Apparatus and method for concentrating constituents from a gas stream

A method for concentrating a constituent from an input fluid stream, said method comprising the steps of

• providing a housing forming a collection chamber defined by a chamber wall,
• mounting a cyclonic inducer element to a top portion of said housing for transforming said input fluid flow into a cyclonic fluid flow through said collection chamber, said cyclonic inducer element including an inner wall and an outer wall, both extending along a longitudinal axis,
• providing a plurality of fluid passages between said inner and outer walls such that at least one of said fluid passages opens onto said inner wall at a first circumferential location and opens onto said outer wall at a second circumferential location different from said first circumferential location,
• introducing an atomized spray of a collection fluid into said collection chamber by providing a nozzle coupled to said housing, said nozzle having a first fluid conduit for introducing a selected fluid into said chamber and a second fluid conduit for introducing a collection fluid into said chamber, said first conduit configured to introduce the selected fluid into said chamber at a location upstream from a location where said second fluid conduit introduces the collection fluid into said chamber, said collection fluid being adapted to remove at least a portion of said constituent component from said input fluid through collision, and
• creating an electrostatic potential between said wall and said collection fluid, thereby creating an electrostatic force between said chamber wall and said spray to collect said constituent component on said chamber wall.

A gas sampling apparatus for concentrating a constituent from an input fluid stream having an input fluid flow, said apparatus comprising

• a housing forming a collection chamber defined by a chamber wall,
• a cyclonic inducer element forming a cap portion that mounts to a top portion of said housing for transforming said input fluid flow into a cyclonic fluid flow through said collection chamber, said cyclonic inducer element including an inner wall and an outer wall extending along a longitudinal axis, and means forming fluid passages between said inner and outer walls, at least one of said fluid passages forming a tangent to a circle defined by said inner wall of said cyclonic inducer element,
• spray means for introducing an atomized spray of a collection fluid into said collection chamber, said collection fluid being adapted to remove at least a portion of said constituent from said input fluid through collision, said spray means including a nozzle in fluid communication with said collection chamber, said nozzle including means forming a first fluid conduit for introducing a selected fluid into said collection chamber, and means forming a second fluid conduit for introducing a collection fluid into said chamber, wherein said first fluid conduit is configured to introduce the selected fluid into said collection chamber at a location upstream from a location where said second fluid conduit introduces the collection fluid into said collection chamber, and
• electric potential means for creating an electrostatic potential between said chamber wall and said collection fluid, thereby creating an electrostatic force between said chamber wall and said spray to collect said constituent component on said chamber wall.

A method for concentrating a constituent from an input fluid stream, said method comprising the steps of

• providing a housing forming a collection chamber defined by a chamber wall,
• mounting a cyclonic inducer element to a top portion of said housing for transforming said input fluid flow into a cyclonic fluid flow through said collection chamber, said cyclonic inducer element including an inner wall and an outer wall, both extending along a longitudinal axis,
• providing a plurality of fluid passages between said inner and outer walls, at least one of said fluid passages forming a tangent to a circle defined by said inner wall of said cyclonic inducer element,
• introducing an atomized spray of a collection fluid into said collection chamber by providing a nozzle coupled to said housing, said nozzle having a first fluid conduit for introducing a selected fluid into said chamber and a second fluid conduit for introducing a collection fluid into said chamber, said first conduit configured to introduce the selected fluid into said chamber at a location upstream from a location where said second fluid conduit introduces the collection fluid into said chamber, said collection fluid being adapted to remove at least a portion of said constituent component from said input fluid through collision, and
• creating an electrostatic potential between said wall and said collection fluid, thereby creating an electrostatic force between said chamber wall and said spray to collect said constituent component on said chamber wall.