# US 11,992,835 B2 · Distillation probes and methods for sampling and conditioning a fluid

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- Number: US 11,992,835 B2
- Document ID: US11992835B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/379,053
- Filed: 2021-07-19
- Published: 2022-02-10
- Granted: 2024-05-28
- Earliest claimed: 2020-08-04
- Assignees: Universal Analyzers, Inc.
- Applicants: Stevie Horton Smith; Gary Arthur Evans
- Inventors: Stevie Horton Smith; Gary Arthur Evans
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11992835B2

## CPC

- B01D 19/0057: {the centrifugal movement being caused by a vortex, e.g. using a cyclone, or by a tangential inlet}
- B01L 3/502: {with fluid transport, e.g. in multi-compartment structures}
- B01D 5/0006: {Coils or serpentines}
- B01D 5/0051: {Regulation processes; Control systems, e.g. valves}
- B01D 5/009: {Collecting, removing and/or treatment of the condensate}
- G01N 1/22: in the gaseous state {(specially adapted for biological material G01N33/497; measuring breath flow A61B5/087)}
- G01N 1/2202: {involving separation of sample components during sampling}
- B01L 2200/143: Quality control, feedback systems
- G01N 33/2823: {Raw oil, drilling fluid or polyphasic mixtures}
- G01N 2001/2285: {Details of probe structures}
- B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28)
- B01L: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
- G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q)

## Abstract

A distillation probe includes a conduit having a central axis. In addition, the distillation probe includes a baffle assembly disposed in the conduit. The baffle assembly includes a plurality of axially-spaced baffles positioned one-above-the-other in a stack within the conduit. Each baffle has a central axis and a radially outer surface. Each baffle includes a first recess disposed along the radially outer surface of the baffle and extending axially through the baffle. Further, each baffle includes a plurality of cooling conduits mounted to the conduit and positioned radially adjacent the conduit. The cooling conduits are configured to cool the conduit and the baffles.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A distillation probe, comprising:
a conduit having a central axis;
a baffle assembly disposed in the conduit, wherein the baffle assembly includes a plurality of axially-spaced baffles positioned one-above-the-other in a stack within the conduit, wherein each baffle has a central axis and a radially outer surface, and wherein each baffle comprises:
a first recess disposed along the radially outer surface of the baffle and extending axially through the baffle;
a plurality of cooling conduits mounted to the conduit and positioned radially adjacent the conduit, wherein the cooling conduits are configured to cool the conduit and the baffles.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The distillation probe of claim 1, further comprising a flexible cable;
wherein each baffle includes a first cable hole extending axially through the baffle; and
wherein the flexible cable extends axially through the first cable hole in each baffle.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The distillation probe of claim 2, wherein each baffle includes a second cable hole extending axially through the baffle, wherein the second cable hole is angularly spaced 180° apart from the first cable hole about the central axis of the baffle, and wherein the flexible cable extends axially through the first cable hole and the second cable hole of each baffle.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The distillation probe of claim 3, wherein each baffle comprises:
a third cable hole extending axially through the baffle;
a fourth cable hole extending axially through the baffle, wherein the fourth cable hole is angularly spaced 180° apart from the third cable hole about the central axis of the baffle.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The distillation probe of claim 4, wherein the third cable hole and the fourth cable hole are angularly spaced 45° from the first cable hole and the second cable hole, respectively, about the central axis of the baffle.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The distillation probe of claim 2, wherein the radially outer surface of each baffle is a convex cylindrical surface disposed at a radius Rb measured radially from the central axis of the baffle;
wherein the first cable hole of each baffle is disposed at a radius Rc measured radially from the central axis of the baffle;
wherein the radius Rc of each first cable hole is less than or equal to 50% of the radius Rb.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The distillation probe of claim 1, wherein the radially outer surface of each baffle is a convex cylindrical surface disposed at a radius Rb measured radially from the central axis of the baffle;
wherein the first recess of each baffle is defined by a concave cylindrical surface extending from a first end that intersects the convex cylindrical surface of the radially outer surface of the baffle and a second end that interests the convex cylindrical surface of the radially outer surface of the baffle.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The distillation probe of claim 7, wherein the first end of each first recess is angularly spaced from the second end of the first recess about the central axis of the corresponding baffle by an angle α that is greater than or equal to 60° and less than or equal to 120°.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The distillation probe of claim 7, wherein the concave cylindrical surface defining the first recess of each baffle has a radius of curvature Rs that is less than 75% of the outer radius Rb of the convex cylindrical surface of the corresponding baffle.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The distillation probe of claim 1, wherein the radially outer surface of each baffle is a convex cylindrical surface disposed at a radius Rb measured radially from the central axis of the baffle;
wherein the first recess of each baffle has a maximum radial depth D measured radially relative to the central axis of the baffle from a projection of the convex cylindrical surface of the baffle disposed at the radius Rb to the concave cylindrical surface of the baffle;
wherein the maximum radial depth D of the first recess of each baffle is less than 33% of the radius Rb of the corresponding baffle.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The distillation probe of claim 1, wherein each baffle further comprises a second recess disposed along the radially outer surface of the baffle and angularly spaced from the first recess of the baffle about the central axis of the baffle.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The distillation probe of claim 1, wherein each cooling conduit is a helical cooling coil disposed about the conduit.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The distillation probe of claim 1, wherein the radially outer surface of each baffle slidingly engages an inner surface of the conduit.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The distillation probe of claim 1, wherein the first recess of each baffle is angularly spaced relative to the first recess of each axially adjacent baffle about the central axis of the conduit.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

A fluid sampling system, comprising:
the distillation probe of claim 1;
wherein each baffle is a round, flat disc having a planar upper surface oriented perpendicular to the central axis of the baffle, a planar lower surface oriented perpendicular to the central axis of the baffle, and the radially outer surface extending axially from the upper surface to the lower surface, wherein the radially outer surface of each baffle is a convex cylindrical surface;
wherein the first recess of each baffle is angularly spaced relative to the first recess of each axially adjacent first recess about the central axis of the conduit in top view.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the plurality of baffles are such that the first recesses of the plurality of baffles are in a spiral arrangement.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, wherein the first recesses in each pair of axially adjacent baffles are out of alignment in top view.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the convex cylindrical surface of each baffle slidingly engages an inner cylindrical surface of the conduit.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the baffle assembly includes a flexible cable, wherein each baffle includes a plurality of cable holes extending axially from the upper surface to the lower surface, and wherein the flexible cable extends through at least one of the plurality of cables holes in each baffle.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the plurality of cooling conduits are circumferentially-spaced and extend axially along the conduit of the fluid separator.

### Claim 21 (depends on 15)

The system of claim 15, wherein the convex cylindrical surface of each baffle is disposed at a radius Rb measured radially from the central axis of the baffle;
wherein each cable hole is disposed at a radius Rc measured radially from the central axis of the corresponding baffle;
wherein the radius Rc of each cable hole is less than or equal to 50% of the radius Rb.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The system of claim 21, wherein the first recess of each baffle is defined by a concave cylindrical surface extending from the convex cylindrical surface, wherein the concave cylindrical surface defining each first recess has a radius of curvature Rs that is less than 75% of the outer radius Rb of the convex cylindrical surface of the corresponding baffle.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The system of claim 22, wherein the first recess of each baffle has a maximum radial depth D measured radially relative to the central axis of the baffle from a projection of the convex cylindrical surface of the baffle disposed at the radius Rb to the concave cylindrical surface of the baffle;
wherein the maximum radial depth D of the first recess of each baffle is less than 33% of the radius Rb of the corresponding baffle.