Apparatus for determining a measured value of a measurand in process automation technology and its method of use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10330656-B2
Application number	US-201615199960-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 30, 2016
Priority date	Jul 8, 2015
Publication date	Jun 25, 2019
Grant date	Jun 25, 2019

Abstract

The disclosure includes an apparatus for determining a measured value in a liquid medium, comprising at least a light transmitter, at least one light receiver assigned to the transmitter, a measuring chamber that can be filled with the medium, wherein an optical path runs through the measuring chamber from the transmitter to the receiver. The apparatus includes a dosing apparatus for dosing at least one reagent and/or the medium, and for inserting the dosed reagent and/or the medium into the measuring chamber. The dosing apparatus is designed as a tube, and the tube includes at least a first control point, wherein the volume in the tube from a starting point to a first control point defines the amount of reagent or medium to be inserted into the measuring chamber. The disclosure further includes the use of the apparatus and a method for dosing the reagent.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for determining a measured value of a measurand in a liquid medium, comprising:
an optical transmitter for transmitting light, wherein the optical transmitter includes a light source;
an optical receiver associated with the optical transmitter and configured to receive light transmitted by the optical transmitter and to generate a receiver signal based on the received light;
a measuring chamber, wherein an optical measuring path extends through the measuring chamber from the optical transmitter to the optical receiver;
a dosing apparatus structured to generate a first dosage of at least one reagent and a first dosage of the liquid medium and to provide the first dosage of the at least one reagent and the first dosage of the liquid medium into the measuring chamber, wherein the dosing apparatus includes a tube, a first light barrier disposed about the tube at a first control point, and a valve module switchable between the at least one reagent, the liquid medium, and the measuring chamber, wherein the tube is transparent to the light of the first light barrier, and wherein the tube is connected with the valve module, and a first volume of the tube from the valve module to the first control point defines the first dosage of the at least one reagent and the first dosage of the liquid medium to be provided into the measuring chamber; and
a transmitter including a microcontroller and a memory, wherein the transmitter is configured to control the optical transmitter and the optical receiver, to generate the first dosage of the at least one reagent and the first dosage of the medium based on signals from the first light barrier, and to determine the measured value from the receiver signal
wherein the transmitted light is converted into the received light by means of interaction along the measuring path in the measuring chamber with the at least one reagent and the medium.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the tube of the dosing apparatus is made of polytetrafluorethylene.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first light barrier is a forked light barrier.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first light barrier is an infrared light barrier having a daylight filter.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the dosing apparatus further includes a second light barrier disposed about the tube at a second control point, wherein the dosing apparatus is further structured to generate a second dosage of the at least one reagent and a second dosage of the liquid medium and to provide the second dosage of the at least one reagent and the second dosage of the liquid medium into the measuring chamber, and wherein a second volume of the tube from the valve module to the second control point defines the second dosage of the at least one reagent and the second dosage of the liquid medium to be provided into the measuring chamber.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the tube of the dosing apparatus includes at least one loop.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the dosing apparatus includes at least one air valve configured to introduce air into the tube.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the dosing apparatus includes a pump for conveying the at least one reagent.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is employed in an analyzer for determining a measured value of a measurand in a process automation engineering application.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is employed in an analyzer and wherein the measurand is at least one substance concentration.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the transmitted light is converted into the received light by means of absorption along the measuring path in the measuring chamber with the at least one reagent and the medium.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the pump is a syringe pump.

13. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the dosing apparatus includes at least one air valve configured to introduce air into the tube, wherein the dosing apparatus is further structured to generate a third dosage of the at least one reagent and a third dosage of the liquid medium and to provide the third dosage of the at least one reagent and the third dosage of the liquid medium into the measuring chamber, and wherein a third volume of the tube from the first control point to the second control point defines the third dosage of the at least one reagent and the third dosage of the liquid medium to be provided into the measuring chamber.

Assignees

• Endress Hauser Conducta Gmbh Co Kg

Inventors

• Müller Frank
• Steuerwald Ralf
• Krätschmer Thilo

Classifications

• G01F11/28

  with stationary measuring chambers having constant volume during measurement · CPC title

• G01N21/59

  Transmissivity (G01N21/25 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01N35/1016 Primary

  Control of the volume dispensed or introduced · CPC title

• G01N21/78

  producing a change of colour · CPC title

• G01N33/1806 Primary

  Biological oxygen demand [BOD] or chemical oxygen demand [COD] · CPC title