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US 10,107,703 B2Granted
Method and process for determining gas content using transient pressure analysis
AssigneeInficon GmbH
InventorsChristian Berg, Martin Wüest
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A pressure step is applied to the interior of a compartment. A sensor which measures the pressure within compartment, in response of the prevailing pressure level, and the transient step response oscillation frequency is used to identify the gas or gas mixture present in the compartment.
Claims28
A method of measuring pressure of a gas or gas mixture in a compartment defining an interior volume the method comprising:
- measuring said pressure by a pressure sensor, applying, by an external pressure change device, to said compartment at least one step of pressure, and measuring by said pressure sensor the transient step response oscillation frequency of the pressure in said compartment to the applied pressure step as indicative of an identity of the gas or gas mixture in said compartment, wherein said sensor being configured to automatically measure for an interval longer than an interval of the transient step response, wherein the identity of the gas or gas mixture is determined based on:
- a measured pressure, pi within the interior volume when the at least one step of pressure initiates, a measured pressure within the interior volume when the at least one step of pressure terminates, and a measured temperature within the interior volume during the at least one step of pressure:
- and wherein the measured pressure within the interior volume when the at least one step of pressure terminates is used by a processor determining the identity of the gas or gas mixture as the measured pressure when a subsequent step of pressure is initiated.
An apparatus for measuring pressure in a compartment exposed to a pressure step change from an external pressure change device, comprising:
- a sensor measuring an averaged pressure level in said compartment, averaged over a predetermined time span, and generating a respective pressure level indicative signal;
- the sensor measuring a transient pressure step response oscillation frequency of the pressure in said compartment fTSR to the applied pressure step;
- processor for evaluating said fTSR to identify a gas or gas mixture disposed within the compartment, wherein the identity of the gas or gas mixture is determined based on:
- a measured pressure, pi within an interior volume of the compartment when the at least one step of pressure initiates, a measured pressure within the interior volume when the at least one step of pressure terminates, and a measured temperature within the interior volume during the at least one step of pressure;
- and wherein the measured pressure within the interior volume when the at least one step of pressure terminates is used by the processor identifying the gas or gas mixture as the measured pressure when the a subsequent step of pressure initiates.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.