Patent ID: 7268355

Claim:
A UV fluorescence detection system for determining the sulfur dioxide content of a sample comprising: (a) an excimer lamp having a krypton-chloride excimer gas mixture therein; the excimer lamp comprising: (1) a quartz envelope, the quartz envelope comprising: (A) an exterior cylindrical portion having an exterior cylindrical surface and an interior cylindrical surface, (B) an interior cylindrical portion having an interior cylindrical surface and an exterior cylindrical surface, (C) an emission aperture at a remote end of the quartz envelope in sealed association with the exterior cylindrical portion and the interior cylindrical portion, the emission aperture is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the quartz envelope for transmitting photons there through, such that the interior cylindrical surface of the exterior cylindrical portion, the exterior cylindrical surface of the interior cylindrical portion and the emission aperture define a chamber for containing the krypton-chloride excimer gas mixture, (D) an inner electrode comprising a conductive solid metallic rod having effective contact with the interior cylindrical surface of the quartz envelope, and (E) an outer electrode comprising a conductive solid metallic housing having effective contact between the outer electrode and the exterior cylindrical surface of the quartz envelope, such that the quartz envelope is bounded on the interior cylindrical surface by the inner electrode and on the exterior cylindrical surface by the outer electrode, (b) an excitation source comprising the quartz envelope; (c) a fluorescence chamber for housing a sample of gas containing sulfur dioxide such that the excitation source is in communication with the chamber and having a fluorescence emission filter; (d) a light sensitive detector in operative association with the fluorescence filter of the fluorescence chamber; and (e) a device in communication with the light sensitive detector for determining the sulfur dioxide content of the sample in the fluorescence chamber.