Apparatus for measuring thermal and other quantities of substances

A method of determining the sulphur content of a combustible substance comprising the steps of:

• (1) locating a sample of the material in a crucible within a pressure vessel;
• (2) locating a small quantity of a sulphur absorbing liquid within the vessel;
• (3) pressuring the vessel with a combustion supportive;
• (4) igniting the sample by means of an ignitor element;
• (5) washing down the inside of the vessel with a second liquid;
• and
• (6) passing the mixture of the two liquids past a radiation source and associated reading apparatus adapted to determine the sulphur content of the mixture, thereby gaining an indication of the sulphur content of the material.

A calorimeter comprising:

• a pressure vessel defining a combustion chamber and having a double wall to define a first flow path of predetermined volume around said combustion chamber;
• a removable closure cap for said combustion chamber, said closure cap located at a lower end of said pressure vessel and having bayonet locking threads for engagement with co-operant threads formed in said pressure vessel;
• an ignitor element adapted to fire a combustible material in said chamber;
• said ignitor element coupled to said closure cap;
• a feed conduit adapted to supply a combustion supportive fluid to said combustion chamber;
• temperature measuring means coupled to said pressure vessel;
• temperature loss control means having a second flow path therethrough surrounding and spaced apart from at least the major portion of said pressure vessel;
• said temperature loss control means permitting access to said cap;
• a tank for a controlled temperature liquid;
• means for circulating liquid through said first and second flow paths at the commencement of each use of the calorimeter to bring the pressure vessel and temperature loss control means to similar initial temperatures;
• and
• means for automatically locking and unlocking said cap and inserting and withdrawing said cap from said pressure vessel.

A method of determining the sulphur content of a combustible substance comprising the steps of:

• locating a sample of the material in a crucible within a pressure vessel;
• locating a small quantity of a sulphur absorbing liquid within the vessel;
• pressuring the vessel with a combustion supportive;
• igniting the sample by means of an ignitor element;
• washing down the inside of the vessel with a second liquid;
• and
• passing the mixture of the two liquids directly from the pressure vessel past a radiation source and associated reading apparatus adapted to determine the sulphur content of the mixture thereby determining the sulphur content of the material.

A calorimeter and sample supply system for sequentially introducing samples into the calorimeter comprising:

• a calorimeter pressure vessel leaving a downwardly depending opening for receiving a sample therein;
• a vertically movable sample inserting ram including an enclosure cap for said opening of said vessel;
• means for sequentially supplying samples to said ram and for actuating said ram to sequentially insert a sample upwardly into said vessel and securing said cap to said vessel for use of said calorimeter and subsequently remove the sample and supply the next sample to said vessel;
• and
• said supplying means includes a conveying means for moving a series of samples into the area of said ram for introduction into said vessel.