US4788848A — Chemical tracer determination of steam quality

Claim 1

Independent Claim 122 words

Apparatus for determining the quality of saturated steam in a steam line of a multiple-line system served by a single steam generation, said apparatus comprising: means for injecting a tracer solution into said steam line at an injection point, said steam line operating at a pressure and temperature and containing a liquid and vapor phase of steam, said tracer solution containing an input concentration of a liquid tracer and an input concentration of a vapor tracer; means for gathering a vapor sample downstream of said injection point; means for gathering a liquid sample downstream of said injection point; means for measuring a concentration of vapor tracer in said vapor sample; means for measuring a concentration of liquid tracer in said liquid sample.

Claim 2

Dependent Claim 122 words

Apparatus for determining the quality of saturated steam in a steam line of a multiple-line system served by a single steam generation, said apparatus comprising: means for injecting a tracer solution into said steam line at an injection point, said steam line operating at a pressure and temperature and containing a liquid and vapor phase of steam, said tracer solution containing an input concentration of a liquid tracer and an input concentration of a vapor tracer; means for gathering a vapor sample downstream of said injection point; means for gathering a liquid sample downstream of said injection point; means for measuring a concentration of vapor tracer in said vapor sample; means for measuring a concentration of liquid tracer in said liquid sample.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 43 words

Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein: said vapor tracer is a chemical which resides substantially in said vapor phase at said pressure and temperature; said liquid tracer is a chemical which resides substantially in said liquid phase at said pressure and temperature.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 16 words

Apparatus as recited in claim 2 wherein said vapor sample is condensed in a condenser means.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 17 words

Apparatus as recited in claim 3 wherein said liquid sample is cooled in a liquid cooling means.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 29 words

Apparatus as recited in claim 4 wherein: said means for gathering a liquid sample is a liquid trap; said means for gathering a vapor sample is a vapor trap.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 45 words

Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein: said liquid tracer is a chemical ion selected from the group consisting of bromide, nitrate, zinc, or cobalt, and; said vapor tracer is a chemical selected from the group consisting of ammonium ion, an aldehyde, or a ketone.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 60 words

Apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein: said liquid tracer is a chemical ion selected from the group consisting of bromide, nitrate, zinc, cobalt, nickel, potassium, boron, copper, manganese, lead, titanium, thiocynate, phosphate, floride, acetate, or iodide, and; said vapor tracer is a chemical selected from the group consisting of ammonium ion, an aldehyde, ketone, organic acid, alcohol, or amine.

Claim 9

Independent Claim 145 words

A method for determining the steam quality in a steam line of a multiple-line system served by a single steam generator, said method comprising: injecting a tracer solution into said steam line at an injection point, said tracer solution containing an inlet concentration of a vapor tracer and an inlet concentration of a liquid tracer; removing a vapor sample downstream of said injection point; removing a liquid sample downstream of said injection point; measuring a concentration of vapor tracer in said vapor sample; measuring a concentration of liquid tracer in said liquid sample; determining the steam quality from the equation: ##EQU5## where: X s =said steam quality c 1 =said inlet concentration of liquid tracer L 1 =said concentration of liquid tracer in said liquid sample c 2 =said inlet concentration of vapor tracer V 2 =said concentration of vapor tracer in said vapor sample.

Claim 10

Independent Claim 145 words

A method for determining the steam quality in a steam line of a multiple-line system served by a single steam generator, said method comprising: injecting a tracer solution into said steam line at an injection point, said tracer solution containing an inlet concentration of a vapor tracer and an inlet concentration of a liquid tracer; removing a vapor sample downstream of said injection point; removing a liquid sample downstream of said injection point; measuring a concentration of vapor tracer in said vapor sample; measuring a concentration of liquid tracer in said liquid sample; determining the steam quality from the equation: ##EQU5## where: X s =said steam quality c 1 =said inlet concentration of liquid tracer L 1 =said concentration of liquid tracer in said liquid sample c 2 =said inlet concentration of vapor tracer V 2 =said concentration of vapor tracer in said vapor sample.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 46 words

The method as recited in claim 8 wherein: said liquid tracer is a chemical ion selected from the group consisting of bromide, nitrate, zinc, or cobalt, and; said vapor tracer is a chemical selected from the group consisting of ammonium ion, an aldehyde, or a ketone.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 145 words

Apparatus for determining the ratio of liquid to vapor in a multi-phasic flowing line of a multiple-line system served by a single generator, said apparatus comprising: means for injecting a tracer solution into the multi-phasic line at a pressure and temperature, at an injection point, said tracer solution containing an input concentration of liquid tracer and an input concentration of vapor tracer, said liquid tracer being a chemical which is substantially in a liquid phase at said pressure and temperature and said vapor tracer being a chemical which resides substantially in a vapor phase at said pressure and temperature; means for gathering a vapor sample downstream of said injection point; means for gathering a liquid sample downstream of said injection point; means for measuring a concentration of liquid tracer in said liquid sample; means for measuring a concentration of vapor tracer in said vapor sample.

Claim 13

Dependent Claim 145 words

Apparatus for determining the ratio of liquid to vapor in a multi-phasic flowing line of a multiple-line system served by a single generator, said apparatus comprising: means for injecting a tracer solution into the multi-phasic line at a pressure and temperature, at an injection point, said tracer solution containing an input concentration of liquid tracer and an input concentration of vapor tracer, said liquid tracer being a chemical which is substantially in a liquid phase at said pressure and temperature and said vapor tracer being a chemical which resides substantially in a vapor phase at said pressure and temperature; means for gathering a vapor sample downstream of said injection point; means for gathering a liquid sample downstream of said injection point; means for measuring a concentration of liquid tracer in said liquid sample; means for measuring a concentration of vapor tracer in said vapor sample.

Claim 14

Independent Claim 194 words

A method of determining the ratio of liquid to vapor plus liquid in a multi-phasic line of a multiple-line system served by a single generator, said method comprising: injecting a tracer solution into multi-phasic line at a pressure and a temperature, at an injection point, said tracer solution containing an inlet concentration of a vapor tracer and an inlet concentration of a liquid tracer, said liquid tracer being substantially in the liquid phase at said pressure and temperature and said vapor tracer being substantially in a vapor phase at said pressure and temperature; removing a vapor sample downstream of said injection point; removing a liquid sample downstream of said injection point; measuring the concentration of vapor tracer in said vapor sample; measuring the concentration of liquid tracer in said liquid sample; determining a ratio of liquid to liquid plus vapor in said multi-phasic line from the equation: ##EQU6## where: X=said ratio liquid to liquid plus vapor c 1 =said inlet concentration of liquid tracer L 1 =said concentration of liquid tracer in said liquid sample c 2 =said inlet concentration of vapor tracer V 2 =said concentration of vapor tracer in said vapor sample.

Claim 15

Independent Claim 194 words

A method of determining the ratio of liquid to vapor plus liquid in a multi-phasic line of a multiple-line system served by a single generator, said method comprising: injecting a tracer solution into multi-phasic line at a pressure and a temperature, at an injection point, said tracer solution containing an inlet concentration of a vapor tracer and an inlet concentration of a liquid tracer, said liquid tracer being substantially in the liquid phase at said pressure and temperature and said vapor tracer being substantially in a vapor phase at said pressure and temperature; removing a vapor sample downstream of said injection point; removing a liquid sample downstream of said injection point; measuring the concentration of vapor tracer in said vapor sample; measuring the concentration of liquid tracer in said liquid sample; determining a ratio of liquid to liquid plus vapor in said multi-phasic line from the equation: ##EQU6## where: X=said ratio liquid to liquid plus vapor c 1 =said inlet concentration of liquid tracer L 1 =said concentration of liquid tracer in said liquid sample c 2 =said inlet concentration of vapor tracer V 2 =said concentration of vapor tracer in said vapor sample.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 138 words

Apparatus for determining the quality of saturated steam in a steam line of a multiple-line system served by a single generator, said apparatus comprising: a tracer reservoir; a pump, said pump connected to said reservoir and to said steam line at an injection point; a vapor trap, said vapor trap located downstream of said injection point; a liquid trap, said liquid trap located downstream of said injection point; a liquid cooling means connected to said liquid trap; a vapor cooling and condensing means connected to said vapor trap; means for measuring a vapor concentration of ammonia, said means for measuring a vapor concentration of ammonia connected to said vapor cooling and condensing means; means for measuring a liquid concentration of copper ion, said means for measuring a liquid concentration of copper ion connected to said liquid cooling means.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 138 words

Apparatus for determining the quality of saturated steam in a steam line of a multiple-line system served by a single generator, said apparatus comprising: a tracer reservoir; a pump, said pump connected to said reservoir and to said steam line at an injection point; a vapor trap, said vapor trap located downstream of said injection point; a liquid trap, said liquid trap located downstream of said injection point; a liquid cooling means connected to said liquid trap; a vapor cooling and condensing means connected to said vapor trap; means for measuring a vapor concentration of ammonia, said means for measuring a vapor concentration of ammonia connected to said vapor cooling and condensing means; means for measuring a liquid concentration of copper ion, said means for measuring a liquid concentration of copper ion connected to said liquid cooling means.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1991-12-06	1992-06-06	1992-12-06	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1995-12-06	1996-06-06	1996-12-06	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1999-12-06	2000-06-06	2000-12-06	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Chemical tracer determination of steam quality

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