Heat recovery calorimeter

Claim 3

The method of claim 1, wherein the catalyst further comprises a porous catalyst adapted for the gas to flow therethrough.

Claim 4

The method of claim 2, wherein the heat sink further comprises a porous heat sink adapted for the combustion products to flow therethrough.

Claim 5

The method of claim 3, further comprising the step of: measuring the quantity of the gas which passes through the catalyst and the heat sink as a fuction of time; and wherein: the step of recording the amount of heat supplied to the catalyst further comprises recording the amount of heat supplied to the catalyst as a function of time; and the step of recording the amount of heat removed from the heat sink further comprises recording the amount of heat removed from the heat sink as a function of time.

Claim 6

A catalytic calorimeter for measuring the heat value of a known quantity of a gas, comprising: a chamber for receiving the gas and air; a catalyst within the chamber and filling the cross-sectional area of the chamber for causing the combustion of the gas and air; a first temperature sensor for providing a signal indicating the temperature of the gas and air prior to combustion; a second temperature sensor for providing a signal indicating the temperature of the catalyst; a heater for heating the catalyst; a first temperature controller connected to the second temperature sensor and the heater for maintaining the catalyst at a predetermined temperature; a heat sink within the chamber and filling the cross-sectional area of the chamber for absorbing heat from the products of the combustion of the gas; a third temperature sensor for providing a signal indicating the temperature of the heat sink; a cooling device for removing heat from the heat sink; a second temperature controller connected to the third temperature sensor and the cooling device for maintaining the heat sink at a predetermined temperature; and an output device for receiving as inputs the quantity of the gas, the amount of heat supplied to the catalyst, and the amount of heat removed from the heat sink and calculating the amount of heat produced by the quantity of gas by multiplying the heat supplied to the catalyst by a first calibration factor, multiplying the heat removed from the heat sink by a second calibration factor, and summing the two calibrated heat values.

Claim 7

A catalytic calorimeter for measuring the heat value of a known quantity of a gas, comprising: a chamber for receiving the gas and air; a catalyst within the chamber and filling the cross-sectional area of the chamber for causing the combustion of the gas and air; a first temperature sensor for providing a signal indicating the temperature of the gas and air prior to combustion; a second temperature sensor for providing a signal indicating the temperature of the catalyst; a heater for heating the catalyst; a first temperature controller connected to the second temperature sensor and the heater for maintaining the catalyst at a predetermined temperature; a heat sink within the chamber and filling the cross-sectional area of the chamber for absorbing heat from the products of the combustion of the gas; a third temperature sensor for providing a signal indicating the temperature of the heat sink; a cooling device for removing heat from the heat sink; a second temperature controller connected to the third temperature sensor and the cooling device for maintaining the heat sink at a predetermined temperature; and an output device for receiving as inputs the quantity of the gas, the amount of heat supplied to the catalyst, and the amount of heat removed from the heat sink and calculating the amount of heat produced by the quantity of gas by multiplying the heat supplied to the catalyst by a first calibration factor, multiplying the heat removed from the heat sink by a second calibration factor, and summing the two calibrated heat values.

Claim 8

The instrument of claim 5, wherein the chamber further comprises a heat insulated tube.

Claim 9

The instrument of claim 6, wherein the catalyst further comprises a porous catalyst adapted for the gas to flow therethrough.

Claim 10

The instrument of claim 7, wherein the heat sink further comprises a porous heat sink adapted for the combustion products to flow therethrough.

Claim 11

The instrument of claim 8, further comprising: a flow controller for measuring the quantity of the gas which passes through the catalyst and the heat sink as a function of time; and wherein the output device is further connected to the flow controller to record the quantity of the gas which passes through the heat sink as a function of time, is adapted to record the amount of heat supplied to the catalyst as a function of time, and is adapted to record the amount of heat removed from the heat sink as a function of time.

Claim 12

The instrument of claim 5, wherein: the first, second, and third temperature sensors further comprise first, second, and third thermocouples; the heater further comprises an electrical resistance heater; the cooling device further comprises a Peltier effect thermoelectric device; and the first and second temperature controllers further comprise first and second electrical temperature control circuits.

Claim 13

The instrument of claim 10, wherein the output device further comprises an electrical circuit for recording the current applied to the heater as a function of time and recording the current applied to the thermoelectric device as a function of time.