Method and apparatus for detecting gas
OwnerIrvin G. Burough, Robert O. Pellissier +1inventors
InventorsIrvin G. Burough, Robert O. Pellissier, Kenneth W. Johnson
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Abstract
An analyzer to detect a specific gas in the atmosphere by infrared absorption, having a porous tube surrounding an enclosed column of air, the porous tube having an average pore size to permit gas to diffuse through it quickly, and having within the tube an infrared source, an infrared detector and an optical filter that passes those portions of the infrared spectrum most strongly absorbed by the gas, the analyzer having a time base generator to pulse the infrared source and electronic means to measure the maximum and minimum signals from the detector and a meter to indicate the difference between the maximum and minimum as a measure of the amount of the gas in the column of air.
Claims19
A cell for use in an analyzer for a gas comprising:
- a hollow, porous, support element exposed directly to ambient air and enclosing an elongated column of air at ambient pressure into which ambient air may diffuse,
- a source of radiant energy positioned within said porous element at one end of said column and sealed within said porous element,
- a detector for said radiant energy sealed within said porous element and positioned at the end of said column opposite said source and to receive radiation from said source,
- an optical filter positioned between said source and said detector, said optical filter passing only radiation from said source that is strongly absorbed by said gas.
An analyzer for a gas comprising:
- a hollow, porous, support element exposed directly to ambient air and enclosing an elongated column of air at ambient pressure into which ambient air may diffuse,
- a source of radiant energy positioned within said porous element at one end of said column and sealed within said porous element,
- a detector for said radiant energy sealed within said porous element and positioned at the end of said column opposite said source and to receive radiation from said source,
- an optical filter positioned between said source and said detector, said optical filter passing only radiation from said source that is strongly absorbed by said gas,
- means to pulse said source electronically at predetermined intervals,
- means pulsed at the same intervals to detect a minimum signal from said detector,
- means pulsed at the same intervals to detect a maximum signal from said detector, and
- means to indicate the differences between said minimum signal and said maximum signal, said means calibrated to indicate the quantity of said gas in said column.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.