Device for determining mass transport of a fluid and a substance dissolved in the fluid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10495503-B2
Application number	US-201615739415-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 17, 2016
Priority date	Jun 25, 2015
Publication date	Dec 3, 2019
Grant date	Dec 3, 2019

Abstract

Device for simultaneously determining a mass transport of a fluid and a mass transport of a substance dissolved in the fluid, comprising at least two cartridges filled with a porous matrix, and assembly means, configured to keep the cartridges together, characterized in that the top side and the bottom side of each cartridge are non-permeable and the side wall is permeable, and in that the assembly means are configured to keep the cartridges together according to a stack, in which the cartridges may be flowed through in parallel without cross-contamination.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device ( 10 , 51 , 70 ) for simultaneously determining a mass transport of a fluid and a mass transport of a substance dissolved in the fluid, comprising:
at least two cartridges ( 11 - 14 , 71 - 74 ), wherein each of the cartridges comprises a top side ( 111 ), a bottom side ( 112 ) and a side wall ( 113 , 713 ), wherein the top side, the bottom side and the side wall define a flow chamber,
assembly means ( 15 , 75 ) configured to keep the cartridges together, wherein the flow chamber of a first cartridge of the at least two cartridges is filled with a first porous matrix comprising a material composition configured to determine the mass transport of the fluid, and wherein the flow chamber of a second cartridge of the at least two cartridges is filled with a second porous matrix comprising a material composition configured to determine the mass transport of the substance dissolved in the fluid, wherein:
the top side ( 111 ) and the bottom side ( 112 ) of each of the at least two cartridges are non-permeable to the fluid and the side wall ( 113 , 713 ) of each of the cartridges is permeable for the fluid,
the assembly means are configured to keep the cartridges together according to a stack wherein the top side and the bottom side, respectively, of two neighbouring cartridges of the at least two cartridges are opposite one another, such that the flow chambers of the two neighbouring cartridges may be flowed through in parallel without cross-contamination, and
the side wall ( 113 , 713 ) forms a complete enclosure around the corresponding cartridge;
wherein the top side and/or the bottom side comprises a non-permeable lid ( 114 , 714 ), which is detachable.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the top side and the bottom side, respectively, of the two neighbouring cartridges overlap one another in a projection perpendicular to a face of the top side or the bottom side.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the flow chamber of each of the at least two cartridges is reachable by the fluid via the side wall only.

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the material composition of the first porous matrix and the material composition of the second porous matrix are different.

5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the material composition of the first porous matrix comprises a tracer.

6. The device according to claim 5 , wherein a tracer is absent from the material composition of the second porous matrix.

7. A method for simultaneously determining a mass transport of a fluid and a mass transport of a substance dissolved in the fluid, comprising:
assembling the device of claim 1 , and
bringing the at least two cartridges ( 11 - 14 , 71 - 74 , 21 ) into contact with the fluid and the dissolved substance, wherein the fluid flows in parallel through the flow chambers of the at least two cartridges.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the device or the assembly is lowered vertically into a subsoil, wherein the at least two cartridges are arranged one above the other.

9. A device ( 10 , 51 , 70 ) for simultaneously determining a mass transport of a fluid and a mass transport of a substance dissolved in the fluid, comprising:
at least two cartridges ( 11 - 14 , 71 - 74 ), wherein each of the cartridges comprises a top side ( 111 ), a bottom side ( 112 ) and a side wall ( 113 , 713 ), wherein the top side, the bottom side and the side wall define a flow chamber,
assembly means ( 15 , 75 ) configured to keep the cartridges together, wherein the flow chamber of a first cartridge of the at least two cartridges is filled with a first porous matrix comprising a material composition configured to determine the mass transport of the fluid, and wherein the flow chamber of a second cartridge of the at least two cartridges is filled with a second porous matrix comprising a material composition configured to determine the mass transport of the substance dissolved in the fluid,

wherein:
the top side ( 111 ) and the bottom side ( 112 ) of each of the at least two cartridges are non-permeable to the fluid and the side wall ( 113 , 713 ) of each of the cartridges is permeable for the fluid,
the assembly means are configured to keep the cartridges together according to a stack wherein the top side and the bottom side, respectively, of two neighbouring cartridges of the at least two cartridges are opposite one another, such that the flow chambers of the two neighbouring cartridges may be flowed through in parallel without cross-contamination, and
the side wall ( 113 , 713 ) forms a complete enclosure around the corresponding cartridge,
wherein at least one ( 21 ) of the at least two cartridges comprises several partitions ( 215 ), which are permeable to the fluid and which subdivide the flow chamber ( 210 ) into different compartments (I, II, III), wherein each of the compartments is filled with a porous matrix configured to interact with the fluid.

10. The device according to claim 9 , wherein each of the at least two cartridges has a ratio of diameter and height of between 0.5 and 5.

11. The device according to claim 9 , wherein the material composition of the first porous matrix and the material composition of the second porous matrix are different.

12. The device according to claim 9 , wherein the material composition of the first porous matrix comprises a tracer, wherein a tracer is absent from the material composition of the second porous matrix.

13. A device ( 10 , 51 , 70 ) for simultaneously determining a mass transport of a fluid and a mass transport of a substance dissolved in the fluid, comprising:
at least two cartridges ( 11 - 14 , 71 - 74 ), wherein each of the cartridges comprises a top side ( 111 ), a bottom side ( 112 ) and a side wall ( 113 , 713 ), wherein the top side, the bottom side and the side wall define a flow chamber,
assembly means ( 15 , 75 ) configured to keep the cartridges together, wherein the flow chamber of a first cartridge of the at least two cartridges is filled with a first porous matrix comprising a material composition configured to determine the mass transport of the fluid, and wherein the flow chamber of a second cartridge of the at least two cartridges is filled with a second porous matrix comprising a material composition configured to determine the mass transport of the substance dissolved in the fluid,

wherein:
the top side ( 111 ) and the bottom side ( 112 ) of each of the at least two cartridges are non-permeable to the fluid and the side wall ( 113 , 713 ) of each of the cartridges is permeable for the fluid,
the assembly means are configured to keep the cartridges together according to a stack wherein the top side and the bottom side, respectively, of two neighbouring cartridges of the at least two cartridges are opposite one another, such that the flow chambers of the two neighbouring cartridges may be flowed through in parallel without cross-contamination, and
the side wall ( 113 , 713 ) forms a complete enclosure around the corresponding cartridge,
wherein each cartridge is provided with a one-dimensional or two-dimensional barcode.

14. A device ( 10 , 51 , 70 ) for simultaneously determining a mass transport of a fluid and a mass transport of a substance dissolved in the fluid, comprising:
at least two cartridges ( 11 - 14 , 71 - 74 ), wherein each of the cartridges comprises a top side ( 111 ), a bottom side ( 112 ) and a side wall ( 113 , 713 ), wherein the top side, the bottom side and the side wall define a flow chamber,
assembly means ( 15 , 75 ) configured to keep the cartridges together, wh

Assignees

• Vito Nv Vlaamse Instelling Voor Tech Onderzoek Nv
• Univ Antwerpen

Inventors

• Verreydt Goedele
• De Meulenaer Simon
• Meesters Filip

Classifications

• G01N33/1886

  using probes, e.g. submersible probes, buoys · CPC title

• G01N1/10 Primary

  in the liquid or fluent state {(burettes, pipettes B01L3/02; sampling of ground water E02D1/06; metering by volume of fluids or fluent solid material G01F11/00, G01F13/00)} · CPC title

• G01F1/708 Primary

  Measuring the time taken to traverse a fixed distance · CPC title

• G01N1/12

  Dippers; Dredgers · CPC title

• G01F1/704

  using marked regions or existing inhomogeneities within the fluid stream, e.g. statistically occurring variations in a fluid parameter (G01F1/76, G01F25/00 take precedence) · CPC title