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US 11,079,316 B2Granted
Intrinsically safe spectroscopic analyzer
AssigneeSpectraSensors, Inc.
InventorsKeith Benjamin Helbley, Juergen Dessecker, Harald Mueller, Nikolai Fink, William Boyle, Peter Dorn, Paulo Silva
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A laser spectrometer can be operated for analysis of one or more analytes present in a combustible gas mixture. The spectrometer can include one or more features that enable intrinsically safe operation. In other words, electrical, electronic, thermal, and/or optical energy sources can be limited within an hazardous are of the spectrometer where it is possible for an explosive gas mixture to exist. Methods, systems, articles and the like are described.
Claims23
A method comprising:
- operating a laser spectrometer for analysis of one or more analytes present in a mixture containing at least one combustible gas, the operating including providing electrical power to a plurality of components and optical power from a laser to a volume of the mixture, at least one of the plurality of components residing in a hazardous area of the spectrometer that contains the mixture and that does not include at least one explosion mitigating structure, and a protecting circuit portion of the at least one of the plurality of components residing in a non-hazardous area of the spectrometer;
- limiting an optical power, electrical, electronic, or thermal ignition-causing parameter to the hazardous area to less than a safety threshold using the protecting circuit portion to prevent occurrence of an ignition energy sufficient to ignite the combustible gas mixture, the optical power, electrical, electronic, and/or thermal ignition-causing parameter comprising one or more of the optical power delivered from the laser to the volume of the mixture, an amount of particles exposed to radiation from the laser, a current provided to the hazardous area, a voltage provided to the hazardous area, a temperature of the hazardous area, and a stored energy of the hazardous area;
- providing a worst case specification for the optical power emitted from the laser;
- and
- turning off the laser when the operating conditions, including optical power measurement, indicate that the optical power from the laser will exceed the safe limits as set forth in the worst case specification.
2 more elements
A computer program product comprising a non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one programmable processor, cause the at least one programmable processor to perform operations comprising:
- operating a laser spectrometer for analysis of one or more analytes present in a mixture containing at least one combustible gas, the operating including providing electrical power to a plurality of components and optical power from a laser to a volume of the mixture, at least one of the plurality of components residing in a hazardous area of the spectrometer that contains the mixture and that does not include at least one explosion mitigating structure, and a protecting circuit portion of the at least one of the plurality of components residing in a non-hazardous area of the spectrometer;
- wherein the laser is enclosed in a particle excluding enclosure;
- monitoring a status of an optical power, electrical, electronic, or thermal ignition-causing parameter in or applied into the hazardous area via the protecting circuit portion residing in the non-hazardous area, the optical power, electrical, electronic, and/or thermal ignition-causing parameter comprising one or more of the optical power delivered from the laser to the volume of the mixture, an amount of particles exposed to radiation from the laser a current provided to the hazardous area, a voltage provided to the hazardous area, a temperature of the hazardous area, and a stored energy of the hazardous area;
- limiting the optical power, electrical, electronic, and/or thermal ignition-causing parameter of the hazardous area to less than a safety threshold using the protecting circuit portion to prevent occurrence of an ignition energy sufficient to ignite the combustible gas mixture, the protecting circuit portion comprising protecting circuitry configured to receive an initial current from a power source of the laser spectrometer, the protecting circuit portion configured to limit the optical power, electrical, electronic, and/or thermal ignition-causing parameter provided to the hazardous area;
- providing a worst case specification for the optical power emitted from the laser;
- and
- turning off the laser when the operating conditions, including optical power measurement, indicate that the optical power from the laser will exceed the safe limits as set forth in the worst case specification.
4 more elements
A laser spectrometer comprising:
- an enclosed hazardous area configured to contain a potentially combustible gas mixture to allow analysis of one or more analytes present in the combustible gas mixture;
- a plurality of components including a hazardous area of at least one of the plurality of components residing in the enclosed hazardous area that contains the combustible gas mixture and that does not include at least one explosion mitigating device, and a protecting circuit portion of the at least one of the plurality of components residing in a non-hazardous area of the spectrometer;
- wherein a laser of the spectrometer is enclosed in a particle excluding enclosure;
- and
- electrical hardware configured to perform operations including:
- limiting an optical power, electrical, electronic, and/or thermal ignition-causing parameter of the hazardous area to less than a safety threshold using the protecting circuit portion to prevent occurrence of an ignition energy sufficient to ignite the combustible gas mixture, the optical power, electrical, electronic, and/or thermal ignition-causing parameter comprising one or more of the optical power delivered from the laser to the volume of the mixture, an amount of particles exposed to radiation from the laser a current provided to the hazardous area, a voltage provided to the hazardous area, a temperature of the hazardous area, and a stored energy of the hazardous area;
- providing a worst case specification for the optical power emitted from the laser;
- and
- turning off the laser when the operating conditions, including optical power measurements, indicate that the optical power from the laser will exceed the safe limits as set forth in the worst case specification.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.