The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 24, 2007
Filed:
Oct. 29, 2004
James Servaites, Chicago, IL (US);
Serguei Zelepouga, Hoffman Estates, IL (US);
James Servaites, Chicago, IL (US);
Serguei Zelepouga, Hoffman Estates, IL (US);
Gas Technology Institute, Des Plaines, IL (US);
Abstract
A method and system for measuring heat energy of a combustible fluid in which light having wavelengths in the near-infrared is directed into a test cell containing the combustible fluid and portions of the light not absorbed by the combustible fluid and passing out of the cell are spatially dispersed by wavelength, forming a light spectrum that is projected onto a detector. The light spectrum is digitized and inputted into a data processing unit in which it is compared to the actual spectrum of the light source stored in the system to determine the absorbance spectrum of the combustible fluid. The system is spectrally calibrated by identifying known spectral features of the combustible gas absorbance spectrum. To correct for deviations in the original light source spectrum, a light source calibration system is employed. Upon determination of the absorbance spectrum of the combustible fluid, the heating value of the combustible fluid is determined by comparing the absorbance spectrum to a plurality of spectra located within an on-board database.