Patent Application
20180224357
Described below are various embodiments that relate to measurement devices that may detect chemicals and other compounds in a liquid sample at the source of the liquid sample.
The container 108 may enclose a cavitator 106 and may comprise materials known in the art such as metals, polymers, and the like. In an embodiment, the container may have openings, allowing liquid to pass freely through the container such that a continuous stream of liquid passes through the container and the cavitator. The openings may be on opposing ends.
The cavitator 106 may comprise a number of cavitation mechanisms. According to an embodiment, the cavitator may employ an impeller. In another embodiment, the cavitator may be, for example, a Berthelot tube, a centrifuge, or a Venturi device, a combination thereof, and/or the like. An embodiment may cavitate the sample by, for example, an acoustic field, a shock, mineralization, a traveling bubble cavitation, a combination thereof, and/or the like.
The cavitator 106 may generate a bubble of gas 110 within the liquid sample. The bubble of gas 110 may comprise a representation of gases and chemicals present in the liquid sample. For instance, the bubble of gas 110 may comprise oxygen, carbon dioxide, volatile organic compounds, nitrogen, and/or another gas or chemical.
The gas and chemical(s) in the bubble of gas 110 may be detected employing frequency-specific radiation 116. A radiation emitter 104 may generate and direct a frequency-specific radiation 116 through the bubble of gas 110. The frequency-specific radiation 116 may comprise electromagnetic radiation, including, but not limited to, microwaves, radio waves, infrared radiation, visible light, ultraviolet radiation, X-rays, gamma rays, and/or the like. In an embodiment, the frequency-specific radiation 116 may be infrared radiation. After a frequency-specific radiation 116 passes through a bubble of gas 110, it may become an absorption signal 114 that may have characteristics unique to the gas and chemicals present in the bubble of gas 110.
The frequency-specific radiation 116 may pass through a bubble of gas 110 and become an absorption signal 114. The absorption signal 114 may be received by a radiation detector 102. The radiation detector 102 may communicate the absorption signal 114 information to, for example, a signal processor (not shown). In an embodiment, the signal processor (not shown) may determine, based on the absorption signal 114 information, one or more of the chemical and gas components of the bubbles of gas 110.
In an embodiment, the signal processor may use Henry's Law to determine one or more chemical components in one or more bubbles of gas. Henry's Law describes the equilibrium between gas and liquid phase of the bubble of gas 110 based on physical parameters and concentrations in the bubble of gas 110. In an embodiment, the physical parameters may comprise temperature, salinity, a combination thereof and/or the like.
Henry's Law constant is a proportionality factor between the amount of dissolved gas and its partial pressure in a gas phase. Basically, Henry's Law states that at a constant temperature, the amount of a given gas dissolved in a given type of liquid is directly proportional to the partial pressure of the gas in equilibrium with the liquid. Thus, employing the absorption of the bubble of gas 110 measured in gas phase, the pressure of the liquid sample, and Henry's Law constant, Henry's Law may be applied to determine the concentration of one or more chemical components in the liquid sample.
If known samples are available, the Beer-Lambert Law may also be employed. The absorption signal 114 data of the liquid sample may be employed to verify signal matches and determine the concentration of the liquid sample from the absorption in gas phase.
In an embodiment where the cavitator is an impeller, the impeller may be reflective. In such embodiment, the absorption signal 114 may reflect off of the impeller and be directed to the radiation detector 102.
A frequency-specific radiation signal 314 may be directed from an emitter 306 to a bubble of gas 308. The frequency-specific radiation signal may pass through the bubble of gas 308 and emerge as an absorption signal 316. The absorption signal may reflect off of a reflective area 312 of impeller blade 302 producing a reflected signal 318. In an embodiment, the absorption signal 316 may be directed towards a radiation detector 314. The radiation detector 320 may communicate the absorption signal 316 data to a system processor 310. The system processor 310 may determine one or more chemical components of one or more bubble(s) of gas 308.
The cavitating measuring device 400 of
In an embodiment, the container 402 may fully enclose the cavitator, such that the liquid sample is static. A static liquid sample may be subjected to a cavitator within a cavitating measuring device 400.
In an embodiment, the container 402 may partially enclose a cavitator. A liquid sample may be dynamic as it is subjected to a cavitator within a cavitating measuring device 400. In an embodiment, a liquid sample 420 may be continuous. The liquid sample 420 may enter the apparatus 400 at one opening of the container 402. The cavitated liquid sample 422 may exit the apparatus 400 at a different opening of the container 402. In
The one or more bubbles of gas of the liquid sample may contain one or more chemical components. In an embodiment, the chemical component may comprise carbon dioxide.
Furthermore, the liquid sample may comprise any one of numerous types of liquids. For example, the liquid sample may comprise ocean water. The liquid sample may comprise pool water, municipal wastewater, power plant reactor water, discharge stream water, a combination thereof and/or the like. The liquid sample may comprise any other sources of liquid that may need to be processed or analyzed according to embodiments described herein.
While various embodiments have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example, and not limitation. It will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope. In fact, after reading the above description, it will be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art(s) how to implement alternative embodiments. Thus, the present embodiments should not be limited by any of the above described exemplary embodiments.
In addition, it should be understood that the figures and algorithms, which highlight the functionality and advantages of the present invention, are presented for example purposes only. The architecture of the present invention is sufficiently flexible and configurable, such that it may be utilized in ways other than that shown in the accompanying figures and algorithms. For example, the steps listed in any flowchart may be re-ordered or only optionally used in an embodiment.
It should be noted the terms “including” and “comprising” should be interpreted as meaning “including, but not limited to”.
In this specification, “a” and “an” and similar phrases are to be interpreted as “at least one” and “one or more.” References to “the,” “said,” and similar phrases should be interpreted as “the at least one”, “said at least one”, etc. References to “an” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment.
It is the applicant's intent that only claims that include the express language “means for” or “step for” be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112. Claims that do not expressly include the phrase “means for” or “step for” are not to be interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112.
The disclosure of this patent document incorporates material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, for the limited purposes required by law, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
Further, the purpose of the Abstract of the Disclosure is to enable the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially the scientists, engineers and practitioners in the art who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and essence of the technical disclosure of the application. The Abstract of the Disclosure is not intended to be limiting as to the scope in any way.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/447,395, filed Jan. 17, 2017, entitled “An apparatus for spectrophometric measurements of equilibrium-gas-phase chemistry created by cavitation,” which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62447395 | Jan 2017 | US |
