INFRARED SPECTROPHOTOMETER EMPLOYING SWEEP DIFFRACTION GRATING

Abstract: Very generally, the gas analyzer (10) of the invention includes a source of infrared energy (12), a sample cell (14) for containing an analyte gas mixture positioned in the path of infrared energy, and a monochromator (26) including a movable diffraction grating (34) for producing a beam of infrared energy wherein the constituent wavelengths are spectrally separated. The device also includes a wide band interference filter (42) for transmitting a predetermined wavelength band spanning the characteristic absorption wavelength of each of a plurality of constituent gases in the analyte gas mixture. A detector (16) positioned to receive radiation passing through the filter (42) produces an electrical response related to the infrared energy impinging thereon. The monochromator (26) includes provision (38, 40) for moving the diffraction grating (34) to sequentially cause infrared energy of different wavelengths to impinge upon the detector (16), and for intermittently causing infrared energy directed toward the detector (16) from the source (12) to be blocked by the interference filter (42).

Description: INr ARED SPEC ΓROPHO IOMETER EMPLOYING SWEEP DIFΓRACIION GRATING ΠEID or HIE INVENTION 1 his invention i elates to mliaied gas analyzeis and nioie particulaily, to an lmpiovecl mfiaied gas analy/u capable ui high accutacy and fast lesponse, yet still lelatively low in cost Many types of mfiaied gas utilize an inhaied souice to produce and dnect mfiaied eneigy thiough an unknown gas mixtuie contained in a sample cell The eneigy passing thiough the sample cell is detected and electncal signals are pioduced lepiesentative theieof 1 hese signals aie piocessed to pioduce an output indicating the concentiation of one oi oie ol the constituents of the gas mixture in the sample cell Such gas analyzeis utilize the piinciple that vanous gases exhibit a substantial absoiption chaiactenstic at specific wavelengths in the mtiaied radiation spectrum A gas analyzer of this t\pe is shown and dcsciibed m U S Patent No 4013,260, McClatchie el t issued Maich 22 1977 and assigned to the assignee of the present invention Anothei type oi mil at eel gas analyzu is shown and clesciibed in U S Patent No 3953734 Dimeif issued Apnl 27 1976 and assigned to the United States of America In both oi the above cited patents and in similai t\pes of mfiared gas analyzeis the wavelength band of the beam oi mfiaied eneigy passing thiough the sample cell containing the unknown gas is changed peiioclically by the lntei position of one oi moie iilteis in the path of the light beam f\pιcally, each Filter passes only tadtation at a chaiactenstic absoiption wavelength band of a paiticular gas of mteiest Anothei llltei may also be used as a ieicience filtei at a wavelength band close to but not substantial ovei lapping the chaiactenstic absoiption wavelength band of any of the gases pies-.ni the sample cell Gas analyzers of the foregoing described type usually continuously reference the radiation detected at the characteristic bands to radiation detected at reference levels (i.e., a non-absorbed wavelength and a dark or totally blocked level). By doing so, the effect of so-called drift is minimized, and the effect of background noise is reduced. Drift can occur as a result of contamination on the windows in the sample cell which will attenuate the radiation passing therethrough and which could be interpreted erroneously as indicating the presence of the gas to be detected in the gas sample. Drift can also be caused by shifts in the output of the detector, inherent in many detector constructions, and temperature changes in the source of the infrared radiation. The process of correcting fo drift is sometimes referred to as span stabilization. One such analyzer is described in Passaro, el .//>, U.S. Patent No. 4,346,296. In this disclosure, an infrared source emits infrared radiation at relatively constant intensity over a relatively broad spectrum The infrared radiation from the source is interrupted periodical ly by a chopper wheel. After passing through the sample cell, the chopped infrared radiation is detected by respective detectors. In each case the radiation is Filtered by a narrow passband filter so that each detector is effectively sensitive only to the radiation of a particular narrow band of frequencies corresponding to a respective absorption frequency characteristic of one of the respective gases. The respective detection signals are thus systematically related to the concentration of each of the respective gases. Because of the chopper wheel, these signals are AC signals at the chopper wheel frequency The signals are then amplified, detected and Filtered to produce corresponding DC signals Gas analyzers that employ multiple filters, rotating filter wheels, and/or chopper wheels or the like require a number of relatively expensive components, are subject to failure as a consequence of rapidly rotating pans, and are relatively large in size. It is desirable to provide a gas analyzer design in which size, failure likelihood, and rapidly rotating parts are reduced or eliminated. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved infrared pectrophotometer for analyzing gases Anothei object of the invention is to ide improved gas analyzer which is ielatively low m cost Anothei ob]ect of the invention is to pro ide An improved gas analyzer which is ielatively smallei in si/e These and othei objects oi the invention will be undei stood moie particularly from the following descnption taken in connection with the accompanying diawings wheiem FIGURE 1 is a schematic diagi m of a gas analyzei constiucted in accordance with the invention Veiy geneially the gas analyze) of the invention includes a souice of infrared eneigy a sample cell foi containing an anahte gas mixture positioned in the path of fiaied eneigy and a monoehiometei including a movable difiiaction giating for producing a beam of mfiaied eneigy wheiem the constituent wavelengths are specti ally sepaiated The device also includes a wide band mteifeience filter for tiansmittmg a pi edetei mined w velength band spanning the chaiactenstic absorption wavelength of each of a pluiahtv of constituent gases in the analyte gas mixture A deteetoi positioned to leceive ladiation passing thiough the filtei produces an electrical iesponse i lated to the iniiaicd eneigy impinging thcieon The monoehiometei includes pro ision ioi mov mg the diffi action giating to sequentially cause mfiaied eneιg> of diifcitnt wavelengths to impinge upon the detector and for mtei ittently causing inflated eneigy diiected towaid the deteetoi from the souice to be blocked by the mteifeience iiltei Refenmg now to FIG I thcie is shown a dispeisive gas analyzei 10 including a souice 12 of mfiared encigv a sample cell 1 I a deteetoi 16 and a signal processor 18 1 he sample cell 14 contains a gas mixtuic to be aiialv/ed 1 lie gas mixtuie includes one oi moie gases of mteiest in the mixtuie Each oi the gases lias an absoiption chaiactenstic associated theicwitb a-, heiembelow descnbed Theinfrated eneigy produced by the souice 12 is eollmnπed bv a lens 20 beloie oassm-i through the sample cell 14. As the infrared energy passes through cell 14, the gas mixture absorbs a portion of such energy The gas mixture to be analyzed enters the sample cell 14 through an inlet port 22 and leaves the sample cell via an exit port 24. Prior art gas analyzers, as mentioned above, typically employ some type of means for modulating and separating the infrared energy, either before it passes through the sample cell or after it leaves the sample cell Such analyzers have typically included choppers, rotating filter wheels, and the like in order to provide the beam modulation and wavelength separation. I n the gas analyzer of the present invention, a monochrometer is employed, indicated generally at 26. The monochrometer contains an entrance mask 28 defining a slit 30 through which infrared energy indicated by the line 32 passes. A diffraction grating mirror 34 is positioned in the path of infrared energy entering the monochrometer 26 through the slit 30, and radiation is passed thereto by a collimating lens or mirror 33. The diffraction grating mirror 34 may be of any suitable construction, such as a higlily reflective planar mirror upon the reflecting surface of which has been photolithographecl a diffraction grating pattern The result is that the beam 32 of infrared energy is reflected and the beam is separated into its constituent wavelength spectra The resultant beam is shown passing via a focussing lens or mirror 35 and exiting the monochrometer 26 at 36 Typical monochrometers are provided with an exit mask defining an exit slit In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, however, such an exit slit is not employed for reasons set forth below. The grating mirror 34 is mounted on a pivot 38 and is mechanically coupled to a motor 40 which can rotate the mirror 34 on the pivot 38 Suitable synchronizing structure, not shown, for determining the position of the mirror is provided so that the mirror movement can be synchronized with the signal processor When movement of the diffraction grating is referred to herein, such phrase is intended to include any system in which the diffraction pattern is swept across the detector. 1 he beam 36 exiting the monoehiometei 26 passes thiough a wide band mteifercnee filtei 42 The mteifeience filtei 42 is selected to have a pass band which includes the mfiaied absoiption bands oi gases oi teiest to be analyzed, but which blocks wavelengths outside those ilhm the bandwidth of mteiest The size of the deteetoi 16 which may be a lead selemde deteetoi constructed in accordance with known pnoi art pnnciples is selected to be a width coπesponding to a nanow wavelength band of the eneigy ieilected by the diffraction minor 34 That is, the radiation lesponsiv e aiea ol t he cell 16 facing the wide band inteiference filtei 42 coiresponds to a nanow bandwidth within the total eneigy leflected by the miiioi 34 This obviates the need foi an exit slit m the monoehiometei 26 As the position of the diffraction giating mnioi 34 is va ed by the motor 40, the wavelength oi the light beam 16 seen by the deteetoi 16 will change 1 hus, the deteetoi 16 is capable of looking at a seiles oi wavelength bands within the light passing thiough the sample cell 14 At wavelength bands eon esponding to the absoiption wavelength chaiactenstic of a paiticulai gas of mteiest the output of the deteetoi ill veisely conespond to the amount of absoiption of inhaied energy at that wavelength The angles of the gi atmg ai e selected so that the deteetoi sees a bandwidth which coiiesponds to a gas of mteiest 1 his mfoimation is passed to the processing cncuit 18 to be suitablv, processed m accoidancc with well-known signal processing pnnciples utih/ed m gas Aeeoidmgly the need for a series of sepaiate nanow band filtei s is obviated The grating 34 is so mounted and onented that the motoi 40 may position the mn loi to penodιcall\ dnccl cnug\ at the deteetoi 16 which is beyond the pass band of the mteifeience filtei 42 When this ocelli no mfiaied eneigy passing through the sample cell 14 will be seen b the deteetoi 16 By periodically mtenupting the inhaied eneigy m this wav the need foi it choppei wheel oi similai type of shutter to produce a span stabilization signal is obv lated The advantages of the gas constitution desciibed above will become ieadily appaient to those skilled in the ΛI\ 1 he analvzci may be lowci m cost moie compact and moie leliable of operation Vaiious modifications of the invention in addition to those shown and desenbed above will become appaienl to those skilled in the ait and aie intended to fall within the scope ol the appended claims

Claims: WHAI IS CLAIMED IS 1 A gas analyzei compiling a souice ol mfiaied eneigy a sample cell foi containing an analyte gas mixtuie positioned in the path of mfiaied eneigy, a monoehiometei including a movable diffraction giating foi producing a beam of mfiaied eneigy wheiem the constituent wavelengths aie separated spectrally, a wide band mteifeience filtei foi transmitting a pi edetei mined wavelength band spanning the chaiactenstic absoiption wavelength of each of a plurality of constituent gases m the analyte gas mixtuie a deteetoi positioned to leceive radiation passing thiough said Filter to produce an electncal i espouse I elated to the mfiaied eneigy impinging theieon, said monoehiometei including provision foi moving said diffraction grating to sequentially cause mfiaied eneigy ol difleient wavelengths to impinge upon said detector and foi mteimittently causing mfiaied eneigy diiected towaid said detector fiom said source to be blocked by said mteifeience Filtei 2 An mfiaied gas analyzei accoichng to Claim 1 wheiem said diffraction giating comptises a diffraction giating muioi 3 A gas analyzei accoiding to Claim 1 wheiem the aiea of said detector which is lesponsive to mfiaied eneigy is selected to eonespond with a piedetennined bandwidth

Inventors: KURTZ JOSEPH JOHN, WILLIAMS KEVIN G, KURTZ, JOSEPH, JOHN, WILLIAMS, KEVIN G.
Applicants: ANDROS INC, ANDROS INCORPORATED
Application year: 2001
Main classification: G01J3
IPC codes: G01J3, G01N21