In-situ gas-measuring system for gas reactors with critical environments

Abstract

An in-situ gas-measuring system (1) includes an IR photon source (10) and an IR photon detector (11). The in-situ gas-measuring system (1) has an expansion chamber (12), at which an optical element (16, 16, 16) is arranged. A connection element (13) provides a detachable fluid-communicating connection of the expansion chamber (12) to a gas reaction chamber (2). The IR-photon source (10), the optical element (16, 16, 16) and the IR photon detector (11) define an optical measuring path, which extends through the expansion chamber (12). The installation and maintenance of the in-situ gas-measuring system (1) are reduced by the features of the in-situ gas-measuring system (1).

Claims

1. A gas-measuring system comprising: an IR photon source; an IR photon detector; an expansion chamber having an interior gas space; an optical element arrangement operatively connected with the expansion chamber and defining an optical measuring path which extends through the expansion chamber; a photon source waveguide connected to the optical element arrangement and operatively connecting the IR photon source to the interior gas space of the expansion chamber, wherein the photon source waveguide comprises a section of the optical measuring path and the IR photon detector is positioned outside of the interior gas space of the expansion chamber and arranged at a distance from the expansion chamber away from the expansion chamber; a photon detector waveguide connected to the optical element arrangement and operatively connecting the IR photon detector to the interior gas space of the expansion chamber wherein the photon detector waveguide comprises a section of the optical measuring path and the IR photon detector is positioned outside of the interior gas space of the expansion chamber and arranged at a distance from the expansion chamber from the expansion chamber; and a connection element detachably and fluid-communicatingly connecting the expansion chamber to a gas reaction chamber, whereby gas in the reaction chamber flows into the interior gas space of the expansion chamber and gas pressure in the interior gas space of the expansion chamber is equalized with gas pressure in the gas reaction chamber, wherein the IR photon source, the optical element and the IR photon detector define an optical measuring path, which extends through the expansion chamber.

2. A gas-measuring system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the waveguide is a sapphire waveguide.

3. A gas-measuring system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the optical element arrangement comprises first and second optical elements that are each arranged in the interior space of the expansion chamber.

4. A gas-measuring system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the optical element arrangement comprises first and second optical elements that are each arranged in a wall of the expansion chamber.

5. A gas-measuring system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the optical element arrangement comprises an optical element that is arranged at an end of each waveguide.

6. A gas-measuring system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the optical element arrangement comprises a convergent lens or a concave mirror or a collimator lens or any combination of a convergent lens, a concave mirror and a collimator lens.

7. A gas-measuring system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a closing element configured to block the fluid-communicating connection between the expansion chamber and a gas reaction chamber.

8. A gas-measuring system in accordance with claim 7, wherein the closing element is integrated into the connection element.

9. A gas-measuring system in accordance with claim 7, wherein the expansion chamber and the connection element are configured separately, wherein the closing element is integrated into the connection element.

10. A gas-measuring system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the expansion chamber has an expansion chamber closing element.

11. A gas-measuring system in accordance with claim 7, wherein the expansion chamber has an expansion chamber closing element containing expansion chamber gas within the expansion chamber such that expansion chamber gas remains in the expansion chamber upon detachably disconnecting the connection element from the gas reaction chamber to isolate the expansion chamber from the gas reaction chamber and from an environment.

12. A gas-measuring system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a closing element configured to block the fluid-communicating connection between the expansion chamber and a gas reaction chamber and configured to contain expansion chamber gas within the expansion chamber such that expansion chamber gas that had entered from the gas reaction chamber remains in the expansion chamber upon detachably disconnecting the connection element from the gas reaction chamber to isolate the expansion chamber from the gas reaction chamber and from an expansion chamber environment.

13. A gas-measuring system in accordance with claim 1, wherein: the optical element arrangement comprises a first optical element arranged in a wall of the expansion chamber and a second optical element arranged in a wall of the expansion chamber; the first optical element is arranged at an end of the photon source waveguide and the second optical element is arranged at an end of the photon detector waveguide; and the first and second optical elements comprise a convergent lens or a concave mirror or a collimator lens or any combination of a convergent lens, a concave mirror and a collimator lens.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the in-situ gas-measuring system at a gas reaction chamber;

(3) FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an in-situ gas-measuring system with waveguides; and

(4) FIG. 3a is a schematic view of the interior space of an expansion chamber of a first alternative embodiment;

(5) FIG. 3b is a schematic view of the interior space of an expansion chamber of another alternative embodiment; and

(6) FIG. 3c is a schematic view of the interior space of an expansion chamber of another alternative embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(7) Referring to the drawings the in-situ gas-measuring system is referenced in its entirety with the reference number 1.

(8) FIG. 1 shows an in-situ gas-measuring system 1, which is arranged at a gas reaction chamber 2. The in-situ gas-measuring system 1 comprises an expansion chamber 12, which is detachably connected to the gas reaction chamber 2 by means of a connection element 13. Further, the in-situ gas-measuring system 1 comprises an IR photon source 10 and an IR photon detector 11. The IR photon source 10 emits infrared radiation into the expansion chamber 12. The IR photon detector 11 collects the emitted infrared radiation, which is passed through the expansion chamber 12 and to the gas located in the expansion chamber 12. The infrared radiation is thus transmitted by the IR photon source 10 through the expansion chamber 12 to the IR photon detector 11. In this case, the expansion chamber 12 has the same gas atmosphere as the gas reaction chamber 2. The gas composition or gas concentration in the gas reaction chamber 2 can thus be determined directly by means of the measurement.

(9) The measurement of the gases thereby takes place in-situ, so that a delay-free measurement is made possible. In this case, an optical element 16, which focuses the infrared radiation emitted by the IR photon source 10 to the IR photon detector 11, is provided at the expansion chamber 12. The IR photon source 10, the optical element 16 and the IR photon detector 11 define an optical measuring path through the expansion chamber 12.

(10) According to FIG. 2, the IR photon source and the IR photon detector 11 may be connected to the expansion chamber 12 via waveguides 14. In this connection, the IR photon source 10 transmits the infrared radiation through one of the waveguides 14 into the expansion chamber 12. An additional waveguide 14 transmits the infrared radiation being released from the expansion chamber 12 to the IR photon detector 11. The IR photon source 10 and the IR photon detector 11 may in this case be arranged spaced apart from the expansion chamber 12 and thus also from the gas reaction chamber 2. Vibrations and temperature fluctuations and high or low temperatures, which originate from the gas reaction chamber 2, thus cannot influence the measurement and the emission of the photons. The IR photon source 10 and the IR photon detector 11 may be arranged at a safe distance from the gas reaction chamber 2 by means of the waveguides 14.

(11) In this case, the waveguides 14 are made of sapphire. Due to the material of the waveguides 14, the waveguides 14 may also be used in gas reaction chambers that emit high temperatures. Further, sapphire has the advantage that sapphire is transmissive for infrared radiation.

(12) The expansion chamber 12 is further detachably connected to the connection element 13. In this case , the connection element 13 comprises a closing element 15, which can block the fluid-communicating connection between the expansion chamber 12 and the gas reaction chamber 2. In this way, the fluid-communicating connection between the expansion chamber 12 and the gas reaction chamber 2 can be cut, so that no more gas reaches the expansion chamber 12 from the gas reaction chamber. The expansion chamber 12 may be separated from the connection element 13 with the closing element 15 closed, so that the interior space 120 of the expansion chamber 12 can be cleaned. Further, an expansion chamber 12 can be replaced in this way.

(13) FIGS. 3a, 3b and 3c show an interior space 120 of an expansion chamber 12. In a first alternative embodiment according to FIG. 3a an optical element 16 is arranged within the expansion chamber 12 in the interior space 120. The expansion chamber 12 additionally comprises openings 121. The openings 121 are used to introduce the infrared radiation of the IR photon source 10 into the expansion chamber 12 and to enable the IR photon detector 11 to detect the infrared radiation in the expansion chamber 12. The openings 121 are thus used to guide the infrared radiation through the expansion chamber 12 or through the interior space 120 of the expansion chamber 12.

(14) With the alternative embodiment of FIG. 3a, the optical element 16 is arranged such that it focuses the infrared radiation that is emitted by the IR photon source 10 into the opening 121, which is associated with the IR photon detector 11. The openings 121 may in this case be connected via waveguides 14 to the IR photon detector 11 or the IR photon source 10. As an alternative, the IR photon source 10 and the IR photon detector 11 may be arranged directly behind the openings 121. The IR photon detector 11 and the IR photon source 10 are arranged directly at the expansion chamber 12 in the alternative according to FIG. 3a. Further, the openings 121 are arranged in the wall of the expansion chamber 12 on opposite sides. The measuring path is consequently defined as beginning at the IR photon source 10 through the one opening 121, the expansion chamber 12 and the optical element 16 to the second opening 121 and as ending at the IR photon detector 11. In this case, the optical element 16 may be a convergent lens.

(15) In an alternative embodiment according to FIG. 3b, the optical element 16 may be configured as a concave mirror or as another reflective element. In this embodiment, the openings 121 are arranged such that infrared radiation which is guided from the one opening 121 to the optical element 16 is guided from the optical element 16 into the other opening 121. In this case, the optical element 16 is configured as a concave mirror. The IR photon source 10 and the IR photon detector 11 may be arranged directly at the expansion chamber behind the openings 121 in this embodiment as well. As an alternative, the IR photon source 10 and the IR photon detector 11 may be connected to the openings 121 via waveguides 14.

(16) In this embodiment, the expansion chamber 12 comprises an expansion chamber closing element 15. The detachment of the expansion chamber 12 from the gas reaction chamber 2 is thus simplified. Further, gas, which can be further measured at a later time at another site, may remain in the expansion chamber 12.

(17) In another alternative embodiment according to FIG. 3c, a first optical element 16 and a second optical element 16 are provided. In this case, the optical elements 16, 16 are arranged in the wall of the expansion chamber 12. They may be configured as collimator lenses. Infrared radiation, which is introduced from outside through the optical elements 16, 16 into the expansion chamber 12, passes through the interior space 120 of the expansion chamber 12 as collimated infrared radiation, i.e., with parallel beams. This has the advantage that the circulation of gas in the interior space 120 of the expansion chamber 12 is not changed by an optical element 16, which is placed in the interior space 120 of the expansion chamber 12. Hence, the gas composition in the expansion chamber 12 corresponds to the gas composition in the gas reaction chamber 2. Changes, which may occur due to disturbed flow conditions, are thus avoided.

(18) The present invention thus avoids the installation of multistage pumping and filtering units, which transport filtered and cooled gas to the gas-warning devices.

(19) While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.