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US 9,804,086 B2Granted
Biodiesel detector
AssigneeEmcee Electronics, Inc.
InventorRyan Matthew Case
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device and method of use are provided for measuring the concentration of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) in jet fuel to a limit of detection of 1 ppm. The device measures concentration of FAME in jet fuel via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) with a spectral resolution of 1 cm−1. The device can use an infrared light emitting diode (IR LED) and mercury cadmium telluride (MCT) detector in which the spectral output of the IR LED and the spectral response of the MCT detector is centered on the spectral absorbance of an ester bond, a defining spectral characteristic of FAME. Other IR LEDs with differing spectral outputs can be used to measure the presence and/or concentration of different analytes in different fluids.
Claims16
A device for detecting an analyte in a fluid, the device comprising:
- an infrared light source including one of an infrared light emitting diode and a quantum cascade laser, the infrared light source providing a beam having a plurality of infrared wavelengths, the plurality of infrared wavelengths including only a portion of the infrared spectrum by having the beam pass through a band pass filter, the portion of the infrared spectrum substantially centered on a wavelength absorbable by the analyte, the portion of the infrared spectrum substantially centered on the wavelength absorbable by the analyte limited to a range of wavelengths spanning from about 50 nm to about 150 nm, with about 25 nm to about 75 nm of the range of wavelengths on either side of the wavelength absorbable by the analyte;
- a fluid positioning means configured to position the fluid so that the beam from the infrared light source passes through the fluid;
- a collimating slit, the infrared light source configured to direct the beam through the collimating slit, through the band pass filter, and through the fluid in the fluid positioning means;
- a detector configured to receive the beam from the infrared light source after the beam passes through the fluid, the detector configured to translate infrared light into an electric signal;
- a processor configured to transform the electric signal from the detector to an indication of the analyte, the indication of the analyte including a concentration of the analyte with a sensitivity down to 1 ppm;
- and a temperature control means configured to control a temperature of the infrared light source and a temperature of the detector, thereby maintaining uniformity in the beam provided by the infrared light source and in the translation of the infrared light into the electric signal by the detector.
3 more elements
A method of detecting an analyte in a fluid, the method comprising:
- passing collimated light through a band pass filter to provide a beam having a plurality of infrared wavelengths, the beam provided by an infrared light source, the infrared light source including one of an infrared light emitting diode and a quantum cascade laser, the plurality of infrared wavelengths including only a portion of the infrared spectrum, the portion of the infrared spectrum substantially centered on a wavelength absorbable by the analyte, the portion of the infrared spectrum substantially centered on the wavelength absorbable by the analyte limited to a range of wavelengths spanning from about 50 nm to about 150 nm, with about 25 nm to about 75 nm of the range of wavelengths on either side of the wavelength absorbable by the analyte;
- passing the beam through the fluid;
- receiving the beam with a detector after the beam passes through the fluid;
- translating infrared light in the beam received by the detector into an electric signal;
- and transforming the electric signal from the detector to an indication of the analyte, the indication of the analyte including a concentration of the analyte with a sensitivity down to 1 ppm.
2 more elements
A method of detecting an analyte in a fluid, the method comprising:
- providing a device for detecting the analyte in the fluid, the device including:
- an infrared light source including one of an infrared light emitting diode and a quantum cascade laser, the infrared light source providing a beam having a plurality of infrared wavelengths, the plurality of infrared wavelengths including only a portion of the infrared spectrum by passing the beam through a band pass filter, the portion of the infrared spectrum substantially centered on a wavelength absorbable by the analyte, the portion of the infrared spectrum substantially centered on the wavelength absorbable by the analyte limited to a range of wavelengths spanning from about 50 nm to about 150 nm, with about 25 nm to about 75 nm of the range of wavelengths on either side of the wavelength absorbable by the analyte;
- a fluid positioning means configured to position the fluid so that the beam from the infrared light source passes through the fluid;
- a collimating slit, the infrared light source configured to direct the beam through the collimating slit, through the band pass filter, and through the fluid in the fluid positioning means;
- a detector configured to receive the beam from the infrared light source after the beam passes through the fluid, the detector configured to translate infrared light into an electric signal;
- a processor configured to transform the electric signal from the detector to an indication of the analyte;
- and a temperature control means configured to control a temperature of the infrared light source and a temperature of the detector, thereby maintaining uniformity in the beam provided by the infrared light source and in the translation of the infrared light into the electric signal by the detector generating the beam using the infrared light source;
- receiving the beam with the detector after the beam passes through the fluid;
- translating infrared light in the beam received by the detector into an electric signal;
- and transforming the electric signal from the detector to an indication of the analyte, the indication of the analyte including a concentration of the analyte with a sensitivity down to 1 ppm.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.