Gas measurement and analysis system
AssigneeElectronic Associates, Inc.
InventorJames F. Muldoon
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A gas measurement and analysis system having a gas chromatograph which converts a gas mixture from a source to a time varying continuous signal. This signal is sampled and converted to digital form by an analog to digital converter which provides a stream of amplitude dependent digital values at equally spaced time intervals. These sampled signals are applied to a rate of change estimator system which provides an accurate estimate of the time derivative of the sampled signal by means of recursive digital feedback. The output of the estimator system is applied to a processor.
Claims12
A system for on-line measurement and real-time analysis of a gas mixture from a gas source input comprising:
- (a) gas chromatograph means for converting said mixture from said gas source input to a continuous, time-varying signal which is a function of the concentration of the constituent gases emanating serially from the output of said chromatograph,
- (b) auto-ranging amplifier means for amplifying said time-varying signal over a dynamic voltage range,
- (c) analog-to-digital converter means for sampling said amplified time-varying signal to convert said signal to digital form as a sampled data signal,
- (d) on-line digital feedback means for providing an estimated rate of change of said sampled data signal, said feedback means including means for combining past time value signals with said sampled data signal for producing an area signal defined during a predetermined time period which area signal is proportional to the estimated rate of change signal thereby to perform differentiation and integration at the same time,
- (e) continuous detector means coupled to said sampled data signal and said digital feedback means for determining the relative amount of each constituent gas of said gas mixture,
- (f) on-line evaluation means responsive to said relative amount of each constituent gas and the time that said constituent gases emerged from said chromatograph for determining the correct chemical identity of each constituent gas of said gas mixture, and
- (g) on-line determination means responsive to said chemical identity of each constituent gas for determining the correct overall heating value of said gas mixture.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.