Device and method for drawing a liquid from a process tank

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10274403-B2
Application number	US-201816148209-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 1, 2018
Priority date	Mar 5, 2013
Publication date	Apr 30, 2019
Grant date	Apr 30, 2019

Abstract

The application discloses a device for drawing a liquid from a process tank to be protected from contamination, including: a first receptacle for receiving the liquid withdrawn from the process tank; a first liquid line connecting the process tank with the first receptacle; and at least one first valve assembly disposed in the first liquid line and designed to block or release liquid transport through the first liquid line. The device includes at least one pressure sensor for detecting a pressure within the first receptacle. The device is designed such that a pressure difference between the first and the second ends of the first liquid line is greater than a predetermined minimum value when the first liquid line is connected with the process tank and the process tank is to be protected from contamination.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid sample drawing device, comprising:
a receptacle embodied to receive and to contain a liquid sample;
a liquid line having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is embodied to connect to a process tank, and wherein the second end opens into the receptacle;
a valve assembly disposed in the liquid line between the first end and the second end, wherein the valve assembly is configured to selectively block or allow liquid transport through the liquid line;
a pressure sensor connected with the receptacle and configured to measure a pressure within the receptacle and to output a pressure measurement signal based on the measured pressure;
a gas pressure controller connected with the receptacle via a gas line opening into the receptacle, wherein the gas pressure controller is configured to control and to regulate a gas pressure in the receptacle; and
a control unit configured to receive the pressure measurement signal from the pressure sensor and further configured to control the valve assembly and the gas pressure controller,
wherein the control unit is further configured to regulate and to control, based on the pressure measurement signal, a pressure difference pI−p2 between a pressure pi at the first end of the liquid line and a pressure p2 at the second end of the liquid line to be greater than a predetermined minimum value, said predetermined minimum value being greater than zero,
wherein the control unit is further configured to operate in a first operating mode of configuring the valve assembly to allow liquid transport through the liquid line and of configuring the gas pressure controller to control the pressure difference p1−p2 to be greater than the predetermined minimum value, and
wherein the control unit is further configured to operate in a second operating mode of configuring the valve assembly to block liquid transport through the liquid line and of configuring the gas pressure controller to control the pressure difference p1−p2 to be greater than the predetermined minimum value.

2. The liquid sample drawing device of claim 1 , wherein the control unit includes a control signal input, and wherein the control unit is further configured to control the pressure difference p1−p2 when a control signal connected to the control signal input is asserted.

3. The liquid sample drawing device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a sluice valve disposed at the first end of the liquid line, wherein the sluice value is embodied to connect the first end of the liquid line to the process tank.

4. The liquid sample drawing device of claim 1 , wherein the pressure sensor is a gas pressure sensor configured to measure a gas pressure within the receptacle, and wherein the pressure measurement signal is derived from the gas pressure within the receptacle.

5. The liquid sample drawing device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a sterile filter disposed within the gas line between the gas pressure controller and the receptacle.

6. The liquid sample drawing device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a controllable flow resistance disposed in the liquid line between the first end and the second end.

7. The liquid sample drawing device of claim 6 , wherein the controllable flow resistance includes a pinch valve.

8. The liquid sample drawing device of claim 1 , wherein the liquid line opens into the receptacle at a top of the receptacle.

9. A system for drawing a liquid from a process tank such that the process tank is protected from contamination, comprising:
a liquid sample drawing device, comprising:
a first receptacle embodied to receive and to contain a liquid sample; a first liquid line having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is embodied to connect to a process tank, and wherein the second end opens into the first receptacle;
a second liquid line having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of the second liquid line opens into the first receptacle, a valve assembly disposed in the first liquid line between the first end and the second end, wherein the valve assembly is configured to selectively block or allow liquid transport through the first liquid line;
a pressure sensor connected with the first receptacle and configured to measure a pressure within the first receptacle and to output a pressure measurement signal based on the measured pressure;
a gas pressure controller connected with the first receptacle via a gas line opening into the first receptacle, wherein the gas pressure controller is configured to control and to regulate a gas pressure in the first receptacle; and
a control unit configured to receive the pressure measurement signal from the pressure sensor and further configured to control the valve assembly and the gas pressure controller,
wherein the control unit is further configured to regulate and to control, based on the pressure measurement signal, a pressure difference pi−p2 between a pressure pi at the first end of the first liquid line and a pressure p2 at the second end of the first liquid line to be greater than a predetermined minimum value, said predetermined minimum value being greater than zero,
wherein the control unit is further configured to operate in a first operating mode of configuring the valve assembly to allow liquid transport through the first liquid line and of configuring the gas pressure controller to control the pressure difference pI−p2 to be greater than the predetermined minimum value, and
wherein the control unit is further configured to operate in a second operating mode of configuring the valve assembly to block liquid transport through the first liquid line and of configuring the gas pressure controller to control the pressure difference pI−p2 to be greater than the predetermined minimum value; and
a liquid treatment device configured to treat a liquid drawn from the process tank,
wherein the second end of the second liquid line is connected via a coupling device to the liquid treatment device.

10. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the liquid treatment device includes a particle separation module designed to separate particles from the liquid drawn from the process tank.

11. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the liquid treatment device includes a second receptacle and a gas pressure control mechanism connected with the second receptacle, wherein the gas pressure control mechanism is configured to set a gas pressure in the second receptacle, and wherein the liquid treatment device further includes a third liquid line opening into the second receptacle and connected with the second liquid line.

12. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the particle separation module includes a sterile filter configured to separate particles from the liquid drawn from the process tank.

13. The system according to claim 11 , wherein the liquid treatment device includes a fourth liquid line opening into the second receptacle and connected with a fifth liquid line via the particle separation module, and
wherein the fifth liquid line includes a branching point over which liquid can be drawn from the fifth liquid line.

14. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the first liquid line and the second liquid line each include a conductivity sensor configured to detect a fill level of the respective liquid line.

15. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the liquid sample drawing device and the liquid treatment device are designed as a module separable from the rest of the system, and
wherein the module is arranged spatially separated from the rest of the system and connected with the rest of th

Assignees

• Endress Hauser Conducta Gmbh Co Kg

Inventors

• Eubisch Angela
• Höhne Thomas
• Müller Melanie
• Steckenreiter Thomas
• Hanko Michael

Classifications

• G01N2001/1025

  Liquid suspensions; Slurries; Mud; Sludge · CPC title

• G01N2001/1418

  Depression, aspiration · CPC title

• C12M33/12

  by pressure · CPC title

• G01N1/28

  Preparing specimens for investigation {including physical details of (bio-)chemical methods covered elsewhere, e.g. G01N33/50, C12Q}(mounting specimens on microscopic slides G02B21/34; means for supporting the objects or the materials to be analysed in electron microscopes H01J37/20 {; laboratory gas handling apparatus B01L5/00}) · CPC title

• G01N1/14 Primary

  Suction devices, e.g. pumps; Ejector devices · CPC title