Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limited. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. The terms “mounted,” “connected,” and “coupled” are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mounting, connecting and coupling. Further, “connected” and “coupled” are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings, and can include electrical connections or couplings, whether direct or indirect. Finally, as described in subsequent paragraphs, the specific mechanical configurations illustrated in the drawings are intended to exemplify embodiments of the invention. Accordingly, other alternative mechanical configurations are possible, and fall within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
The present invention relates to a device and method of measuring a water soluble gas, such as chlorine dioxide in a solution, such as water. In one particular application, the device and method are particularly suited for measuring the gas in a solution having suspended solids, turbidity, and/or color. However, the device and method can be used to measure the concentration of gas contained in other solutions not having suspended solids, turbidity, and/or color.
Some embodiments of the present invention measure the gas indirectly by forcing the gas out of the solution and then measuring concentration of the gas driven out of the solution. In one particular embodiment, a gas release device is in communication with a gas monitoring device to indirectly measure the concentration of the gas in a solution. The gas release device is configured to cause the gas within the aqueous solution to transfer from the solution to an ambient gas phase. A chamber captures the released ambient gas and directs the released gas toward the gas monitoring device.
The devices and methods disclosed herein can be used to measure the concentration of many different water soluble gases. For example, the devices and methods disclosed herein can be used to measure chlorine dioxide, ozone, oxygen, ammonia, peracetic acid, and many other water soluble gases. Although the remaining disclosure will provide one or more examples referencing a specific gas, such as chlorine dioxide, the examples should not be construed to be limited for use with that type of gas only.
A schematic representation of one particular embodiment of the present invention is shown in
In the illustrated embodiment of
The solution 14 within the reservoir 18 also contains chlorine dioxide (or other water soluble gas). A source 22 of chlorine dioxide is coupled to the reservoir 18 or is in communication with the solution 14. Chlorine dioxide from the source 22 of chlorine dioxide can be selectively added to the reservoir 18 to maintain the concentration of chlorine dioxide within the solution 14. As illustrated, a pump 26 can be used to deliver the chlorine dioxide to the solution 14. However, in other embodiments, other devices can be used to deliver the chlorine to the solution 14 within the reservoir 18, such as one or more valves controlling a pressurized source of chlorine dioxide.
A controller 30 is coupled to the pump 26 to selectively operate the pump to allow or cause chlorine dioxide to be added to the solution 14. The controller can be substantially any type of controller; however, a WebMaster controller (sold by Walchem Corp. of Holliston, Mass., USA) has been found to work well in some embodiments. The controller generally causes the pump 26 to operate when the concentration of chlorine dioxide within the cleaning solution drops below a predetermined threshold value. The predetermined threshold value can have a variety of values depending upon the application of the solution, the load on the solution, the temperature of the solution, and the like.
In this embodiment, the concentration of the chlorine dioxide within the solution is determined by causing chlorine dioxide to depart from the solution 14 and then measuring the concentration or amount of chlorine dioxide gas that departed from the solution 14.
In the illustrated embodiment, the chamber 42 provides a convoluted or tortured pathway between the point where the solution is sprayed and the gas monitor 46. In this embodiment, the convoluted pathway is defined by a series of elbows which act as water/gas baffle plates. However, in other embodiments, other devices can be used to impede the solution from reaching the gas monitor 46.
The gas monitor 46 is coupled to the chlorine dioxide controller 30. Accordingly, the gas monitor 46 communicates the sensed concentration of chlorine dioxide to the controller 30, which then can compare the sensed concentration to predetermined threshold levels. If the concentration is below the threshold value, the controller 30 causes additional chlorine dioxide to be added to the solution 14.
The device shown in
The measured concentration of chlorine dioxide is communicated to the controller 30. The controller compares the measured concentration to predetermined threshold values. If the concentration is below the threshold value, the controller causes additional chlorine dioxide to be added to the solution 14. In the illustrated embodiment, the pump 26 operates to deliver the chlorine dioxide to the solution 14. The controller can cause a predetermined amount of chlorine dioxide to be delivered or it can cause the chlorine dioxide to be continuously delivered until the sensed amount of chlorine dioxide within the solution exceeds a threshold limit. The type of delivery and/or the amount of chlorine dioxide delivered can depend upon the interval at which the concentration is tested, the location at which chlorine dioxide is delivered to the solution, the load on the solution, and the like.
In other embodiments, other gas release devices can be used. For example, other gas release devices can include an impinger, a sonicator, a shaker, a mixer, a heater, a vacuum or Vacutainer® (trademark of Becton, Dickinson and Company), as well as other devices that result in the transfer of chlorine dioxide from solution into an ambient gas phase.
Although a syringe is illustrated and described, other devices or combination of devices able to extract and hold known volumes of fluid can be used. For example, substantially any sealable container can be used to contain the solution and separate the chlorine dioxide. For example, the solution could be placed in a sealed test tube and shaken. Then, a syringe with a needle could be used to capture the released gas. Additionally, a sample can be placed in a container under vacuum (i.e., Vacutainer) and the vacuum can cause the gas to release from the solution.
In the embodiment shown in
Solution drawn into the syringe: 10 ml
Air drawn into the syringe: 50 ml
Shake time: 5-10 seconds
Air displacement from syringe: 10 ml/sec.
Other sets of conditions can be used as well. The accuracy of measurements under other conditions can be determined experimentally and converted if needed by a determined conversion factor.
Experimental results relating to the embodiment shown in
Test results at various concentrations of chlorine dioxide are provided below:
As illustrated above, the amount of chlorine dioxide detected by the iTX peak reading is generally proportional to concentration of chlorine dioxide originally in the water. For example, the average iTX peak reading for the 0.05 average chlorine dioxide solution is generally five times greater than the average iTX peak reading for the 0.01 average chlorine dioxide solution. This proportional relationship generally holds true for all of the test data.
This control data can then be used to determine the exact correlation between the iTX peak reading and the actual concentration in the solution. Specifically, a graph or equation can be used to correlate the measured chlorine dioxide in the air to the amount originally in the solution. The original amount of chlorine dioxide in the solution can be determined by using the HACH DPD method.
Additional data was produced for the embodiment shown in
An aliquot of the ClO2 concentrate was introduced into 100 ml of 0.16% v/v tomato juice. A 10 ml aliquot of the ClO2 and juice mixture was aspirated by the 60 ml syringe. The syringe was held upright and 50 ml of air was drawn into the syringe. The contents of the syringe were shaken vigorously for 8 seconds. The outlet of the syringe was connected to the iTX via the cap and tubing. The barrel of the syringe was plunged as to displace the air from the syringe into the iTX at an approximate rate of 10 ml/sec. The peak reading of the iTX was recorded. Then the 10 ml aliquot left in the syringe was tested using the HACH pocket colorimeter using the DPD method.
The results of this experiment are shown below in Table 2.
The test results shown in Table 2 illustrate how unreliable the Hach DPD method and other colorimeter methods can be in the presence of solids, color, and turbidity. For example, in the first set of results (i.e., 0.25), the Hach DPD method appears to indicate that the amount of chlorine dioxide in the solution increased after testing, which is erroneous. This appears to illustrate that the color of the solution or the solids in the solution are interfering with the reading.
Using the iTX peak reading data and the control data discussed above, the actual concentration of chlorine dioxide in the solution can be determined (or at least closely approximated). Specifically, the reading acquired in Table 2 can be inserted into a graph or equation prepared from the control data to determine the actual concentration (or a close approximation) in the solution.
The embodiments described above and illustrated in the figures are presented by way of example only and are not intended as a limitation upon the concepts and principles of the present invention. As such, it will be appreciated by one having ordinary skill in the art that various changes in the elements and their configuration and arrangement are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, various alternatives to the certain features and elements of the present invention are described with reference to specific embodiments of the present invention. With the exception of features, elements, and manners of operation that are mutually exclusive of or are inconsistent with each embodiment described above, it should be noted that the alternative features, elements, and manners of operation described with reference to one particular embodiment are applicable to the other embodiments.
Various features of the invention are set forth in the following claims.