Apparatus and method for producing a gas having a controlled water vapor content

Claim 1

An apparatus (10) for producing a gas having a controlled water vapor content comprising: an oven (16); a first means (18) for adding water vapor to a gas (12) and forming a first mixture, said first means (18) being disposed within said oven (16); a second means (20) for removing water vapor from at least a portion of said first mixture and forming a second mixture, said second means (20) being disposed within said oven (16); a mixing chamber (22) connected to said first and second means (18,20) and being disposed within said oven (16); valve means (24) for selectively, controllably delivering preselected amounts of said first and second mixtures to said mixing chamber (22) and forming a third resultant mixture; a coupling member (62) spaced from the oven; a conditioned gas discharge conduit (54) communicating said mixing chamber (22) with said coupling member (62); and, a dew point measuring instrument (66), said instrument (66) having a sensing head (67) disposed within said oven (16) in fluid communication with said conditioned gas discharge conduit (54).

Claim 2

An apparatus (10) for producing a gas having a controlled water vapor content comprising: an oven (16); a first means (18) for adding water vapor to a gas (12) and forming a first mixture, said first means (18) being disposed within said oven (16); a second means (20) for removing water vapor from at least a portion of said first mixture and forming a second mixture, said second means (20) being disposed within said oven (16); a mixing chamber (22) connected to said first and second means (18,20) and being disposed within said oven (16); valve means (24) for selectively, controllably delivering preselected amounts of said first and second mixtures to said mixing chamber (22) and forming a third resultant mixture; a coupling member (62) spaced from the oven; a conditioned gas discharge conduit (54) communicating said mixing chamber (22) with said coupling member (62); and, a dew point measuring instrument (66), said instrument (66) having a sensing head (67) disposed within said oven (16) in fluid communication with said conditioned gas discharge conduit (54).

Claim 6

A method for controlling the water vapor content of a gas, comprising: adding water vapor to an unconditioned gas (12) in an amount sufficient to raise the saturation of said gas (12) to a range of from about 95 percent to about 99 percent and forming a first mixture; removing water vapor from a preselected portion of said first mixture and forming a preselected remaining second mixture; mixing the preselected portions of said first and second mixtures and forming a resultant third mixture; and, maintaining said third mixture at a temperature higher than the dew point temperature of said third mixture.

Claim 7

A method for controlling the water vapor content of a gas, comprising: adding water vapor to an unconditioned gas (12) in an amount sufficient to raise the saturation of said gas (12) to a range of from about 95 percent to about 99 percent and forming a first mixture; removing water vapor from a preselected portion of said first mixture and forming a preselected remaining second mixture; mixing the preselected portions of said first and second mixtures and forming a resultant third mixture; and, maintaining said third mixture at a temperature higher than the dew point temperature of said third mixture.