Liquid analyzer and liquid analysis system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10788447-B2
Application number	US-201515529001-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 26, 2015
Priority date	Nov 26, 2014
Publication date	Sep 29, 2020
Grant date	Sep 29, 2020

Abstract

A liquid analyzer is one that performs analysis in a state of being immersed in a flowing analysis target liquid, and in order to simply make a good/bad determination and increase reliability, includes: a sensor adapted to, in a state where a responsive membrane is immersed in the flowing analysis target liquid, sense a predetermined component contained in the analysis target liquid; an analysis mechanism adapted to analyze the analysis target liquid with use of voltage generated in the sensor; and a resistance measurement mechanism adapted to, in the state where the responsive membrane is immersed in the flowing analysis target liquid, apply DC voltage to the responsive membrane to measure the resistance of the responsive membrane.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A liquid analysis apparatus comprising:
a liquid immersion-type analyzer that analyzes a flowing analysis target liquid, the liquid immersion-type analyzer comprising:
a sensor comprising a responsive membrane and adapted to, in a state where the responsive membrane made of resin containing plasticizer is immersed in the flowing analysis target liquid such that the flowing analysis target liquid surrounds the sensor, sense a predetermined component contained in the analysis target liquid;
a reference sensor adapted to measure a reference potential;
an analysis mechanism having a potentiometer connected to the sensor and the reference sensor, the analysis mechanism being adapted to analyze the analysis target liquid with use of voltage difference generated between the sensor and the reference sensor;
an electrode separately provided from the sensor and the reference sensor;
a resistance measurement mechanism connecting to the sensor and the electrode and being adapted to, in the state where the responsive membrane of the sensor and the electrode are immersed in the flowing analysis target liquid, apply DC voltage between the responsive membrane and the electrode to measure a resistance of the responsive membrane;
a processor operatively coupled to the resistance measurement mechanism and the analysis mechanism; and

a cleaning mechanism adapted to remove dirt attached to a part of the sensor, the part being immersed in the analysis target liquid.

2. The liquid analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
after the resistance measurement mechanism has measured the resistance of the responsive membrane, a discharge period to discharge an electric charge supplied by the DC voltage applied to the responsive membrane is set.

3. The liquid analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the processor is configured to control the analysis mechanism and the resistance measurement mechanism, and activates the resistance measurement mechanism in a state of stopping the analysis mechanism or keeping analysis result data indicating an analysis result of the analysis by the analysis mechanism, and when a discharge period has passed after stopping the resistance measurement mechanism, cancel the stop of the analysis mechanism or the keeping state.

4. The liquid analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the resistance measurement mechanism measures the resistance of the responsive membrane multiple times a day.

5. The liquid analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
multiple sensors are provided, and at least one of them is in a state where the responsive membrane is not immersed in the flowing analysis target liquid, and
the processor is further configured to determine whether the resistance of the responsive membrane is equal to or more than a predetermined threshold value, the resistance being measured by the resistance measurement mechanism; and
the processor is further configured to, when the processor determines that the resistance of the responsive membrane is equal to or more than the threshold value, change the sensor in the state where the responsive membrane is not immersed in the analysis target liquid into an immersed state.

6. The liquid analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the responsive membrane has double membrane structure including an outer membrane and an inner membrane, and the outer membrane is configured to be peelable.

7. The liquid analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a liquid analyzer support adapted to support the liquid analyzer so as to immerse a fore end part of the liquid analyzer in the analysis target liquid; and
a display adapted to display a measurement value outputted from the liquid immersion-type analyzer.

8. A liquid analysis system comprising:
the liquid analysis apparatus according to claim 1 , and at a first analysis site at which the analysis target liquid flows, analyzes the analysis target liquid in the state where the responsive membrane is immersed in the analysis target liquid; and
an external device adapted to, at a second analysis site different from the first analysis site, acquire auxiliary analysis result data indicating a result of auxiliary analysis of the analysis target liquid, wherein
it is configured to connect the liquid analysis apparatus and the external device through a network, and transmit the auxiliary analysis result data to the liquid analysis apparatus.

Assignees

• Tokyo Metropolitan Government
• Horiba Ltd
• Horiba Advanced Techno Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nakayama Akio
• Furuya Rumiko
• Ishii Akio
• Kaba Yasuto
• Ito Yuichi
• Yamauchi Susumu
• Murakami Hiroaki
• Senda Atsushi

Classifications

• G01N27/416 Primary

  Systems (G01N27/27 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01N27/4161 Primary

  measuring the voltage and using a constant current supply, e.g. chronopotentiometry · CPC title