US 6,205,869 B1 · Apparatus and method for sampling fluid from reactor vessel

Abstract

A fluid-sampling method and apparatus are disclosed. The apparatus includes a valve assembly, an overflow chamber assembly, a vacuum assembly and a sample bottle mounting assembly in particular arrangements. In certain preferred embodiments the overflow chamber assembly has an inner vessel, preferably a standpipe, within an outer vessel which forms an overflow chamber in which fluid from the standpipe can be viewed. The valve assembly preferably includes a sampling valve with an outer shell, an insert member and a pivotable valve member therein. The pivotable valve member preferably has a main body portion with first and second circumferential grooves therein and a diagonal bore therethrough for properly directing fluid from and through particular ports in the insert member based on the position of the valve member. The method includes drawing the fluid from the reactor vessel through a valve assembly into an inner vessel of an overflow chamber assembly, overflowing the fluid from the inner vessel into an outer vessel of the overflow chamber assembly, and thereafter retrieving a sample from the inner vessel.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A fluid-sampling apparatus for sampling fluid from a fluid source, comprising:

an overflow chamber assembly defining an overflow chamber therein;
a valve assembly interconnecting the overflow chamber assembly and the fluid source, the valve assembly including a valve movable between a first position wherein the overflow chamber communicates with the fluid source and a second position;
a sample bottle having an interior and being operatively connected to the valve assembly wherein the interior of the sample bottle communicates with the overflow chamber with the valve in the second position, and
a vacuum assembly operatively connected to the overflow chamber assembly, the vacuum assembly movable between a first setting wherein the vacuum assembly generates a vacuum to draw fluid into the overflow chamber from the fluid source and a second setting for purging fluid from the overflow chamber.

1 more element

A fluid-sampling apparatus for sampling fluid from a reactor vessel through a sampling port in the reactor vessel, the fluid-sampling apparatus comprising:

a valve assembly including a pivotable valve member defining a middle portion of a fluid inflow passageway and middle portions of first and second fluid outflow passageways, wherein the fluid inflow passageway and the first fluid outflow passageway are in fluid flow alignment with the sampling port of the reactor vessel when the pivotable valve member is pivoted to first and second predetermined positions, respectively;
an inner vessel having an open top, the inner vessel being offset from the longitudinal axis of a lower portion of the fluid inflow passageway;
and an outer vessel housing the inner vessel therewithin, wherein the outer vessel is for containing fluid drawn from the reactor vessel into the inner vessel and overflowed from the open top of the inner vessel so that the inner vessel contains an non-contaminated sample of the fluid from the reactor vessel.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Apparatus and method for sampling fluid from reactor vessel

Life of this patent

Apparatus and method for sampling fluid from reactor vessel

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20