Real-time monitoring of volatile organic compounds using chemical ionization mass spectrometry
AssigneeSandia Corporation
InventorsCurtis Dale Mowry, Steven Michael Thornberg
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for on-line quantitative monitoring of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) includes pressure reduction means for carrying a gaseous sample from a first location to a measuring input location maintained at a low pressure, the system utilizing active feedback to keep both the vapor flow and pressure to a chemical ionization mode mass spectrometer constant. A multiple input manifold for VOC and gas distribution permits a combination of calibration gases or samples to be applied to the spectrometer.
Claims14
A system for real-time quantitative measurement of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in a gaseous sample comprising:
- means for measuring the amount of VOCs in the sample, said means having a measuring input maintained at a low pressure;
- pressure reduction means for carrying the gaseous sample from a first location to said measuring input, said pressure reduction means reducing the pressure from a first value at said first location to the low pressure, the first value being at least 1000 times greater than the low pressure;
- input means for carrying the gaseous sample from a device under test to said first location, said input means including flow adjustment means for keeping the gas flow and pressure at said first location at predetermined constant values.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.