Thermo Fisher Scientific Gmbh

Other

Thermo Electron Corporation

Block Engineering, LLC

Jeffrey S Socha

Dieter Kita

Bryan A Marcotte

James H Grassi

Yongquan Li

Dirk Appel

Petros Amestis Kotidis

Erik R Deutsch

Hongke Ye

Kevin J Goohs

Alexander Mazurenko

Anish K Goyal

Robert D Bailey

A system and method are disclosed for gas sensing over a wide tunable wavelength range provided by one or more quantum cascade lasers. A laser beam is generated within the wide tunable wavelength range, which is given by the sum of the wavelength ranges from the individual lasers. Gas sensing or detection is achieved by obtaining an infrared absorption spectrum for a sample contained in one or more cells having different path lengths for the laser beam.

Quantum cascade laser (QCL) based gas sensing system and method

A particulate monitoring system includes a conduit in which to a pass a fluid sample from an input port to an output port. The particulate monitoring system receives a fluid sample inputted to the conduit through the input port. The fluid sample can include different sizes of particulate matter. The particulate monitoring system controls a flow of the fluid sample through the conduit to age the particulate matter. Gravitational forces cause a portion of the particulate matter in the fluid sample to fall into a basin as opposed to being exhausted through the output port, which is disposed at a vertically higher level of the conduit than the input port. Thus, the particulate monitoring system outputs a portion of the original particulate matter in the fluid sample (e.g., particulate matter that does not drop into the basin out due to gravity) for analysis.

Particulate matter monitor

Configurations herein include a novel process and apparatus for generating and maintaining sulfur trioxide gas. The generation system and process operate to provide sulfur trioxide calibration gas for calibrating sulfur trioxide detection devices. The system and process provides a known, concentration of sulfur trioxide gas via a heated catalyst, which enables accurate calibration of measurement equipment. The system functions in part by controlling temperature, amount of moisture, residence time, catalyst selection, diluting generated sulfur trioxide and by locating the sulfur trioxide generator at a point of injection of a sulfur trioxide detection system.

Generation of sulfur trioxide and sulfuric acid

A reaction chamber enables a reaction between received elemental mercury gas and an oxidizing agent gas. The reaction chamber includes a porous (or permeable) medium through which to pass the elemental mercury gas and the oxidizing agent gas. Passing of the elemental mercury gas and the oxidizing agent gas through the porous medium supports a number of useful functions. For example, the porous medium enhances mixing of the elemental mercury gas with the oxidizing agent gas to enhance a reaction. Also, the porous medium increases an amount of surface area in a reaction chamber on which reactions (e.g., heterogeneous surface reactions) can take place between the elemental mercury gas and the oxidizing agent gas to form oxidized mercury gas. Accordingly, the reaction chamber configured to include a porous medium enhances a conversion of elemental mercury gas into oxidized mercury gas.

Mercury monitoring system and reaction chamber for enhancing conversion of elemental mercury gas into oxidized mercury

Configurations herein include a novel process, system, etc., to measure a concentration of sulfur trioxide in a gas sample including sulfur trioxide, sulfur dioxide, and water. An example system can include an optical radiation source that generates an optical signal at a plurality of vibration-rotation transitions around at least one frequency selected from the group consisting of 1396.889 cm, 1396.908 cm, 1396.962 cm, 1397.003 cm, 1397.037 cm, 1397.047 cm, and 1397.052 cm. The optical signal is transmitted along an optical path through the gas sample. Based on adjusting a pressure of the gas sample, each of the plurality of vibration-rotation absorption transitions associated with the sulfur trioxide can be substantially isolated from interfering absorption by the sulfur dioxide and the water vapor in the gas sample. Based on a spectral analysis, the system generates a value indicative of a concentration of sulfur trioxide in the gas sample.

Measurement of sulfur trioxide via spectroscopy

According to example configurations herein, a system includes an inertial filter, a temperature controller, and analyzer. The inertial filter has multiple ports including a first port, a second port, and a third port. A sample gas flows between the first port and the third port of the inertial filter. The second port of the inertial filter outputs a portion of the gas flowing between the first port and the second port. The temperature controller controls a temperature of the inertial filter and/or the gas flowing through the inertial filter. The analyzer receives the portion of the gas flow outputted by the second port of the inertial filter and produces a value indicative of a concentration of sulfur trioxide in the portion of the gas flow.

Environmental control of fluid samples, calibration, and detection of concentration levels

An oxidized mercury converter utilizes a combination of heat, reduced pressure, and dilution when converting oxidized mercury in a gas sample into elemental mercury. The converter applies heat to a gas sample to thermally convert oxidized mercury within a gas sample into elemental mercury and an oxidizing component, and thereafter reduces the pressure of the gas sample to minimize combination of the elemental mercury with other oxidizing compounds present in the gas sample and/or with byproducts of the thermal conversion (e.g., the oxidizing components). The converter thus allows an accurate analysis of the total amount of mercury, both oxidized and elemental forms, present within a gas sample without the need to use consumable reagents in the mercury conversion process.

Method and apparatus for converting oxidized mercury into elemental mercury

A calibration assembly generates elemental mercury and oxidized mercury for calibrating components of a mercury monitoring system, including making necessary adjustments to efficiencies of a mercury compound converter and an elemental mercury detector. The calibrator generates an elemental mercury sample having a known elemental mercury concentration, [Hg]and combines an oxidizing component with the elemental mercury sample, thereby producing a reduced concentration of elemental mercury [Hg]within the sample. The calibrator measures the concentration of elemental mercury [Hg]within the sample and calculates a difference between the known elemental mercury concentration, [Hg]and the reduced concentration [Hg]. The difference between [Hg]and [Hg]is substantially equal to the concentration of oxidized mercury produced by the calibrator. The concentration of oxidized mercury can also be calculated as the difference between elemental mercury detected after passing a sample stream containing oxidized mercury through a channel which includes the converter and the reduced concentration [Hg]detected after passing the sample stream through a channel which bypasses the converter. By providing oxidized mercury at calculated concentrations, the calibrator allows a user to calibrate continuous emission monitoring systems for accurate response to both elemental mercury and oxidized mercury.

Mercury monitoring system and calibration

Disclosed are a system and method for monitoring total mercury within a gas sample in a substantially continuous manner and for calibrating for both elemental and oxidized mercury. A converter of the Continuous Emission Monitoring System (CEMS) receives a gas sample containing vaporized mercury from a probe. The converter converts oxidized mercury present within the gas sample into an elemental mercury component and an oxidizing component using thermal cracking. The converter also reduces the pressure of the gas sample to minimize recombination of the elemental mercury component with the oxidizing components. A mercury analyzer of the system receives the reduced pressure gas sample from the converter and detects the fluorescence of the elemental mercury within the sample. The mercury analyzer holds the gas sample at the reduced pressure to reduce an effect of fluorescence quenching on the fluorescence of the elemental mercury within the sample and provides substantially accurate measurement of the concentration of the elemental mercury in the gas sample.

Method and apparatus for monitoring mercury in a gas sample

An improved elemental mercury analyzer utilizes a fluorescence assembly in combination with a fluorescence quenching reduction mechanism to detect the concentration of elemental mercury within an emission gas sample, via fluorescence of the mercury within the gas sample, while minimizing fluorescence quenching of the gas sample. In one arrangement, the analyzer contains the emission gas sample under a vacuum or negative pressure while detecting fluorescence of the elemental mercury within the emission gas sample. By performing fluorescence detection of the emission gas sample at reduced pressure relative to the pressure of the as-sampled emission gas, the analyzer reduces the number of particle collisions within the emission gas sample over a certain period of time. Such collisional deactivation, and/or the addition of oxygen depleted gas such as nitrogen to the gas sample, reduces fluorescence quenching of the emission gas sample, improving accuracy of detection of mercury.

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Boylston, MA, United States of America

Jeffrey S Socha