Purity monitor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10054357-B2
Application number	US-201615291712-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 12, 2016
Priority date	Oct 12, 2016
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

Abstract

A purity monitor is provided. The purity monitor includes a cryo-cooler and a piezo-electric crystal microbalance that may have a matte finish. The cryo-cooler includes a nozzle and plumbing components disposed to supply a fluid having a working pressure of up to 10,000 psig to the nozzle. The nozzle provides for locating substantially all of a pressure drop of the cryo-cooler near an exit thereof. The nozzle sprays fluid onto the piezo-electric crystal microbalance and the piezo-electric crystal microbalance measures a mass of non-volatile residue (NVR) left thereon by the spraying. Respective temperatures of the fluid and the piezo-electric crystal microbalance are controllable based on a type of the NVR.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A purity monitor, comprising:
a cryo-cooler comprising a nozzle and plumbing components disposed to supply a fluid having a working pressure of up to 10,000 psig to the nozzle,
the nozzle being configured to provide for locating substantially all of a pressure drop of the cryo-cooler near an exit thereof; and
a piezo-electric crystal microbalance onto which the nozzle sprays fluid and which is configured to measure a mass of non-volatile residue (NVR) left thereon by the spraying,
respective temperatures of the fluid and the piezo-electric crystal microbalance being controllable based on a type of the NVR.

2. The purity monitor according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid comprises high pressure fluid drawn from a radiation detection system.

3. The purity monitor according to claim 1 , wherein the cryo-cooler comprises:
a first end receptive of the fluid;
a second end coupled to the nozzle;
a cooler configured to lower a temperature of the fluid prior to spraying; and
a filtering system fluid interposed between the first end and the cooler.

4. The purity monitor according to claim 1 , wherein the exit of the nozzle comprises a nozzle orifice and a vena contracta downstream from the nozzle orifice.

5. The purity monitor according to claim 1 , wherein the piezo-electric crystal microbalance comprises a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM).

6. The purity monitor according to claim 5 , wherein the QCM comprises:
a quartz crystal; and
an active thermal element on which the quartz crystal is disposable.

7. The purity monitor according to claim 6 , wherein the quartz crystal is about 7-10 mils thick or less and the active thermal element comprises at least one or both of a resistive heater and a thermoelectric cooler.

8. The purity monitor according to claim 7 , wherein a surface of the quartz crystal facing the nozzle has a matte finish.

9. The purity monitor according to claim 8 , wherein a grain of the matte finish is transverse relative to a radial dimension of the surface extending from a central region thereof to a periphery thereof.

10. The purity monitor according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature controller controls the respective temperatures for multiple types of NVRs.

11. A purity monitor, comprising:
a housing;
a two-stage Joule-Thomson (JT) cryo-cooler receptive of fluid and supportively coupled to the housing, the two-stage JT cryo-cooler comprising a nozzle and plumbing components disposed to supply a fluid having a working pressure of up to 10,000 psig to the nozzle, the nozzle being configured to provide for locating substantially all of a pressure drop of the two-stage JT cryo-cooler near an exit thereof; and
a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) comprising a surface disposed in the housing and onto which the two-stage JT cryo-cooler sprays the fluid, the QCM being configured to measure a mass of at least one of multiple non-volatile residues (NVRs) left on the surface by the spraying,
respective temperatures of the fluid and the surface being controllable based on a type of the at least one of the multiple NVRs.

12. The purity monitor according to claim 11 , wherein the fluid comprises high pressure fluid drawn from a radiation detection system.

13. The purity monitor according to claim 11 , wherein the two-stage JT cryo-cooler comprises:
a first end receptive of the fluid;
a second end coupled to the nozzle and supportively disposed in the housing;
a cooler configured to lower a temperature of the fluid prior to spraying; and
a filtering system fluid interposed between the first end and the cooler.

14. The purity monitor according to claim 11 , wherein the exit of the nozzle comprises a nozzle orifice and a vena contracta downstream from the nozzle orifice.

15. The purity monitor according to claim 11 , wherein the QCM comprises:
a quartz crystal that is about 7-10 mils thick or less; and
an active thermal element comprising at least one or both of a resistive heater and a thermoelectric cooler on which the quartz crystal is disposable.

16. The purity monitor according to claim 15 , wherein a surface of the quartz crystal facing the nozzle has a matte finish with a grain oriented transversely relative to a radial dimension of the surface extending from a central region thereof to a periphery thereof.

17. A method of measuring a purity of a fluid, the method comprising:
drawing the fluid into a two-stage Joule-Thomson (JT) cryo-cooler;
maintaining a pressure of the fluid within a substantial entirety of a non-exit portion the two-stage JT cryo-cooler up to 10,000 psig;
spraying the fluid from an exit portion of the two-stage JT cryo-cooler onto a surface of a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM);
measuring a mass of at least one of multiple non-volatile residues (NVRs) left on the surface by the spraying; and
controlling respective temperatures of the fluid and the surface based on a type of the at least one of the multiple NVRs.

18. The method according to claim 17 , further comprising:
selecting the type of the at least one of the multiple NVRs for measurement;
determining a temperature at which the type of the at least one of the multiple NVRs selected for measurement condenses out of the fluid; and
controlling the respective temperatures of the fluid and the surface in accordance with the determined temperature.

19. The method according to claim 17 , wherein:
the controlling of the temperature of the fluid comprises selecting a coolant from a group of coolants to cool the fluid to a selected one of various temperatures, and
the controlling of the temperature of the surface comprises heating or cooling the surface.

20. The method according to claim 17 , further comprising:
matte finishing the surface; and
orienting a matte finish grain transversely relative to a radial dimension of the surface extending from a central region thereof to a periphery thereof.

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

• Buelow Paul L

Classifications

• F41G7/2253

  Passive homing systems, i.e. comprising a receiver and do not requiring an active illumination of the target · CPC title

• F41G7/2293

  using electromagnetic waves other than radio waves · CPC title

• F25D19/00 Primary

  Arrangement or mounting of refrigeration units with respect to devices {or objects to be refrigerated, e.g. infrared detectors} · CPC title

• G01N29/222

  Constructional or flow details for analysing fluids (optoacoustic fluid cells G01N29/2425) · CPC title

• F25B9/02

  using Joule-Thompson effect; using vortex effect · CPC title