Method and apparatus for monitoring port blockage for TDLAS measurements in harsh environments
AssigneeOnPoint Technologies, LLC
InventorsBernard P Masterson, Michael John Estes, Andrew D. Sappey
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) optical head includes a housing configured for attachment to a sight tube attached to a wall of a process chamber. The TDLAS optical head further includes optics within the housing for transmitting, receiving, or transmitting and receiving a laser beam within a process chamber through the sight tube. The TDLAS optical head further includes a photo sensor in the housing positioned to receive light emitted by combustion within the process chamber to which the housing is attached.
Claims19
A tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) optical head comprising:
- a housing configured for attachment to a sight tube attached to a wall of a process chamber;
- optics within the housing for transmitting, receiving, or transmitting and receiving a laser beam within the process chamber through the sight tube;
- a photo sensor in the housing positioned to receive light emitted by combustion within the process chamber to which the housing is attached;
- and
- a processor configured to analyze temporal history of emission signal generated by the photo sensor to determine blockage of the sight tube, and initiate clearing of the sight tube when the temporal history indicates blockage of the sight tube.
A tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) optical head comprising:
- a housing configured for attachment to a sight tube attached to a wall of a process chamber;
- optics within the housing for transmitting, receiving, or transmitting and receiving a laser beam within a process chamber through the sight tube;
- a photo sensor in the housing positioned to receive light emitted by combustion within the process chamber to which the housing is attached;
- and
- the TDLAS optical head being in electronic communication with a processor configured to control actuation of a port rodder configured to physically remove material collected in the sight tube.
A combustion system, comprising:
- a plurality of sight tubes within the wall of a process chamber;
- a plurality of tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) optical heads each including:
- a housing attached to a respective sight tube,
- optics within the housing for transmitting, receiving, or transmitting and receiving a laser beam within the process chamber through the sight tube to which the housing is attached, and
- a photo sensor in the housing positioned to receive light emitted by combustion within the process chamber;
- each of the TDLAS optical heads being in electronic communication with at least one processor configured to clear blockage of one or more of the plurality of sight tubes based on data from each of the photo sensors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.