Automatic titration analysis apparatus

Automatic titration analysis apparatus, comprising:

• a sampling mechanism for capturing a predescribed quantity of a sample for analysis in accordance with a first signal and dispensing said sample, said sample having a density,
• said sampling mechanism including a sample supply container, a pipe line, a circulating pump for recirculating said sample within said pipeline, an overflow cell connected to both a discharge outlet of said circulating pump and an inlet of said sample supply container through said pipe line, and a metering pump drawing a predescribed quantity of said sample from said overflow cell and dispensing said sample to an analysis vessel;
• a titration mechanism for titrating a predescribed quantity of one of two reagents for analysis of said sample and providing a titer according to second signals,
• said titration mechanism including two reservoir tanks and two respective titration burettes for said two reagents, one of said reagents being sodium hydroxide or sodium carbonate and the other of said reagents being potassium permanganate;
• an analysis mechanism for receiving said sample dispensed by said sampling mechanism, analyzing said thus-dispensed sample, and converting a change in the physical properties of said sample caused by titration into an electrical quantity,
• said analysis mechanism including
• a vessel receiving said sample from said sampling mechanism and said reagents from said titration mechanism;
• a mechanism for supplying a diluent to dilute said sample which comprises a diluent feed pipe a valve disposed therein,
• a level-controlling switch for controlling liquid level within said vessel between two predetermined levels and for controlling the diluent so that it is supplied in predescribed quantities,
• an electrode situated in said vessel for measuring pH of said sample and thereby measuring concentration of H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 or Cu in said sample when titrated with the sodium carbonate or sodium hydroxide reagent,
• an electrode situated in said vessel for measuring oxidation-reduction of said sample and thereby measuring concentration of H.sub.2 O.sub.2 in said sample when titrated with the potassium permanganate reagent, and
• mechanism for agitating and discharging liquid in said vessel, comprising a gas pump communicating with said vessel for supplying a gas thereinto, and a constant volume discharge pump for discharging the liquid from the vessel;
• and
• a control mechanism including analog-to-digital converter means for providing and applying said first signal to said sampling mechanism and providing and applying said second signals to said titration mechanism, receiving said titer provided by said analysis mechanism, setting the quantity of said sample converted and titer of said reagents to prescribed values in accordance with said electrical quantity converted by said analysis mechanism, reading said titer at an end point of said titration, outputting density of said sample calculated therefrom, and controlling in sequence operations of said sampling, titration, and analysis mechanisms in the sequence of sampling, titration, analysis and calculation and output of said measured density,
• wherein said control mechanism comprises
• a central processing unit coupled to said level switch, said titration burettes, and said discharge pump,
• a parameter-setting keyboard coupled to said central processing unit,
• an indicating unit coupled to said central processing unit for indicating the measured density of H.sub.2 O.sub.2, H.sub.2 SO.sub.4 and Cu,
• a control logic unit through which said centnral processing unit is coupled to said analog-to-digital convertor means,
• an analog input multiplexer coupled to said analog-to-digital converter means,
• a buffer and isolation amplifier through which said pH electrode is coupled to said multiplexer,
• a buffer and isolation amplifier through which said oxidation-reduction electrode is coupled to said multiplexer,
• two plan position indicators connected to said control logic unit and to said analog-to-digital converter means through a main bus,
• a program readout memory and a data storage random access memory connected to a first one of said plan position indicators,
• said second one of said plan position indicators being coupled to said multiplexer,
• an optical isolator and a drive through which said second plan position indicator and said discharge pump, said level switch, said diluent supply mechanism, said gas pump, and said sampling mechanism are coupled to second plan position indicator,
• a start unit and level indicators, and an optical isolator through which the same are coupled to said second plan position indicator,
• three burette control logic units, each coupled to said second plan position indicator,
• a first pair of optical isolators coupled to a first one of said burette control logic units,
• fill, stop, pump, upper and lower switches of said metering pump coupled to a first one of said first pair of optical isolators,
• a first stepping motor and a drive through which said first stepping motor is coupled to a second one of said first pair of optical isolators,
• a second pair of optical isolators coupled to a second one of said burette control logic units,
• fill, stop, pump, upper and lower switches of one of said two titration burettes coupled to a first one of said second pair of optical isolators,
• a second stepping motor a drive through which said second stepping motor is coupled to a second one of said second pair of optical isolators,
• a third pair of optical isolators coupled to a third one of said burette control logic units,
• fill, stop, pump, upper and lower switches of the other of said two titration burettes coupled to a first one of said third pair of optical isolators, and
• a third stepping motor and a driver through which said third stepping motor is coupled to a second one of said third pair of optical isolators.