Method and apparatus for the measurement of dissolved carbon
AssigneeSievers Instruments, Inc.
InventorsRichard Godec, Kevin O'Neill, Richard Hutte
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Apparatus and methods for the measurement of total organic carbon, total inorganic carbon and total carbon of water are described. The ample is acidified and split into an inorganic carbon stream and a total carbon stream. The inorganic carbon in the inorganic stream is oxidized and both the organic and inorganic carbon in the total carbon stream is oxidized. The resulting carbon dioxide is measured in each stream using carbon dioxide sensors employing a gas permeable membrane dividing deionized water from the oxidized sample water and a pair of micro-conductivity and temperature sensors.
Claims45
A process for determining carbon concentration in an aqueous sample, said process comprising the steps of:
- (a) flowing a fluid including at least said aqueous sample at a controlled flow rate;
- (b) reacting carbon in said aqueous sample to produce organic carbon oxidation products by providing and varying oxidizing conditions in said fluid which are varied in a controlled and reproducible manner during a predetermined oxidation period over a range comprising at least two oxidation potentials so as to generate a profile of differing concentrations of organic carbon oxidation products in said fluid corresponding to the different oxidation potentials;
- (c) measuring the concentration of organic carbon oxidation products in said fluid at said at least two oxidation potentials;
- and,
- (d) determining the carbon concentration in said aqueous sample from the measures of organic carbon oxidation products in said fluid at said at least two oxidation potentials.
A process for determining the carbon content of each of a series of water samples containing organic compounds comprising the following steps:
- (a) introducing one of said water samples into a first fluid flow path and moving said sample from an upstream location along said flow path at a controlled flow rate to a downstream location along said flow path;
- (b) passing said sample through a first reaction zone along said flow path, said first reaction zone being between said upstream and downstream locations, and exposing different portions of said sample to controllable, differing oxidizing conditions at said first reaction zone, said oxidizing conditions for each sample passing through said first reaction zone including at least a first reproducible oxidizing condition which is insufficient to oxidize substantially all of the organic compounds in the sample to carbon dioxide and at least a second reproducible oxidizing condition which is sufficient to oxidize substantially all of the organic compounds in the sample to carbon dioxide;
- (c) sensing the carbon dioxide content of the different portions of said sample at a first sensing zone along said flow path downstream from said first reaction zone;
- and,
- (d) repeating steps (a) to (c) for subsequent water samples in the series utilizing substantially identical first and second oxidizing conditions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.