Parallel infrared spectroscopy apparatus and method

An apparatus comprising a parallel infrared detection system for simultaneously analyzing at least two flowing fluid samples, the detection system comprising

• (a) at least two detection cells, each of the at least two detection cells comprising (i) an elongated detection cavity comprising a first end, a second end defined by an infrared-transparent window, and an elongated side surface between the first end and the second end, the elongated side surface being effective for guiding an infrared wave of radiation along the elongated cavity, (ii) an inlet port for receiving one of the at least two samples into the detection cavity, and (iii) an outlet port for discharging the sample from the detection cavity,
• (b) one or more infrared radiation sources for simultaneously irradiating each of the at least two samples with infrared radiation in the detection cavity of their respective detection cells, the one or more infrared radiation sources being configured to provide Incident infrared radiation through the infrared-transparent window of each detection cavity such that the incident infrared radiation interacts with the sample in the respective detection cavity, and
• (c) a detector configured for simultaneously detecting infrared radiation from each of the detection cells over time for analysis of the samples, wherein the at least two detection cells are configured in relative relation to each other to have a first-end pitch defined by the center-to-center distance between adjacent detection cavities at the first end thereof, and a second-end pitch defined by the center-to-center distance between adjacent detection cavities at the second end thereof, the first-end pitch of the at least two detection cells being greater than the second-end pitch of the at least two detection cells.

An apparatus comprising a parallel infrared detection system for simultaneously analyzing at least two flowing fluid samples, the detection system comprising

• (a) at least two detection cells, each of the at least two detection cells comprising (i) an elongated detection cavity comprising a first end, a second end defined by an infrared-transparent window, and an elongated side surface between the first end and the second end, the elongated side surface being effective for guiding an infrared wave of radiation along the elongated cavity, (ii) an inlet port for receiving one of the at least two samples into the detection cavity, and (iii) an outlet port for discharging the sample from the detection cavity,
• (b) one or more infrared radiation sources for simultaneously irradiating each of the at least two samples with infrared radiation in the detection cavity of their respective detection cells, the one or more infrared radiation sources being configured to provide incident infrared radiation trough the infrared-transparent window of each detection cavity such that the incident infrared radiation interacts with the sample in the respective detection cavity,
• (c) a detector configured for simultaneously detecting infrared radiation from each of the detection cells over time for analysis of the samples, and a pressure chamber in fluid communication with the outlet port of each of the at least two detection cells.

An apparatus comprising a parallel infrared detection system for simultaneously analyzing at least two flowing fluid samples, the detection system comprising

• (a) at least two detection cells, each of the at least two detection cells comprising (i) an elongated detection cavity comprising a first end defined by an infrared-reflective end surface for reflecting infrared radiation, a second end defined by an infrared-transparent window, and an elongated side surface between the first end and the second end, the elongated side surface being defined at least partially by a capillary waveguide, at least a portion of the elongated detection cavity being non-linear, (ii) an inlet port for receiving one of the at least two samples into the detection cavity, and (iii) an outlet port for discharging the sample from the detection cavity, the at least two detection cells being configured in relative relation to each other to have a first-end pitch defined by the center-to-center distance between adjacent detection cavities at the first end thereof, and a second-end pitch defined by the center-to-center distance between adjacent detection cavities at the second end thereof, the first-end pitch of the at least two detection cells being greater than the second-end pitch of the at least two detection cells
• (b) one or more infrared radiation sources for simultaneously irradiating each of the at least two samples with infrared radiation in the detection cavity of their respective detection cells, the one or more infrared radiation sources being configured to provide incident infrared radiation through the infrared-transparent window of each detection cavity such that the incident infrared radiation interacts with the sample in the respective detection cavity, and
• (c) a detector comprising a focal plane array and being configured for simultaneously detecting infrared radiation from each of the detection cells over time for analysis of the samples, the focal plane array and the detection cells being configured, such that (i) for each of the at least two detection cells, infrared radiation is received from the detection cell into at least four pixels of the focal plane array, and (ii) at least about 50% of the total number of pixels of the focal plane array receive reflected infrared radiation from a detection cell.

An apparatus, for simultaneously evaluating flow reactions comprising a parallel infrared detection system for simultaneously analyzing at least two flowing fluid samples, comprising

• a parallel flow reactor comprising two or more reactors, each of the two or more reactors comprising a reaction cavity for carrying out a chemical reaction, an inlet port in fluid communication with the reaction cavity for providing a feed stream comprising one or more reactants to the reaction cavity, and an outlet port in fluid communication with the reaction cavity for discharging an effluent stream comprising one or more reaction products, and a fluid distribution system comprising a feed distribution subsystem for simultaneously supplying the feed stream to the inlet port of each of the two or more reactors, and an effluent distribution subsystem for discharging the effluent stream from the outlet port of each of the two or more reactors, the parallel infrared detection system comprising
• (a) at least two detection cells, each of the at least two detection cells comprising (i) an elongated detection cavity comprising a first end, a second end defined by an infrared-transparent window, and an elongated side surface between the first end and the second end, (ii) an inlet port for receiving one of the at least two samples into the detection cavity, and (iii) an outlet port for discharging the sample from the detection cavity,
• (b) one or more infrared radiation sources for simultaneously irradiating each of the at least two samples with infrared radiation in the detection cavity of their respective detection cells, the one or more infrared radiation sources being configured to provide incident infrared radiation through the infrared-transparent window of each detection cavity such that the incident infrared radiation interacts with the sample in the respective detection cavity;
• and
• (c) one or more detectors configured for simultaneously detecting infrared radiation from each of the detection cells over time for analysis of the samples;
• wherein each of the detection cavities, the one or more infrared sources, the infrared-transparent window of each detection cavity, and the one or more detectors are configured such that the detection system has a detection limit below about 100 ppm, and wherein the effluent distribution subsystem of the parallel flow reactor is configured such that at least a portion of the discharged effluent stream of one of the two or more reactors is provided as a flowing fluid sample to the inlet port of a respective one of the detection cells.

A method for simultaneously analyzing at least two flowing fluid samples using parallel infrared detection, the method comprising:

• providing a parallel flow reactor comprising two or more reactors, each of the two or more reactors comprising a reaction cavity, an inlet port in fluid communication with the reaction cavity and an outlet port in fluid communication with the reaction cavity;
• providing a fluid distribution system comprising a feed distribution subsystem and an effluent distribution subsystem;
• providing at least two detection cells, each of the at least two detection cells comprising (i) a detection cavity having one or more infrared reflective surfaces for reflecting infrared radiation, (ii) an inlet port for receiving one of the at least two samples into the detection cavity, and (iii) an outlet port for discharging the sample from the detection cavity;
• simultaneously feeding a reactant stream comprising one or more reactants through the inlet port of each of the two or more reactors to the reaction cavity of each of the two or more reactors,
• simultaneously contacting the one or more reactants with a catalyst in the reaction cavity under reaction conditions to form one or more reaction products;
• discharging the one or more reaction products from the reaction cavity of each of the reactors as an effluent stream through the outlet port of each of the reaction cavities to the effluent distribution subsystem of the fluid distribution system;
• providing at least a portion of the discharged effluent stream from each of the reactors to the inlet port of each of the detection cells as the at least two fluid samples;
• simultaneously flowing the at least two fluid samples respectively through the inlet port of each of the detection cells into the detection cavity;
• simultaneously directing infrared radiation through an infrared transparent window into the detection cavity of each of the detection cells such that the infrared radiation reflects off of the one or more infrared reflective surfaces within the detection cavity of each of the detection cells and respectively interacts with each of the at least two samples for simultaneously irradiating the at least two samples with reflected infrared radiation;
• simultaneously detecting the reflected infrared radiation from each of the detection cells over time for analysis of the samples;
• and
• simultaneously flowing the at least two fluid samples respectively out of the detection cavity of each of the detection cells through the outlet port of each of the detection cells.

A method of performing parallel infrared detection for simultaneously analyzing at least two flowing fluid samples, the method comprising:

• providing at least two detection cells, each of the at least two detection cells comprising (i) an elongated detection cavity comprising a first end, a second end defined by an infrared-transparent window, and an elongated side surface between the first end and the second end, (ii) an inlet port for receiving one of the at least two samples into the detection cavity, and (iii) an outlet port for discharging the sample from the detection cavity;
• flowing the at least two fluid samples respectively through the inlet port of each of the detection cells into the detection cavity;
• directing infrared radiation through an infrared transparent window into the detection cavity of each of the detection cells such that the elongated side surface reflects and guides the infrared radiation along the elongated cavity to respectively interact with each of the at least two samples for simultaneously irradiating the at least two samples with reflected infrared radiation;
• detecting the reflected infrared radiation from each of the at least two detection cells over time for analysis of the samples;
• and
• flowing the at least two fluid samples respectively out of the detection cavity of each of the at least two detection cells via the outlet port of each of the at least two detection cells, wherein the at least two detection cells are configured in relative relation to each other to have a first-end pitch defined by the center-to-center distance between adjacent detection cavities at the first end thereof, and a second-end pitch defined by the center-to-center distance between adjacent detection cavities at the second end thereof, the first-end pitch of the at least two detection cells being greater than the second-end pitch of the at least two detection cells.

A method of performing parallel infrared detection for simultaneously analyzing at least two flowing fluid samples, the method comprising:

• providing a parallel flow reactor comprising two or more reactors, each of the two or more reactors comprising a reaction cavity, an inlet port in fluid communication with the reaction cavity and an outlet port in fluid communication with the reaction cavity;
• providing a fluid distribution system comprising a feed distribution subsystem and an effluent distribution subsystem;
• providing at least two detection cells, each of the at least two detection cells comprising (i) a detection cavity having one or more infrared reflective surfaces for reflecting infrared radiation, (ii) an inlet port for receiving one of the at least two samples into the detection cavity, and (iii) an outlet port for discharging the sample from the detection cavity;
• simultaneously feeding a reactant stream comprising one or more reactants through the inlet port of each of the two or more reactors to the reaction cavity of each of the two or more reactors,
• simultaneously contacting the one or more reactants with a catalyst in the reaction cavity under reaction conditions to form one or more reaction products;
• discharging the one or more reaction products from the reaction cavity of each of the reactors as an effluent stream trough the outlet port of each of the reaction cavities to the effluent distribution subsystem of the fluid distribution system;
• providing at least a portion of the discharged effluent stream from each of the reactors to the inlet port of each of the detection cells as the at least two fluid samples;
• flowing the at least two fluid samples respectively through the inlet port of each of the detection cells into the detection cavity;
• directing infrared radiation through an infrared transparent window into the detection cavity of each of the detection cells such that the infrared radiation reflects off of the one or more infrared reflective surfaces within the detection cavity of each of the detection cells and respectively interacts with each of the at least two samples for simultaneously irradiating the at least two samples with reflected infrared radiation;
• detecting the reflected infrared radiation from each of the detection cells over time with a detection limit below about 100 ppm for one or more components of each of the samples;
• and
• flowing the at least two fluid samples respectively out of the detection cavity of each of the detection cells via the outlet port of each of the detection cells.