US4685938A — Apparatus and method for the determination of sor…

Claim 1

Independent Claim 184 words

In a method of operating a sorption treatment apparatus, said apparatus including a sorption vessel having an exterior wall, a fluid feed entrance, and a fluid product exit, said sorption vessel having a sorbent material disposed in an interior fluid flow path defined by said feed entrance and said product exit, said sorbent material being in thermal communication with said exterior wall, said sorbent material being of the type used for the reduction of sorbate concentration in a feed fluid, said method including cycling the sorbent material through a sorption stage, wherein a feed fluid is passed through the material and a fluid product of reduced sorbate concentration is collected at the product exit, and a thermal regeneration stage, wherein a regenerant fluid is passed through the material to produce a fluid waste of greater sorbate concentration, the improvement comprising generating a signal representative of a temperature of said exterior wall, processing said exterior wall temperature-representative signal to determine therefrom a thermal characteristic of sorbent material in an interior region along said fluid flow path, and generating a signal representative of said thermal characteristic.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 184 words

In a method of operating a sorption treatment apparatus, said apparatus including a sorption vessel having an exterior wall, a fluid feed entrance, and a fluid product exit, said sorption vessel having a sorbent material disposed in an interior fluid flow path defined by said feed entrance and said product exit, said sorbent material being in thermal communication with said exterior wall, said sorbent material being of the type used for the reduction of sorbate concentration in a feed fluid, said method including cycling the sorbent material through a sorption stage, wherein a feed fluid is passed through the material and a fluid product of reduced sorbate concentration is collected at the product exit, and a thermal regeneration stage, wherein a regenerant fluid is passed through the material to produce a fluid waste of greater sorbate concentration, the improvement comprising generating a signal representative of a temperature of said exterior wall, processing said exterior wall temperature-representative signal to determine therefrom a thermal characteristic of sorbent material in an interior region along said fluid flow path, and generating a signal representative of said thermal characteristic.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 24 words

In a method according to claim 1, the further improvement comprising generating signals representative of temperatures of plural circumferentially-disposed sections of said exterior wall.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 24 words

In a method according to claim 1, the further improvement comprising generating signals representative of temperatures of plural axially-disposed sections of said exterior wall.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 26 words

In a method according to claim 1, the further improvement comprising generating a signal indicative of a time-wise variation of a temperature of said exterior wall.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 25 words

In a method according to claim 4, the further improvement comprising generating a signal indicative of a quantity of heat storage in said exterior wall.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 110 words

In a method according to claim 5, the further improvement comprising generating a signal indicative of a sorbent material temperature T M having a numerical value expressed according to the mathematical relation T.sub.M =(ρ(th.sub.v)C.sub.pv /h.sub.v) * dT.sub.v /dt+T.sub.v wherein ρ is defined as a density of said exterior wall, th v is defined as a thickness of said exterior wall, Cp v is defined as a specific heat capacity of said exterior wall, h v is defined as a heat transfer coefficient of said exterior wall, T v is defined as an exterior wall temperature, and dT v /dt is defined as a time-wise variation of an exterior wall temperature.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 32 words

In a method according to claim 5, the further improvement comprising generating a signal indicative of a temperature of an insulating medium disposed about said exterior wall and in thermal communication therewith.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 29 words

In a method according to claim 7, the further improvement comprising generating a signal indicative of a quantity of heat transfer between said exterior wall and said insulating medium.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 136 words

In a medium according to claim 8, the further improvement comprising generating a signal representative of a sorbent material temperature T M having a value expressed according to the mathematical relation T.sub.M =(ρ(th.sub.v) C.sub.pv /h.sub.v)*dT.sub.v /dt +(h.sub.insul /h.sub.v)* (T.sub.v -T.sub.insul)+T.sub.v wherein ρ is defined as a density of said exterior wall, th v is defined as a thickness of said exterior wall, Cp v is defined as a specific heat capacity of said exterior wall, h v is defined as a heat transfer coefficient of said exterior wall, h insul is defined as a heat transfer coefficient of said insulating medium, T v is defined as an exterior wall temperature, T insul is defined as a temperature of said insulating medium, and dT v /dt is defined as a time-wise variation of an exterior wall temperature.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 25 words

In a method according to claim 5, the further improvement comprising generating a signal indicative of an axial variation of temperature of said exterior wall.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 41 words

In a method according to claim 10, the further improvement comprising generating a signal indicative of a quantity of heat transfer between a first section of said exterior wall and a second section of said exterior wall in thermal communication therewith.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 173 words

In a method according to claim 11, the further improvement comprising generating a signal indicative of a sorbent material temperature T M having a numerical value expressed according to the mathematical relation T.sub.M =(ρ(th.sub.v)C.sub.pv /h.sub.v)*dT.sub.v /dt+(h.sub.insul /h.sub.v)*(T.sub.v -T.sub.insul) -((th.sub.v)k.sub.v /h.sub.v)*d.sup.2 T.sub.v /dx.sup.2 +T.sub.v wherein ρ is defined as a density of said exterior wall, th v is defined as a thickness of said exterior wall, C pv is defined as a specific heat capacity of said exterior wall, k v is defined as a conductivity constant of said exterior wall, h v is defined as a heat transfer coefficient of said exterior wall, h insul is defined as a heat transfer coefficient of said insulating medium, T v is defined as an exterior wall temperature, T insul is defined as a temperature of said insulating medium, and dT v dt is defined as time-wise variation of an exterior wall temperature, d 2 /T v /dx 2 is defined as an axial variation of an axial rate of change of an exterior wall temperature.

Claim 14

Dependent Claim 27 words

In a method according to claim 1, the further improvement comprising displaying sorption material characteristic-representative signals for the determination therefrom of sorption material loading characteristics and dysfunction.

Claim 15

Independent Claim 156 words

An apparatus for the sorption treatment of fluids, said apparatus comprising A. a sorption vessel having an exterior wall, a fluid feed entrance, and a fluid product exit, B. a sorbent material disposed within said sorption vessel and in thermal communication with said exterior wall, said sorbent material being disposed along a fluid flow path defined by said feed entrance and said product exit, and being of the type suitable for reducing sorbate concentration in a feed fluid, C. means for determining a thermal characteristic of said sorbent material, said characteristic-determining means comprising first sensing means for generating a signal representative of a temperature of said exterior wall and further comprising control means for processing said temperature representative signal to determine a thermal characteristic of said sorbent material in an interior region along said fluid flow path, and D. output means in circuit with said characteristic-determining means for generating a signal indicative of said thermal characteristic.

Claim 16

Independent Claim 156 words

An apparatus for the sorption treatment of fluids, said apparatus comprising A. a sorption vessel having an exterior wall, a fluid feed entrance, and a fluid product exit, B. a sorbent material disposed within said sorption vessel and in thermal communication with said exterior wall, said sorbent material being disposed along a fluid flow path defined by said feed entrance and said product exit, and being of the type suitable for reducing sorbate concentration in a feed fluid, C. means for determining a thermal characteristic of said sorbent material, said characteristic-determining means comprising first sensing means for generating a signal representative of a temperature of said exterior wall and further comprising control means for processing said temperature representative signal to determine a thermal characteristic of said sorbent material in an interior region along said fluid flow path, and D. output means in circuit with said characteristic-determining means for generating a signal indicative of said thermal characteristic.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 30 words

An apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said first sensing means comprises a temperature sensing device disposed on said exterior wall for generating a signal representative of a temperature thereof.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 29 words

An apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said first sensing means comprises plural temperature sensing devices circumferentially disposed about said exterior wall for generating signals representative of temperatures thereof.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 34 words

An apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said first sensing means comprises plural temperature sensing devices axially disposed along said fluid flow path on said exterior wall for generating signals representative of temperatures thereof.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 36 words

An apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said control means comprises time variant means in circuit with said first sensing means for generating a signal indicative of time-wise variation of a temperature of said exterior wall.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 29 words

An apparatus according to claim 18 wherein said control means comprises first processing means for generating a signal indicative of a quantity of heat storage in said exterior wall.

Claim 22

Dependent Claim 112 words

An apparatus according to claim 19 wherein said control means comprises means for generating a signal representative of a sorbent material temperature T M having a numerical value expressed according to the mathematical relation T.sub.M =(ρ(th.sub.v)C.sub.pv /h.sub.v) * dT.sub.v /dt+T.sub.v wherein ρ is defined as a density of said exterior wall, th v is defined as a thickness of said exterior wall, C pv is defined as a specific heat capacity of said exterior wall, h v is defined as a heat transfer coefficient of said exterior wall, T v is defined as an exterior wall temperature, and dT v /dt is defined as a time-wise variation of an exterior wall temperature.

Claim 23

Dependent Claim 32 words

An apparatus according to claim 19 comprising second sensing means for generating a signal representative of a temperature of an insulating medium disposed about said exterior wall and in thermal communication therewith.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 41 words

An apparatus according to claim 21 wherein said control means comprises second processing means in circuit with said second sensing means for generating a signal indicative of a quantity of heat transfer between said exterior wall and an externally-disposed insulating medium.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 135 words

An apparatus according to claim 22 wherein said control means comprises means for generating a signal representative of a sorbent material temperature T M having a value expressed according to the mathematical relation T.sub.M =(ρ(th.sub.v)C.sub.pv /h.sub.v)*dT.sub.v /dt+(h.sub.insul /h.sub.v)*(T.sub.v -T.sub.insul)+T.sub.v wherein ρ is defined as a density of said exterior wall, th v is defined as a thickness of said exterior wall, Cp v is defined as a specific heat capacity of said exterior wall, h v is defined as a heat transfer coefficient of said exterior wall, h insul is defined as a heat transfer coefficient of said insulating medium, T v is defined as an exterior wall temperature, T insul is defined as a temperature of said insulating medium, and dT v /dt is defined as a time-wise variation of an exterior wall temperature.

Claim 26

Dependent Claim 29 words

An apparatus according to claim 19 wherein said control means comprises axial variant means for generating a signal indicative of axial variation of a temperature of said exterior wall.

Claim 27

Dependent Claim 46 words

An apparatus according to claim 24 wherein said control means comprises axial heat transfer means for generating a signal indicative of a quantity of heat transfer between a first section of said exterior wall and a second section of said exterior wall in thermal communication therewith.

Claim 28

Dependent Claim 175 words

An apparatus according to claim 25 wherein said control means comprises means for generating a signal representative of a sorbent material temperature T M having a value expressed according to the mathematical relation T.sub.M =(ρ(th.sub.v)C.sub.pv /h.sub.v)*dT.sub.v /dt+(h.sub.insul /h.sub.v)*(T.sub.v -T.sub.insul) -((th.sub.v)k.sub.v /h.sub.v)*d.sup.2 T.sub.v /dx.sup.2 +T.sub.v wherein ρ is defined as a density of said exterior wall, th v is defined as a thickness of said exterior wall, C pv is defined as a specific heat capacity of said exterior wall, k v is defined as a conductivity constant of said exterior wall, h v is defined as a heat transfer coefficient of said exterior wall, h insul is defined as a heat transfer coefficient of said insulating medium, T v is defined as an exterior wall temperature, T insul is defined as a temperature of said insulating medium, and dT v /dt is defined as a time-wise variation of an exterior wall temperature, d 2 T v /dx 2 is defined as an axial variation in an axial rate of change of an exterior wall temperature.

Claim 29

Dependent Claim 32 words

An apparatus according to claim 14 wherein said output means includes diagnostic means for the display of sorption material characteristic-representative signals for the determination therefrom of sorption material loading characteristics and dysfunction.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1990-08-10	1991-02-09	1991-08-11	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1994-08-10	1995-02-09	1995-08-11	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1998-08-10	1999-02-09	1999-08-11	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Apparatus and method for the determination of sorption bed characteristics

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