Gas exchange system flow configuration
AssigneeLI-COR, Inc.
InventorsMark Johnson, Robert D. Eckles, Dayle K. McDermitt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Active compensation designs to offset the impact of gas diffusion sources and sinks in a photosynthesis and transpiration measurement system are disclosed. A sensor head for use in a gas exchange analysis system includes an active, piezoelectric flow splitting device for splitting a flow between a sample chamber and bypass pathway. The active flow splitting device is controlled by feedback from a downstream flow meter. A continuous measurement system for rapidly and accurately surveying large numbers of samples is described.
Claims21
A gas exchange analysis sensor head apparatus comprising:
- an active flow splitting device having a first output port and a second output port, the active flow splitting device configured to variably split an incoming gas flow in continuously varying proportions between the first and second output ports;
- a sample chamber having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet coupled with the first output port of the active flow splitting device;
- a first gas analyzer coupled with the outlet of the sample chamber and configured to measure a concentration of a gas;
- a second gas analyzer directly coupled with the second output port of the active flow splitting device and configured to measure a concentration of said gas;
- a flow meter directly coupled with the first output port of the active flow splitting device and the inlet of the sample chamber, the flow meter configured to measure a flow rate between the active flow splitting device and the inlet of the sample chamber;
- and
- a feedback control circuit adapted to control the active flow splitting device to adjust the incoming gas flow to the first and second output ports responsive to a flow rate signal from the flow meter.
A method of measuring gas exchange, the method comprising:
- flowing gas through an active flow splitting device having a first output port and a second output port, the active flow splitting device configured to variably split an incoming gas flow in continuously varying proportions between the first and second output ports;
- flowing gas from the first output port of the active flow splitting device to a sample chamber having an inlet and an outlet;
- flowing gas from the second output port of the active flow splitting device directly to a gas analyzer;
- determining a concentration of gas flowing from the outlet of the sample chamber;
- determining a concentration of gas flowing from the second output port of the active flow splitting device;
- measuring a flow rate between the first output port of the active flow splitting device and the inlet of the sample chamber or between the second output port of the active flow splitting device and the second gas analyzer;
- and
- sending feedback to the active flow splitting device based on the measured flow rate.
A method of measuring a concentration of a gas in a gas exchange analysis system having a sample chamber defining a measurement volume for analysis of a sample, the sample chamber having an inlet port coupled with a gas source and an outlet port, the method comprising:
- measuring a first concentration of a gas at the inlet port at each of a plurality of times;
- measuring a second concentration of said gas at the outlet port at each of said plurality of times;
- and thereafter determining at each of said plurality of times a concentration differential between the first measured concentration and the second measured concentration;
- and
- integrating the concentration differential over time.
An open-path gas exchange analysis system, the system comprising:
- an enclosed sample chamber having a gas inlet port and a gas outlet port;
- a first gas analyzer configured to measure a first concentration of a gas entering the gas inlet port a plurality of times;
- a second gas analyzer configured to measure a second concentration of said gas exiting the gas outlet port at the plurality of times;
- and
- a processing module configured to determine at each of said plurality of times a concentration differential between the first measured concentration and the second measured concentration, and to integrate the concentration differential over time.
A gas exchange analysis sensor head apparatus comprising:
- an active flow splitting device having a first output port and a second output port, the active flow splitting device configured to variably split an incoming gas flow in continuously varying proportions between the first and second output ports;
- a sample chamber having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet directly coupled with the first output port of the active flow splitting device;
- a first gas analyzer coupled with the outlet of the sample chamber and configured to measure a concentration of a gas;
- a second gas analyzer coupled with the second output port of the active flow splitting device and configured to measure a concentration of said gas;
- a flow meter directly coupled with the second output port of the active flow splitting device and the second gas analyzer, the flow meter configured to measure a flow rate between the active flow splitting device and the second gas analyzer;
- and
- a feedback control circuit adapted to control the active flow splitting device to adjust the incoming gas flow to the first and second output ports responsive to a flow rate signal from the flow meter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.