Portable system and method combining chromatography and array of electrochemical sensors

Patent · Wed Jul 02 04:00:00 EDT 1986

OSTI ID:6531496

Zaromb, S; Stetter, J R

A portable system for analyzing a fluid sample includes a small, portable, low-pressure and low-power chromatographic analyzer and a chemical parameter spectrometry monitor including an array of sensors for detecting, identifying and measuring the concentrations of a variety of components in the eluent from the chromatographic analyzer. The monitor includes one or more operating condition controllers which may be used to change one or more of the operating conditions during exposure of the sensors to the eluent from the chromatography analyzer to form a response pattern which is then compared with a library of previously established patterns. Gas and liquid chromatographic embodiments are disclosed. In the gas embodiment, the operating condition controllers include heated filaments which may convert electrochemically inactive components to electrochemically active products. In the liquid chromatography embodiment, low-power, liquid-phase equivalents of heated filaments are used with appropriate sensors. The library response patterns may be divided into subsets and the formed pattern may be assigned for comparison only with the patterns of a particular subset.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: W-31109-ENG-38
• Assignee: Dept. of Energy
• Patent Number(s): 4,888,295
• Application Number: 06/881,310
• OSTI ID: 6531496
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

440300* -- Miscellaneous Instruments-- (-1989)
47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION
CHROMATOGRAPHY
COMPUTERIZED CONTROL SYSTEMS
CONTROL SYSTEMS
DESIGN
EQUIPMENT
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
MATERIALS
OPERATION
PORTABLE EQUIPMENT
SENSITIVITY
SEPARATION PROCESSES