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US 2006/0179918 A1Published application
Gas chromatograph and quartz crystal microbalance sensor apparatus
AssigneeHoneywell International Inc.
InventorJames Liu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) replaces the SAW device used in the gas chromatograph (GC) systems could result in better performance. The use of multiple vibration modes, variable vibration amplitude and overtones could make the sensor detector with self-temperature compensation capability, higher sensitivity and longer sensor life due to reduced aging rate.
Claims23
A sensor apparatus, comprising:
- a sensor comprising a gas chromatograph and a quartz crystal microbalance sensing element formed on a substrate;
- and
- a housing for maintaining said gas chromatograph and said quartz crystal microbalance sensing element, wherein said gas chromatograph and said quartz crystal microbalance sensing element utilize a vibration mode, a vibration amplitude, a temperature of said substrate and at least one overtone controlled quartz to absorb vapors exiting said gas chromatograph and wherein a sensitivity of said sensor is controlled by selecting said vibration mode, said vibration amplitude, said temperature of said substrate, and said at least one overtone controlled quartz during chromatographic operations associated with said sensor in order to achieve high-precision and low frequency measurements thereof.
A sensor apparatus, comprising:
- a sensor comprising a gas chromatograph and a quartz crystal microbalance sensing element;
- an oscillator associated with said sensor;
- sensor electronics associated with said sensor and said oscillator in order to control vibration modes, overtones and high amplitude fundamental frequencies associated with said sensor;
- a heater and cooler control circuit associated with said sensor, wherein said heater and cooler control circuit controls a substrate temperature associated with said sensor;
- and
- a housing for maintaining said gas chromatograph and said quartz crystal microbalance sensing element, wherein said gas chromatograph and said quartz crystal microbalance sensing element utilize at least one vibration mode, at least one vibration amplitude and overtones controlled quartz to absorb vapors exiting said gas chromatograph and wherein a sensitivity of said sensor is controlled by selecting said at least one vibration mode, said at least one vibration amplitude and said overtones controlled quarts during chromatographic operations associated with said sensor in order to achieve high-precision and low frequency measurements thereof.
3 more elements
A virtual acoustic wave sensor system, comprising:
- an acoustic wave sensor associated with an oscillator, wherein said acoustic wave sensor is excited by said oscillator in a fundamental mode comprising a plurality of successive overtones, wherein when acoustical vibration amplitudes thereof are varied, characteristics of said acoustic wave sensor are also modified, thereby permitting said acoustic wave sensor to function simultaneously according to a plurality of virtual acoustic wave modes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.