Claims
- 1. A sample conditioning assembly for separation and removal of entrained liquids from a gas sample derived from a fluid stream, said sample conditioning assembly configured to maintain the prevailing pressure and temperature conditions of the fluid stream, comprising:
a fluid conduit having first and second ends, said first end communicating with said process gas, said fluid conduit configured to direct a gas sample from said fluid stream; an insertion assembly comprising a phase separation membrane having first and second sides, said first side of said phase separation membrane configured to communicate with said gas sample in said fluid conduit, said phase separation membrane disposed in a transverse relationship with to said fluid conduit; a housing assembly configured to engage said insertion assembly; a pressure reduction means located in series relationship with said fluid conduit and downstream of said phase separation membrane, forming depressurized gas, said pressure reduction means positioned within said housing assembly such that heat from said fluid stream is transferred to said depressurized gas.
- 2. a method of conditioning a sample of gas derived from a fluid stream, comprising the steps of:
a. providing a fluid conduit having first and second ends, said first end of said fluid conduit communicating with said fluid stream; b. providing an insertion assembly comprising a phase separation membrane having first and second sides c. providing a housing in communication with said fluid stream, said housing configured to receive said insertion assembly; d. Inserting said insertion assembly into said housing; e. directing said sample of gas having liquid entrained therein to communicate with said phase separation membrane; f. allowing the passage of gas from said sample of gas through said phase separation membrane, providing filtered gas, while preventing the passage of entrained liquid from said sample of gas, coalescing said entrained liquid from said sample of gas, providing filtered gas.
- 3. The method of claim 2, wherein there is provided the additional step after step “e” of draining said coalesced liquid from the vicinity of said phase separation membrane.
- 4. The method of claim 3, wherein said coalesced liquid is drained into said fluid stream.
- 5. The method of claim 3, wherein there is provided the additional step after step “e” of analyzing said filtered gas.
- 6. The method of claim 3, wherein said fluid stream and said sample of gas has a temperature and a pressure, and wherein there is further included the step of maintaining said pressure and temperature of said sample of gas at the same temperature and pressure of said fluid stream.
- 7. The method of claim 6, wherein there is provided the additional step of providing a housing assembly comprising thermal insulation means, and wherein said housing assembly is configured to envelope said fluid conduit, said sample of gas, and said phase separation membrane so as to maintain said temperature of said sample of gas at the same temperature of said fluid stream.
- 8. The method of claim 3, wherein there is further provided containment means for containing said fluid stream, and wherein said fluid conduit, said phase separation membrane, and said drainage means is situated within said containment means.
- 9. The method of claim 3, wherein after step “e” there is provided the additional step of measuring the amount of coalesced liquid emanating from said drainage means.
- 10. The method of claim 3, wherein there is further provided the steps, after step “e” of:
I. obtaining a representative sample of fluid from said fluid stream, said representative sample containing both gas phase and entrained liquid phase matter in equal proportion to said fluid stream; ii. vaporizing said entrained liquid contained within said representative sample to a produce a homogenous vapor phase sample; and iii. analyzing said homogenous vapor phase sample, providing compositional data, and comparing same with said filtered gas analysis data, so as to discern differences therein.
- 11. The method of discerning the composition or amount of entrained fluid in a fluid stream containing vapor and entrained liquid, comprising the steps of:
a. obtaining a first representative sample of said fluid stream containing both vapor and entrained liquid in amounts representative of said fluid stream at prevailing temperature and pressure conditions; obtaining a second representative sample of gas in vapor phase from said fluid stream, under prevailing temperature and pressure conditions; c. vaporizing said entrained liquid in said first representative sample, while maintaining said vapor present in obtaining said first representative sample, so as to produce a homogeneous vapor phase sample; d. analyzing said second representative sample, providing vapor phase data on vapor in said fluid stream at prevailing pressure and temperature conditions; e. analyzing said homogenous vapor phase sample, obtaining homogenous vapor/liquid data on the composition of said fluid stream; f. comparing said vapor phase data and said vapor/liquid data, and discerning the differences thereof.
- 12. The method of claim 11, wherein in step “f” there is discerned the amount of entrained liquid present in said fluid stream.
- 13. The method of claim 12, wherein in step “f” there is discerned the composition of entrained liquid present in said fluid stream.
- 14. The method of claim 11, wherein in steps “d” and “e”, gas chromatography is utilized to perform the analysis.
- 15. The method of claim 11, wherein in step “f” there is discerned the presence or absence of entrained liquid in said fluid stream.
- 16. a method of restraining an inserted member during withdrawal from a housing, said housing being inserted in a pressurized fluid comprising the steps of:
a. Providing a first rod having a first end anchored in said member having the second end of said first rod protruding through a zig zag shaped slot formed in said housing; b. Forming said zig zag slot in a pattern consisting of a first vertical slot, a first horizontal slot and a second vertical slot, said second vertical slot extending a above and below said first horizontal slot; c. Providing a first fluid barrier between said member and said housing for isolation of said pressurized fluid from the atmosphere, said fluid barrier being actuated when said first rod's second end is level with or below said first horizontal slot; d. Providing a second fluid barrier between said pressurized fluid and the interior of said housing; e. Providing a means for venting pressurized fluid trapped between said first barrier and said second barrier; f. Providing a threaded nut engaged with male threads to exert a downward force upon said rod and said member.
- 17. The method of claim 16 wherein there is provided a second rod and a second zig zag slot pattern in said housing, each configured and positioned with the same relationship to said member and said housing as said first rod and said first zig zag slot.
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] The present application is a Divisional of U.S. Utility Application of Ser. No. 09/915,192 filed Jul. 25, 2001, which claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/221,335 filed Jul. 26, 2000, and is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/162,239, filed Sep. 28, 1998 entitled “System for Retrieving a Gas Phase Sample from a Gas Stream containing Entrained Liquid, and Sample Conditioner Assembly Therefore”, which application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/701,406, filed Aug. 22, 1996, entitled “Modular Sample Conditioning System.
Provisional Applications (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60221335 |
Jul 2000 |
US |
Divisions (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09915192 |
Jul 2001 |
US |
Child |
10408026 |
Apr 2003 |
US |
Parent |
09162239 |
Sep 1998 |
US |
Child |
10408026 |
Apr 2003 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
08701406 |
Aug 1996 |
US |
Child |
09162239 |
Sep 1998 |
US |