Water quality analysis device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10458968-B2
Application number	US-201515564418-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 10, 2015
Priority date	Apr 10, 2015
Publication date	Oct 29, 2019
Grant date	Oct 29, 2019

Abstract

Provided is a water quality analysis device capable of keeping the device in a clean state without leaving an operation at the time of device power supply activation to an operator and without wasting time and wash water. The water quality analysis device is configured such that: a memory 21 capable of storing a stored content in a cut-off state of the device power supply is provided; the states of the vessels, such as an IC reactor 1 and a TC reactor 2, in which sample water is injected at the time of an analysis operation are sequentially stored in the memory 21; contents of the memory 21 are read at the time of the device power supply activation; and a cleaning operation is automatically executed according to prescribed procedures with the states read for each reactor 1 and 2 as a starting point. Thus, even after the power supply interruption due to, e.g., power outage, the device is kept in a clean state with minimum necessary operations.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A water quality analysis device configured to analyze a concentration of at least one analysis target component contained in sample water, comprising:
at least one reactor configured to cause a reaction corresponding to an analysis target component in the sample;
a measuring cell for the analyzing of the concentration of least one analysis target of the sample water, wherein the concentration of the at least one analysis target component is obtained by performing at least one measurement with the measuring cell, the at least one measurement is chosen from the group consisting of: introducing a gas containing the at least one analysis target component generated by the reaction in the at least one reactor to a gas detection unit comprising the measuring cell and injecting the sample water into the measuring cell after the reaction in the at least one reactor;
control means configured to control a cleaning operation for individually cleaning the at least one reactor and the measuring cell according to at least one predetermined procedure, the at least one predetermined procedure selected from discharging analyzed sample water from the at least one reactor and/or the measuring cell, injecting wash water into the at least one reactor and/or the measuring cell, and discharging wash water from the at least one reactor and/or the measuring cell; and
a memory that is configured to retain stored content, the stored content being retained by the memory in the event of power loss to the memory,
wherein:
the memory stored content includes operation states of the at least one reactor and of the measuring cell as the stored content,
the control means is configured to read the stored content of the memory upon power activation, and
the at least one predetermined procedure includes a starting point that is based on the stored content of the memory.

2. The water quality analysis device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the at least one reactor comprises:
an IC reactor configured to convert inorganic carbon in the sample water into carbon dioxide gas; and
a TC reactor configured to convert total carbon in the sample water into carbon dioxide,
wherein:
the operation states of the at least one reactor stored by the memory include an operation state of the IC reactor and an operation state of the TC reactor, and
the cleaning operation includes cleaning of the IC reactor and cleaning of the TC reactor.

3. The water quality analysis device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the measuring cell comprises:
an absorption spectrometer,
wherein:
the at least one reactor is configured to convert a nitrogen compound and/or a phosphorus compound in the sample water into a nitrate ion or a phosphate ion,
the absorption spectrometer is configured to measure a concentration of the nitrate ion and/or a concentration of the phosphate ion in the sample water after conversion,
the memory is further configured to individually store operation states of the absorption spectrometer, and
the cleaning operation includes cleaning of the absorption spectrometer.

4. The water quality analysis device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
a preprocessing unit that is provided at a front stage of the at least one reactor, the preprocessing unit being configured to remove a suspended substance in the sample water,
wherein:
the memory is further configured to individually store operation states of the preprocessing unit in the stored content, and
the cleaning operation includes cleaning of the preprocessing unit.

5. A method for analyzing a concentration of at least one analysis target component contained in sample water, comprising:
providing at least one reactor and a measuring cell;
causing a reaction in the at least one reactor that corresponds to an analysis target component in the sample water;
performing at least one measurement to obtain the concentration of the at least one analysis target component;
controlling at least one cleaning operation on the basis of at least one predetermined procedure;
retaining stored content in a memory, the stored content being retained by the memory in the event of power loss to the memory; and
reading the stored content of the memory upon power activation,
wherein:
retaining the stored content in the memory includes individually storing operation states of the at least one reactor and operation states of the measuring cell,
the at least one predetermined procedure includes a starting point that is based on the stored content, and
controlling at least one cleaning operation selected from discharging analyzed sample water, injecting wash water, and discharging the wash water.

6. The method for analyzing a concentration of at least one analysis target component contained in sample water according to claim 5 , further comprising:
converting inorganic carbon in the sample water into carbon dioxide gas; and
converting total carbon in the sample water into carbon dioxide,
wherein:
the at least one reactor comprises an IC reactor configured to convert inorganic carbon in the sample water into carbon dioxide gas; and
a TC reactor configured to convert total carbon in the sample water into carbon dioxide, and
controlling the at least one cleaning operation further includes cleaning of the IC reactor and cleaning of the TC reactor.

7. The method for analyzing a concentration of at least one analysis target component contained in sample water according to claim 5 , further comprising:
converting a nitrogen compound and/or a phosphorus compound in the sample water into a nitrate ion or a phosphate ion in the at least one reactor; and
measuring a concentration of the nitrate ion and/or a concentration of the phosphate ion with an absorption spectrometer comprised in the measuring cell,
wherein:
retaining stored content in the memory further includes individually storing operation states of the absorption spectrometer, and
controlling the at least one cleaning operation further includes cleaning of the absorption spectrometer.

8. The method for analyzing a concentration of at least one analysis target component contained in sample water according to claim 7 , further comprising removing a suspended substance in the sample water.

Assignees

• Shimadzu Corp

Inventors

• Kanki Yoshihide

Classifications

• G01N33/1846

  Total carbon analysis · CPC title

• G01N33/18 Primary

  Water · CPC title

• B01D2257/404

  Nitrogen oxides other than dinitrogen oxide · CPC title

• C02F2101/163

  Nitrates · CPC title

• C02F1/58

  by removing specified dissolved compounds (using ion-exchange C02F1/42; softening water C02F5/00) · CPC title