Patent ID: 6464391
Filing Date: 2002-10-15
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
A heat release rate calorimeter providing a quantitative measure of combustion dynamics of a sample comprising:a. means for thermally decomposing said sample under anaerobic conditions to produce fuel gases; b. a furnace for combusting said fuel gases; c. a stream of inert gas for transporting said fuel gases to said furnace in the order in which said fuel gases were produced by said thermally decomposing sample; d. a tube for conducting said fuel gases from said thermal decomposing means to said furnace, said tube confining said gas stream and said fuel gases in substantial plug flow; e. means for inserting a measured amount of oxygen into said inert gas stream and said fuel gases prior to combustion in said furnace; f. means for collecting the gaseous effluent from said furnace; g. means for measuring the amount of oxygen present per unit time in said effluent; and, h. means for applying a mathematical transform to compute the heat release rate of said sample from said measured amount of oxygen inserted into said fuel gases and inert gas stream and the measurement of the amount of oxygen present per unit time in said effluent.