US5282379A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Volatile tracers for diagnostic use in steam generating systems
Assignee: Ecolab USA Inc
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Filing: 1992-04-03
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Granted: 1994-02-01
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Expires: 2012-04-03
Abstract
Abstract In a diagnostic method wherein steam condensate is evaluated, the proportion of condensate water from one steam source, versus other steam sources, is determined by adding at an addition point a tracer that is selectively carried over into the steam.
Inventors
- 👤 Scott R. Harder
- 👤 Claudia C. Pierce
- 👤 Brian F. Post
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 03:12
CPC Classifications
F; F24; F24H; F24H1/00; F01; F01K; F01K13/00; F01K13/003; C; C23; C23F; C23F11/00; C23F11/08; C23F11/10; C23F11/14; C23F11/141; G; G01; G01N; G01N31/00; G01N31/22; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T436/00; Y10T436/13
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
219 words
A method of identifying the proportion of steam condensate water from a given steam source in a condensate water sample from a steam-using system comprising: adding a tracer to a steam source of a steam-using system having condensate water at an addition point in known initial concentration (C I ); sampling the condensate water of said steam-using system at a sampling point; sensing a characteristic of said tracer in said condensate water sample that is proportional to the concentration of said tracer in said condensate water sample (C F ); converting said sensed characteristic to said C F value; determining the ratio of C F /(C I -C D ), wherein C D is the amount of said tracer decharacterized as to said characteristic in said system between said addition point and said sampling point, in terms of concentration of said tracer, wherein said tracer is a chemical species sufficiently selectively carried over into the steam of said steam source to provide a concentration C F sufficient to enable said sensing of said characteristic; wherein C D is less than C I ; and wherein said ratio of C F /(C I -C D ) is an indicator of the proportion of steam condensate water from a given steam source in a condensate water sample from a steam-using system.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
219 words
A method of identifying the proportion of steam condensate water from a given steam source in a condensate water sample from a steam-using system comprising: adding a tracer to a steam source of a steam-using system having condensate water at an addition point in known initial concentration (C I ); sampling the condensate water of said steam-using system at a sampling point; sensing a characteristic of said tracer in said condensate water sample that is proportional to the concentration of said tracer in said condensate water sample (C F ); converting said sensed characteristic to said C F value; determining the ratio of C F /(C I -C D ), wherein C D is the amount of said tracer decharacterized as to said characteristic in said system between said addition point and said sampling point, in terms of concentration of said tracer, wherein said tracer is a chemical species sufficiently selectively carried over into the steam of said steam source to provide a concentration C F sufficient to enable said sensing of said characteristic; wherein C D is less than C I ; and wherein said ratio of C F /(C I -C D ) is an indicator of the proportion of steam condensate water from a given steam source in a condensate water sample from a steam-using system.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said characteristic of said tracer is one of emissivity, absorbance, voltammetricity, or potentiometricity.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said system includes a water-containing water-feeder, a water-containing boiler, or a water-containing steam header, and said addition point is said water-feeder, said boiler or said steam header.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said tracer is fluorescent and the sensed characteristic of said tracer is said tracer's fluorescence emissivity.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said sensed characteristic of said tracer is its absorbance in the visible or ultraviolet wavelength ranges.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said steam-using system has a plurality of boilers, and said addition point is at one or more, but less than all, of said boilers.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said tracer is an N,N,N,N-tetra substituted phenylenediamine.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said tracer is N,N,N,N-tetramethyl phenylenediamine.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said tracer is a substituted quinoline.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
10 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said tracer is ethoxyquin.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
10 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said tracer is quinazoline.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said tracer is a substituted quinazoline.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1 wherein C I is monitored on a continuous basis.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 1 wherein said tracer has a vapor/liquid ratio of at least about 1.0.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
235 words
A method of determining the source of a substance in steam condensate waters wherein more than one source of steam contributes condensate to said steam condensate waters, comprising: adding a tracer to at least one, but less than all, of a plurality of sources of steam at an addition point in known initial concentration (C I ); wherein said plurality of sources of steam each contribute condensate to steam condensate waters; sampling said steam condensate waters at a sampling point; sensing a characteristic of said tracer in said steam condensate water sample that is proportional to the concentration of said tracer in said condensate water sample (C F ); converting said sensed characteristic to said C F value; determining the ratio of C F /(C I -C D ), wherein C D is the amount of said tracer decharacterized as to said characteristic between said addition point and said sampling point, in terms of concentration of said tracer. wherein said tracer is a chemical species sufficiently selectively carried over into the steam of said steam source to provide a concentration C F sufficient to enable said sensing of said characteristic; wherein C D is less than C I ; and wherein said ratio of C F /(C I -C D ) is an indicator of the proportion of steam condensate water from a given steam source in a condensate water sample from a steam-using system.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
235 words
A method of determining the source of a substance in steam condensate waters wherein more than one source of steam contributes condensate to said steam condensate waters, comprising: adding a tracer to at least one, but less than all, of a plurality of sources of steam at an addition point in known initial concentration (C I ); wherein said plurality of sources of steam each contribute condensate to steam condensate waters; sampling said steam condensate waters at a sampling point; sensing a characteristic of said tracer in said steam condensate water sample that is proportional to the concentration of said tracer in said condensate water sample (C F ); converting said sensed characteristic to said C F value; determining the ratio of C F /(C I -C D ), wherein C D is the amount of said tracer decharacterized as to said characteristic between said addition point and said sampling point, in terms of concentration of said tracer. wherein said tracer is a chemical species sufficiently selectively carried over into the steam of said steam source to provide a concentration C F sufficient to enable said sensing of said characteristic; wherein C D is less than C I ; and wherein said ratio of C F /(C I -C D ) is an indicator of the proportion of steam condensate water from a given steam source in a condensate water sample from a steam-using system.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of claim 15 wherein said characteristic of said tracer is one of emissivity, absorbance, voltammetricity, or potentiometricity.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 15 wherein said tracer is fluorescent and the sensed characteristic of said tracer is said tracer's fluorescence emissivity.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 15 wherein said sensed characteristic of said tracer is its absorbance in the visible or ultraviolet wavelength ranges.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
11 words
The method of claim 15 wherein said tracer is N,N,N,N-tetramethyl phenylenediamine.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
236 words
A method of identifying the proportion of steam condensate water from a given steam source in a condensate water sample from a steam-using system comprising: adding a tracer to a steam source of a steam-using system having condensate water at an addition point in known initial concentration (C I ); sampling the condensate water of said steam-using system at a sampling point; sensing a characteristic of said tracer in said condensate water sample that is proportional to the concentration of said tracer in said condensate water sample (C F ); converting said sensed characteristic to said C F value; determining the ratio of C F /(C I -C D ), wherein C D is the amount of said tracer decharacterized as to said characteristic in said system between said addition point and said sampling point, in terms of concentration of said tracer, wherein said tracer is a chemical species sufficiently selectively carried over into the steam of said steam source to provide a concentration C F sufficient to enable said sensing of said characteristic; wherein C D is less than C I ; wherein said ratio of C F /(C I -C D ) is an indicator of the proportion of steam condensate water from a given steam source in a condensate water sample from a steam-using system; and wherein said tracer is an N,N,N,N-tetra substituted phenylenediamine, a substituted quinoline, a quinazoline, or a substituted quinazoline.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
236 words
A method of identifying the proportion of steam condensate water from a given steam source in a condensate water sample from a steam-using system comprising: adding a tracer to a steam source of a steam-using system having condensate water at an addition point in known initial concentration (C I ); sampling the condensate water of said steam-using system at a sampling point; sensing a characteristic of said tracer in said condensate water sample that is proportional to the concentration of said tracer in said condensate water sample (C F ); converting said sensed characteristic to said C F value; determining the ratio of C F /(C I -C D ), wherein C D is the amount of said tracer decharacterized as to said characteristic in said system between said addition point and said sampling point, in terms of concentration of said tracer, wherein said tracer is a chemical species sufficiently selectively carried over into the steam of said steam source to provide a concentration C F sufficient to enable said sensing of said characteristic; wherein C D is less than C I ; wherein said ratio of C F /(C I -C D ) is an indicator of the proportion of steam condensate water from a given steam source in a condensate water sample from a steam-using system; and wherein said tracer is an N,N,N,N-tetra substituted phenylenediamine, a substituted quinoline, a quinazoline, or a substituted quinazoline.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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