Patent ID: 6814854
Filing Date: 2004-11-09
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
A method for in situ detection of atomic hydrogen created in a carbon steel pipeline containing a moving process stream at pressures up to 3000 psi and temperatures up to 300Â° F., said method comprising:(a) providing a probe assembly including: a fluid-tight reservoir body containing a liquid electrolyte, a set of electrodes including a test specimen electrode comprising a metal through which atomic hydrogen can pass without being trapped, said test specimen electrode being mounted to said reservoir body and having an interior surface in contact with the electrolyte and an exterior surface exposed externally of said reservoir body, and a counter electrode mounted in said reservoir body in contact with the electrolyte, and electrical leads having first ends attached to said test specimen electrode and said counter electrode, respectively; (b) securing said probe assembly to a mounting assembly; (c) coupling said mounting assembly to the pipeline wall with said probe assembly positioned internally of the pipeline so that said exterior surface of said test specimen electrode is in contact with the process stream and said probe assembly is electrically insulated from the pipeline wall; (d) connecting electrical circuitry to second ends of said electrical leads accessed externally of the pipeline through said mounting assembly; and (e) using electrical circuitry (i) to ionize hydrogen atoms passing through said interior surface of said test specimen electrode from the process stream, (ii) to maintain a fixed potential between said test specimen electrode and said counter electrode thereby to create between said test specimen electrode and said counter electrode a current flow indicative of the number of hydrogen atoms in the process stream, and (iii) to measure the current flow.