US 5,496,393 AGranted

Gas purification capability measuring method for gas purification apparatus and gas purification apparatus

AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Toshiba

InventorsKenichi Otsuka, Kazuya Mori

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Abstract

A gas purification apparatus has two gas purification units which are alternately operated. A gas purification capacity measuring means includes a means including valves for separating a target gas purification unit from a line, an evacuating means for evacuating the separated gas purification unit at a high vacuum, a means including a supply tank for supplying a predetermined very small amount of an impurity gas to an inlet of the high-vacuum separated gas purification unit, an auxiliary tank (e.g., a pressure reduction tank, a metering tank, and a pressure reduction valve), and a vacuum gauge for measuring a change in pressure at the outlet upon supply of the impurity gas to the inlet. In the gas purification apparatus having gas purification units each incorporating a getter material, the gas purification capacity of each gas purification unit can be more accurately and easily measured.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A gas purification capability measuring method for a gas purification apparatus having a gas purification system including a gas purification unit for purifying a gas line in which a getter material is incorporated, comprising the steps of:

providing a gas purification system and gas purification unit in which a getter material is incorporated and supplying an amount of a line gas to said system;
stopping said supplying of said line gas to said system;
evacuating an interior of said gas purification system to a predetermined degree of vacuum sufficient for enabling detection of degradation of a gas purification capability of said gas purification unit;
supplying a selected amount of an impurity gas from an inlet of said gas purification unit through said getter material and into said gas purification system to flow said impurity gas in the same direction as that of the line gas, said selected amount being relatively smaller and at a relatively lower pressure than said amount of said line gas;
allowing said getter material to absorb said impurity gas in said gas purification system during a predetermined period of time after said impurity gas is supplied;
and
measuring at an outlet of said gas purification unit in said gas purification system only a pressure of the impurity gas that is not absorbed by said getter material to monitor a gas purification capability of said gas purification unit while a plurality of said gas purification systems are in operation, except for said gas purification system being measured.

4 more elements

A gas purification apparatus comprising:

a plurality of gas purification systems, arranged in parallel and each having a gas purification unit in which a getter material is incorporated, for independently purifying a line gas;
means for separating a given gas purification system of said plurality of gas purification systems which is subjected to a measurement of a gas purification capability from remaining operating gas purification systems of said plurality of gas purification systems which are operating, and connecting said given gas purification system to an impurity gas supply system;
means for stopping supply of line gas to said given gas purification system to be measured;
means for evacuating each given gas purification system to a predetermined degree of vacuum;
an impurity gas supply system for supplying a selected amount of an impurity gas to an inlet of said gas purification unit of each given gas purification system to flow said impurity gas through said getter material in the same direction as that of a line gas, with said selected amount being relatively smaller and at a relatively lower pressure than said amount of said line gas;
and
means for measuring at outlets of said gas purification units only a pressure of said impurity gas which is not absorbed by said getter material to monitor a gas purification capability of each said gas purification system while said remaining gas purification systems are operating.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/441,114Filed 15 May 1995 · continuation
Priority: JP 3-15758531 May 1991
Granted: 5 Mar 1996
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

B01D 53/047
With stationary adsorbents: pressure swing adsorption
B01D 46/46
Controlling filtration: automatic
B01D 53/0446
Constructional details of adsorbing systems: means for feeding or distributing gases
B01D 2256/18
Main component in the product gas stream after treatment: noble gases