Method of and system for detecting the concentration of brine constituents

A brine concentration measurement system comprising:

• a container of sampled brine;
• a collection system;
• an aerosol generator fluidly coupled to the brine in the container and configured to generate an aerosol stream of the sampled brine directed at the collection system;
• and
• a handheld LIBS device configured to:
• direct pulsed laser beams to the aerosol stream for a given test at a location between the aerosol generator and the collection system to generate a plasma,
• detect and average intensity data for a reference element in the aerosol stream based on the generated plasma,
• detect and average intensity data for a target element in the aerosol stream based on the generated plasma in order to calculate the concentration of said target element in the sampled brine.

A method of detecting the concentration of lithium in a lithium brine, the method comprising:

• sampling the lithium brine into a container;
• using an aerosol generator to generate an aerosol stream of the sampled lithium brine in the container, said aerosol stream directed to a collection system;
• using a handheld LIBS device to:
• direct a laser beam to the aerosol stream at a location between the aerosol generator and the collection system to generate a plasma;
• analyzing the plasma to detect hydrogen intensity data;
• analyzing the plasma to detect lithium intensity data;
• and
• calculating the concentration of lithium in the brine based on a function including the ratio of the hydrogen intensity data and the lithium intensity data.

A lithium brine concentration measurement system comprising:

• a collection system;
• an aerosol generator fluidly coupled to lithium brine in a container and configured to generate an aerosol stream of the sampled lithium brine directed at the collection system;
• and
• a handheld LIBS device configured to:
• direct a laser beam to the aerosol stream at a location between the aerosol generator and the collection system to generate a plasma,
• detect intensity data for hydrogen in the aerosol stream,
• detect intensity data for lithium in the aerosol stream, and
• calculate the concentration of lithium in the sampled lithium brine using a function including the ratio of the lithium intensity data and hydrogen intensity data.

A brine concentration measurement system comprising:

• a nose section fluidly connectable to an aerosol generator itself fluidly coupled to a brine sample and configured to generate an aerosol stream of the brine;
• and
• a handheld LIBS device fitted to the nose section and configured to:
• direct a laser beam to the aerosol stream to generate a plasma,
• detect intensity data for a reference element in the aerosol stream based on the generated plasma, and
• detect intensity data for a target element in the aerosol stream based on the generated plasma in order to calculate the concentration of said target element in the sampled brine.

A spectroscopic method comprising:

• using a handheld LIBS device in the field to analyze alloys, ores, powders, and/or scrap;
• sampling a brine;
• using an aerosol generator to generate an aerosol stream of the sampled brine;
• using the handheld LIBS device to:
• direct a laser beam aimed at the aerosol stream to generate a plasma;
• and
• analyzing the plasma to detect intensity data of a reference element based on the generated plasma;
• analyzing the plasma to detect intensity data of a target element based on the generated plasma;
• and
• calculating the concentration of said target element in the brine based on the reference element intensity data and the target element intensity data.

A method of detecting the concentration of a target element in a brine, the method comprising:

• sampling the brine into a container;
• using an aerosol generator to generate an aerosol stream of the sampled brine in the container, said aerosol stream directed to a collection system;
• using a handheld LIBS device to:
• direct laser beams during a test to the aerosol stream at a location between the aerosol generator and the collection system to generate a plasma;
• analyzing the plasma to detect a reference element intensity data based on the generated plasma;
• analyzing the plasma to detect the intensity data of a target element based on the generated plasma;
• calculating the concentration of said target element in the brine based on the reference element intensity data and the intensity data for said target element;
• and
• generating the aerosol stream just before a first laser beam is directed to the aerosol stream and deenergizing the aerosol stream just after a last laser beam is directed to the aerosol stream during the test.

A method of detecting the concentration of lithium in a lithium brine, the method comprising:

• sampling the lithium brine into a container;
• using an aerosol generator to generate an aerosol stream of the sampled lithium brine in the container, said aerosol stream directed to a collection system;
• using a handheld LIBS device to:
• direct a laser beam to the aerosol stream at a location between the aerosol generator and the collection system to generate a plasma;
• analyzing the plasma to detect hydrogen or oxygen intensity data based on the generated plasma;
• analyzing the plasma to detect the intensity data of lithium based on the generated plasma;
• and
• calculating the concentration of lithium in the brine based on the hydrogen or oxygen intensity data and the intensity data for lithium.

A brine concentration measurement system comprising:

• a container of sampled brine;
• a collection system;
• an aerosol generator fluidly coupled to the brine in the container and configured to generate an aerosol stream of the sampled brine directed at the collection system;
• and
• a handheld LIBS device configured to:
• direct laser beams to the aerosol stream at a location between the aerosol generator and the collection system to generate a plasma,
• detect intensity data for a reference element in the aerosol stream based on the generated plasma,
• detect intensity data for a target element in the aerosol stream based on the generated plasma in order to calculate the concentration of said target element in the sampled brine;
• and
• a controller configured to generate the aerosol stream just before a first laser beam is directed to the aerosol stream and stop the aerosol stream just after a last laser beam is directed to the aerosol stream.

A lithium brine concentration measurement system comprising:

• a container of sampled lithium brine;
• a collection system;
• an aerosol generator fluidly coupled to the lithium brine in the container and configured to generate an aerosol stream of the sampled lithium brine directed at the collection system;
• and
• a handheld LIBS device configured to:
• direct a laser beam to the aerosol stream at a location between the aerosol generator and the collection system to generate a plasma,
• detect intensity data for hydrogen or oxygen in the aerosol stream based on the generated plasma, and
• detect intensity data for lithium in the aerosol stream based on the generated plasma in order to calculate the concentration of lithium in the sampled brine.