which the cooled gas stream is scrubbed in at least two stages with new scrubbing liquid fed first to the second stage and then from the second stage to the first stage located upstream.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 23 words

A method according to claim 15 in which the scrubbing liquid is supplied to, and removed from, the scrubber at a uniform rate.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 24 words

A method according to claim 15 in which the scrubbing liquid reacts with any sulfur dioxide in the gas stream to remove it therefrom.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1983-03-04	1983-09-03	1984-03-04	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1987-03-04	1987-09-03	1988-03-04	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1991-03-04	1991-09-03	1992-03-04	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Method and apparatus for gas sample analysis

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