Flow cell for analysis of fluids

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10753847-B2
Application number	US-201816118005-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2018
Priority date	Aug 30, 2018
Publication date	Aug 25, 2020
Grant date	Aug 25, 2020

Abstract

A system for analyzing a fluid includes an integrated fluid-electric cabinet having a fluid compartment and an electronic compartment. The fluid compartment and an electronic compartment are separated from one another by a partition wall. The partition wall includes opposed first and second surfaces. A flow cell assembly is disposed in the fluid compartment and is configured to be mounted on the first surface side of the partition wall. A probe head assembly is disposed in the electronic compartment and is mounted on the opposed second surface side of the partitioned wall. Both of the flow cell assembly and the probe head assembly are configured to be in electro-magnetic communication with one another for elemental analysis of the fluid such that the probe head assembly utilizes an X-ray source to analyze the fluid in a static mode or in flow mode through the flow cell assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for analyzing a fluid, comprising;
an integrated fluid-electric cabinet having a fluid compartment and an electronic compartment each of which being separated from one another by a partition wall, the partition wall includes opposed first and second surfaces,
a flow cell assembly being disposed in the fluid compartment and being configured to be mounted on the first surface side of the partition wall, and
a probe head assembly being disposed in the electronic compartment and being mounted on the opposed second surface side of the partitioned wall and wherein both of the flow cell assembly and the probe head assembly being configured to be in electro-magnetic communication with one another for elemental analysis of the fluid such that the probe head assembly utilizes an X-ray source to analyze the fluid in a static state or in flow mode through the flow cell assembly.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a control circuit disposed in a control circuit cabinet and being coupled to both of the flow cell assembly and the probe head assembly to control a continuous operation of the fluid cell assembly and the probe head assembly.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a flange chamber being mounted on the partition wall via an opening formed therethrough to securely contain the respective flow cell assembly and the probe head assembly on the respective opposed first and second surfaces of the partition wall.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the flange chamber includes a locking assembly constructed thereto so as to engage with the flow cell assembly during respective mounting and demounting of the flow cell assembly.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the locking assembly includes a pair of engagement notches each of which having a flange notch which are used to securely hold the spring arm of the handle so as to enable the flow cell assembly to be mounted onto to the flange chamber without using any tools.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the flow cell assembly comprises a flow cell chamber, a primary window, a cover flow cell seal, a secondary window, a window plate, a plurality of O-rings, a backing ring, a backing plate, a spring arm, a handle, and a handle grip all which are interconnected to one another via various screws, pins, and fittings.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the primary window includes respective primary inner and outer surfaces wherein the primary inner surface is contacting the fluid contained in the flow cell chamber and the primary outer surface is facing the X-ray source for irradiating the fluid and detecting radiation emitted by the fluid so as to analyze the fluid.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the respective primary and secondary windows are configured to be spaced apart from one another so as to form an air gap therebetween and wherein the secondary window provides a safety back up to avoid liquid damage to various components in the event of a rupture or leak in the primary window.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the flow cell chamber is defined by a fluid chamber having respective inlet and outlet ports for passing the fluid in and out from the fluid chamber.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the respective inlet and outlet ports are constructed such that the inlet port position is at lower gravitational position with respect to the outlet port position so that the fluid entering the inlet port is forced to swirl within the fluid chamber in order to reach to the outlet port, thereby preventing accumulation of fluid particulates or air bubbles on the primary inner surface of the primary window.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the fluid compartment further comprising a leakage tube having a first end located at a lower end of the air gap such that a fluid leakage portion of the fluid leaking into the air gap enters the first end of the leakage tube and exits a second end of the leakage tube.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the fluid leakage portion exiting the second of the leakage tube is directed to a leakage tray and wherein the leakage tray is drained by a leak drainage tube.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the leakage tube is equipped with a first leak sensor configured to detect fluid within the leakage tube.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the leak drainage tube is equipped with a second leak sensor configured to detect fluid within the leak drainage tube.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the flow cell assembly is mounted on the first surface side of the partition wall by rotating the flow cell handle by a rotation angle in a first rotation direction and wherein the flow cell assembly is demounted from the first surface of the partition wall by rotating the flow cell handle in a second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the rotation angle is limited by the engagement notch and the rotation angle is approximately between 45 degrees and 90 degrees.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein the probe head assembly comprises an X-ray generator and an X-ray detector wherein the X-ray generator is configured to direct X-rays penetrating the primary window and entering the fluid and the X-ray detector is configured to detect the characteristic X-rays emitted from the fluid.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein the electro-magnetic communication between the flow cell assembly and the probe head assembly is defined by irradiating the fluid in the flow cell assembly using an X-ray generator and detecting characteristic X-rays emitted from the fluid using an X-ray detector.

19. A system for analyzing a fluid, comprising:
an integrated fluid-electric cabinet having a fluid compartment and an electronic compartment each of which being separated from one another by a partition wall, the partition wall includes opposed first and second surfaces having an opening formed therethrough,
a flange chamber having an integral locking assembly being mounted on the partition wall via the opening wherein the integral locking assembly includes an engagement notch and a flange notch,
a flow cell assembly being disposed in the flange chamber and being configured to be locked in by the engagement notch and a flange notch, and
a probe head assembly being disposed in the electronic compartment and being mounted on the opposed second surface of the partitioned wall and wherein both of the flow cell assembly and the probe head assembly being configured to be in electro-magnetic communication with one another for elemental analysis of the fluid such that the probe head assembly utilizes an X-ray source to analyze the fluid in a static state or in flow mode through the flow cell assembly.

20. The system of claim 19 further comprising a control circuit disposed in a control circuit cabinet separated from the integrated fluid-electric cabinet and being coupled to both of the flow cell assembly and the probe head assembly to control a continuous operation of the flow cell assembly and the probe head assembly.

21. The system of claim 19 , wherein the flow cell assembly comprises a flow cell chamber, a primary window, a cover flow cell seal, a secondary window, a window plate, a plurality of O-rings, a backing ring, a backing plate, and a flow cell handle all of which are interconnected to one another via fasteners.

22. The system of claim 21 , wherein the flow cell handle defined by a handle, a handle grip, a pair of standoff rods, and a spring arm all

Assignees

• Colclough Gerard
• Chin Steven W
• Collicutt Ronald Scott
• Kenyon Joel W
• Larocca Jacob
• Moseley Ernest
• Murray Michael
• Thurston Alex
• Olympus Scient Solutions Americas Inc

Inventors

• Colclough Gerard
• Chin Steven W
• Collicutt Ronald Scott
• Kenyon Joel W
• Larocca Jacob
• Moseley Ernest
• Murray Michael
• Thurston Alex

Classifications

• G01N15/1425

  using an analyser being characterised by its control arrangement · CPC title

• G01N2223/076

  X-ray fluorescence · CPC title

• G01N23/223 Primary

  by irradiating the sample with X-rays or gamma-rays and by measuring X-ray fluorescence · CPC title

• G01N15/1404 Primary

  Handling flow, e.g. hydrodynamic focusing · CPC title

• G01N2223/637

  liquid · CPC title