SYSTEM AND PROCESS FOR MEASURING THE CONCENTRATION OF A GAS IN A FLOWING STREAM OF GASES

Abstract: The system includes a light source (12), a light detector (18) and a probe (19). The probe includes two light pipes (20, 24) which can be located in the flowing stream of gases while light is transmitted through the light pipes. The light pipes are permeable to gas, and the detector senses the light which passes through the pipes and is attenuated by the gases in the pipes.

Description: SYSTEM AND PROCESS FOR MEASURING THE CONCENTRATION OF A GAS IN A FLOWING STREAM OF GASES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention concerns a system for determining the concen¬ tration of a particular gas in a flowing stream of gases. 2. Description of the Prior Art Energy is often produced by the combustion of fossil fuels, and the combustion process generates gases which are discharged through a stack to the atmosphere. The exhaust gases are normally a mixture of chemical compounds including, for example, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and other gases as well as solid particles. Regulatory agencies often require that no more than specified maximum quantities of the gases and particulates be discharged through the stack to the atmosphere. Consequently, to comply with such regulations, it is necessary to determine the concentration of particular gases in the stream of gases in the stack. British Patent 1,327,377 teaches a system for measuring the concentration of particulates in exhaust gases passing through a stack. The system includes a cylinder which can be mounted in the stack so that exhaust gases containing particulates flow through ports in the cylinder. At one end of the cylinder a lamp and a phqtocell are mounted, and at the other end is mounted a reflecting prism. In operation, light from the lamp travels through the cylinder and is reflected from the prism back to the photocell. During the passage of light through the cylinder, the particulates intercept part of the light beam thereby attenuating it. Consequently, the response of the photocell is used to determine the concentration of particulates in the gas. This system would be unsuitable for measuring the concentration of a particular gas for various reasons. For example, variability in the concentration of particles in the cylinder would introduce unpredictable variation in any measurement of light received by the photocell. Also, particles would build up inside the cylinder thereby introducing unpredictable variability in any measurement of received light. OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a system and process for determining the concentration of a particular gas in a flowing stream of gases accurately and efficiently. Another object of the present invention is to provide a system and process to measure the concentration of a particular gas in a stack utilizing a device mounted on only one side of the stack. Further objects and advantages of the present invention may be ascertained by reference to the specification and drawings which are offered by way of example and not in limitation of the invention which is defined by the claims and equivalents thereto. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure One is a side view of the preferred embodiment shown cut away. Figure Two is a cross section of the view shown in Figure One cut along line 2-2. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference to Figure One, the presently preferred embodiment includes a support frame 10 having mounted thereon a light source 12 coupled to a reflector 16 for collimating the light and directing it. As used herein, the word "light" includes infrared, visible, ultraviolet and other similar electromagnetic radiation. c - ■•: Also coupled to the support frame near the source 12 is a Detector 18 for detecting light from the source 12 and generating an electrical signal corresponding to the intensity thereof. Coupled to the detector 18 is a means, not shown, for receiving and processing the signal from the detector. Also coupled to the support frame 10 is a probe 19 which is shown inserted through the wall of a stack 21. The probe 19 includes an upper light pipe 20 and a lower light pipe 24. The light pipes 20 and 24 include cylinders having their interior surfaces formed of buffed metal. The upper light pipe 20 is located with its right end adjacent to the light source 12 so that the light colli ated by the reflector 16 is received by the right end of the light pipe 20 to travel through the light pipe from right to left according the arrows in Figure One. • At the left end of the Upper Light Pipe 20 there is a coupled an upper reflection means 26. The reflection means or mirror 26 includes a flat metal plate having its interior surface formed of buffed metal. Coupled to the lower side of the upper reflection means 26 is a lower reflection means or mirror 28 which, like the upper reflector means 26, is formed of buffed metal. The lower light pipe 24 is coupled at its left end to the right side of lower mirror 28. Thus, the upper and lower reflector _ means 26 and 28 form a gas-tight connection between the left ends of G" * r:_ ' the upper and lower light pipes 20 and 24. Also, the upper and lower reflector means 26 and 28 provide reflecting surfaces to reflect light from the left end of upper light pipe 20 downward into the lower light pipe 24 and therethrough. The right end of the lower light pipe 24 is coupled to the support frame adjacent to the detector 18 so that substantially all light leaving the right end of the light pipe 24 impinges upon the detector 18. Three ports 30 are formed in each side of each light pipes 20 and 24. Pieces of gas-permeable material 32 are affixed on the outside of the light pipes to permit the passage of gas but not particulate material through the ports 30. In practice, a preferable material for forming the permeable material 32 is porous stainless steel felt which we have found to permit the passage of gas while permitting no substantial particulate material to pass therethrough. Seal means including a cylinder 40 and a disk 42 are disposed in the right ends of each of the light pipes 20 and 24. In particular, each cylinder 40 has an open right end and is sealed closed on its left end by a disk 42. The cylinders 40 have raised portions 45 near their right ends so that the cylinders 40 can be inserted into the light pipes a predetermined distance until the raised portions contact the light pipes. Each cylinder 40 is sized to fit snugly inside a light pipe, and o-rings 41 cooperate with the cylinders and light pipes to aid sealing. Thus gas is prevented from leaving the right ends of the light pipes. With further reference to Figure One, there is shown a stand¬ ardization system coupled to the probe 19. The standardization system includes a conduit 43 connected in gas flow communication to the probe 19 at the junction of the mirrors 26 and 28. Near the left end of the probe 19 the conduit 43 is formed into a coil 44. The coil 44 is coupled to a conduit 46 which is substantially parallel to and adjacent to lower light pipe 24. The conduit 46 is coupled to a tee 48 which in turn is coupled to valves 50 and 54. Valve 50 is coupled to a source of gas 49, and valve 54 is coupled to a different source of gas 52. Turning to Figure Two, the probe is shown in cross section as it interrupts the stream of gas flowing through stack 21. The flow of gases is illustrated by arrows 70. Thus it can be seen that ports 30 are located so that the stream of gas does not impinge directly upon the gas permeable material 32. Rather, the ports 30 are located so that the flow of gas is substantially tangential to the material 32. Thus, particulate material travelling with the gas 70 does not tend to lodge in the gas permeable material 32 but passes by the gas permeable material with the effect that the mater al 32 is kept relatively clean while permitting gas to pass therethrough as shown by arrows 72. This advantageous location of the ports 32 can be described in that the ports are located so that a plane coincident with the ports in both light pipes would be substantially parallel to the direction of flow of the gases. In operation, the probe 19 is inserted into the stack 21 so that a stream of flowing gases passes around the probe 19. Gases permeate through the gas permeable material 32, thereby filling the light pipes 20 and 24 with gas which is the same as the gas in the stack 60 except that the gas within the light pipes 20 and 24 contains no substantial concentration of particulates. It should be understood that due to the location of the ports 30 the concentration of gases in the light pipes 20 and 24 rapidly becomes the same as the concentration of gases in the stack 60. Our testing has shown that it normally takes less than about 20 seconds for equilibrium to be achieved between the gas inside the stack and the gas inside the light pipes. More specifi¬ cally, in our tests when the gas in the stack changes concentration, the concentration of the gas in the pipes reaches 95% of its final value in less than about 20 seconds. The seals are disposed in the light pipes so that their raised portions 45 abut the ends of the pipes. Thus the disks 42 are located a predetermined distance from the right ends of the light pipes, and the column of gas contained in the light pipes between the disks 42 is a predetermined length which can be precisely controlled. The control of this length is critical because the absorption of light by the column of gas in the light pipes is directly dependent upon the length of the column of gas. Thus, the ability to control the length of the column of gas is directly related to the accuracy of the _ O.V.PI measurements obtained by the system. In practice, we have found that our disks 42 coupled to cylinders 40 provide an extremely accurate means of controlling the length of the column of gas. The light source 12 generates a beam of light which travels through the light pipes as shown by the arrows and impinges upon the detector 18. In practice, if it is desired to measure the concentra¬ tions of carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (Cθ£) for example, the light emitted by the source 12 should be in the infrared range. The disks 42 must be formed of a material which is transparent to the light generated by the source 12. For example, if infrared light is used, the disks 42 can be formed of sapphire. It can now be appreciated that the light travelling through the light pipes 20 and 24 travels a precisely controlled distance through the gas in the probe. That is, light travels between the disk 42 in the upper probe 20 to the reflector 26, and thence to the reflector 28 and thence to the disk 42 in the lower light pipe 24 while passing through the gas in the probe. This is true regardless of the existence of any scratches or other aberrations in the light pipes and regardless of the presence of any particulate material in the light pipes. On the other hand, if a system utilizing a single cylinder, such as that taught in British Patent 1,327,377 discussed above, were used to measure the concentration of gases, light could .be reflected from particulate material in the gas or from scratches or other aberrations without travelling a predetermined distance through the gas. Thus, the extent of absorption of the light would be dependent, in part, on these variable factors and therefore not completely predictable. This would lead to erroneous measurements of the concentration of gas. After the present system has been operating for some time, it may become necessary to perform a standardization operation to achieve the highest possible accuracy due to electronic drift and other factors. The first step in standardization includes flushing the probe with clean air from outside the stack. This is accomplished by opening the valve 50 and pumping air via pump 49 through conduit 43 into the probe. The air then flows outward through the ports 30 thereby filling the probe with clean air and dislodging any particulates which may be trapped in the permeable material 32. After clean air has filled the probe 19, air is still pumped into the probe 19 to keep it filled with clean air against the pressure of gas surrounding the probe. It is known that the concentration of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide is approximately zero, therefore measurements of these two gases are taken, and if they are not measured as zero the system is calibrated to zero. Thereafter, the valve 50 is closed and the valve 54 is opened so that a stream of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide of known concentration can be pumped into the probe 19 from container 52. The mixture of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide fills the probe 19, and the mixture of gases is continually pumped thereinto against the pressure of gases surrounding the probe 19. While the probe is filled with the mixture of gases of known concentration, the concentrations of the two gases are measured. If the measured concentrations do not equal the known concentrations, the system is adjusted. After the calibration and zeroing are completed, the system h'as been standardized. Valve 54.is then closed and the system can resume normal operation. It should be understood that during the determination of gas zero ratios and the upscale calibration check, it is important that the gas within the probe 19 be at substantially the same temperature as the gas in the stack 60. To accomplish this, the air from source 49 and gases from source 52 are passed through the coil 44 located near the left end of the probe 19. The coil 44 is located in the stream of gases flowing through the stack 60 so that the gases in the coil 40 are heated to substantially the same temperature as the gases in the stack.

Claims: WE CLAIM: 1. A system for measuring the concentration of a gas in a flowing stream of gases comprising: a. light generation means for generating a beam of light; b. light detection means for receiving the beam of light from said light generation means and generating a signal corres¬ ponding to the intensity of the received beam of light; c. a probe coupled to said light generation means and said light detection means for disposition in the flowing stream of gases, said probe including: i) two light pipes, the first light pipe having its first end adjacent said light generation means and its second end spaced apart from said light generation means, the second light pipe having its first end adjacent said light detection means and its second end adjacent the second end of the first light pipe; ii) reflection means coupled between the second ends of said light pipes to reflect light traveling through said first light pipe into said second light pipe and to provide gas-flow communication between said light pipes; iii) gas permeation means formed in at least one of said light pipes to permit gases to pass from said stream of flowing gases into the interior of said light pipes. 2. A system according to claim 1 further including seal means disposed inside said first and second light pipes to seal said light pipes and to permit precise control of the length of the column of gas in said pipes. 3. A system according to claim 2 wherein said seal means includes two plates sealingly connected one- inside each said light pipe, said plates being formed of material which is transparent to light generated by said light generation means. 4. A system according to claim 1 wherein said light pipes are substantially cylindrical and are disposed parallel to one another so that said probe can be located in a flowing stream of gases with one pipe above the other and the axes of both pipes perpendicular to the flow of gas. 5. A system according to claim 4 wherein said gas permeation means includes a plurality of ports formed in the sides of each light pipe and located so that a plane coincident with the ports in both light pipes would be substantially parallel to the direction of flow of the αases. C::PI ~ 6. A system according to claim 1 further including standardization means. 7. A system according to claim 6 wherein said standardization means includes " a conduit coupled in gas-flow communication with at least one of said light pipes and means to supply standardization gas to at least one of said light pipes via said conduit wherein said conduit is located adjacent said probe so that when said probe is located in a stream* of flowing gases the conduit and the standard¬ ization gas flowing therethrough are substantially the same temperature as the flowing gases. 8. . A process for measuring the concentration of a gas in a flowing stream of gases comprising: a) interposing a probe in the flowing stream of gas, said probe including, i) two cylindrical light pipes, disposed adjacent to and parallel to one another, ii) a reflector coupled between one end of one light pipe and the adjacent end of the other light pipe, b) introducing gases into the probe from the flowing stream of gases while preventing any substantial concentration of particulate matter from entering the probe; c) transmitting a beam of light through one light pipe so that the beam is attenuated by a selected gas in the pipe and is reflected through the other light pipe and attenuated by the selected gas therein; d) measuring the intensity of the light beam leaving the second light pipe.

Inventors: SHAFER HOWARD, SMITH VIGO, TYPPO PEKKA M
Applicants: MEASUREX CORP
Application year: 1980
Main classification: G01N21
IPC codes: G01N21