Water quality analysis system, sensor module, calibration machine, and method for calibrating water quality analysis system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12436105-B2
Application number	US-202017595348-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 17, 2020
Priority date	May 22, 2019
Publication date	Oct 7, 2025
Grant date	Oct 7, 2025

Abstract

A water quality analysis system is calibrated without using any organic fluorescence material such as phenanthrene. The water quality analysis system analyzes a component to be measured contained in a liquid sample by a fluorescence spectroscopy, and that comprises a light irradiation section that irradiates the liquid sample with a light having an excitation wavelength of the component to be measured, a light detection section that detects a fluorescence of the component to be measured emitted from the liquid sample, a calculation unit that calculates a concentration of the component to be measured by using a fluorescence intensity obtained by the light detection section, and a solid fluorescence reference member that is arranged on an optical path between the light irradiation section and the light detection section and that emits the fluorescence by the light from the light irradiation section at a time of calibration.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A water quality analysis system that measures a concentration of a component contained in a liquid sample by a fluorescence spectroscopy, comprising
a light irradiation section that irradiates the liquid sample with a light having an excitation wavelength of the component,
a light detection section that detects fluorescence of the component-to be measured emitted from the liquid sample,
a sensor head that houses the light irradiation section and the light detection section, and that is immersed in the liquid sample,
a calculation unit that calculates a concentration of the component by using a fluorescence intensity obtained by the light detection section, and
a fluorescence reference member that is arranged on an optical path between the light irradiation section and the light detection section during calibration of the water quality analysis system, wherein
the fluorescence reference member is detachably mounted on the sensor head,
the fluorescence reference member emits fluorescence upon excitation by the light irradiation section, and
the fluorescence reference member is solid, non-toxic, and not subject to photodegradation.

2. The water quality analysis system described in claim 1 , wherein
the fluorescence reference member is glass.

3. The water quality analysis system described in claim 1 , wherein
the liquid sample is a scrubber effluent discharged from a ship, the scrubber effluent containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), including phenanthrene,
the light irradiation section emits light having the excitation wavelength of the phenanthrene contained in the scrubber effluent,
the light detection section detects the fluorescence of the phenanthrene, and
the calculation unit calculates a phenanthrene-equivalent PAH concentration contained in the scrubber effluent by using the fluorescence intensity obtained by the light detection section.

4. The water quality analysis system described in claim 1 , further comprising
a storage section that stores relation data for calibration that indicates a relationship between the fluorescence intensity obtained by using a reference liquid wherein the concentration of the component is known and the fluorescence intensity obtained by using the fluorescence reference member, wherein
the calculation unit calibrates the water quality analysis system by using the fluorescence intensity of the fluorescence reference member obtained by the light detection section at a time of calibration and the relation data.

5. The water quality analysis system described in claim 1 , further comprising an adaptor that rotatably holds the fluorescence reference member such that a tilt angle of the fluorescence reference member with respect to the light irradiation section and the light detection section can be changed.

6. The water quality analysis system described in claim 5 , wherein
the adaptor changes the tilt angle of the fluorescence reference member in stages or continuously.

7. The water quality analysis system described in claim 5 , wherein
the adaptor comprises a reference member holding body that holds the fluorescence reference member and an adapter body that is fixed to the light irradiation section and the light detection section at a time of calibration and that rotatably supports the reference member holding body.

8. The water quality analysis system described in claim 1 , wherein
the solid fluorescence reference member is mounted on the sensor head during calibration.

9. The water quality analysis system described in claim 1 , further comprising
a jig for calibration that holds the fluorescence reference member and that provides the fluorescence reference member on an optical path between the light irradiation section and the light detection section at a time of calibration.

10. A method for calibrating the water quality analysis system described in claim 1 , the method comprising
generating a relation data for calibration, the relation data indicating a relationship between a fluorescence intensity of a reference liquid obtained by a reference system and a fluorescence intensity of the fluorescence reference member obtained by the water quality analysis system, wherein
the reference liquid includes a known concentration of the component.

11. The method for calibrating the water quality analysis system described in claim 10 , further comprising at a time of calibration, arranging the fluorescence reference member on the optical path between the light irradiation section and the light detection section, and
calibrating the water quality analysis system with the fluorescence intensity obtained by the light detection section and the relation data for calibration.

12. The method for calibrating the water quality analysis system described in claim 11 , wherein
generating the relation data for calibration comprises
generating first relation data indicating a relationship between the fluorescence intensity of the reference liquid obtained by the reference system and the fluorescence intensity of the fluorescence reference member obtained by the reference system, and
generating second relation data indicating a relationship between the fluorescence intensity of the fluorescence reference member obtained by the reference system and the fluorescence intensity of the fluorescence reference member obtained by the water quality analysis system, and

the relation data for calibration is generated by using the first relation data and the second relation data.

13. The method for calibrating the water quality analysis system described in claim 11 , wherein
prior to calibrating the water quality analysis system, the light detection section of the reference system is calibrated.

Assignees

• Horiba Advanced Techno Co Ltd

Inventors

• Tomioka Kiichiro
• Hashima Yuta

Classifications

• G01N2021/6497

  Miscellaneous applications · CPC title

• G01N2021/6463

  Optics · CPC title

• G01N2021/6417

  Spectrofluorimetric devices · CPC title

• G01N33/18

  Water · CPC title

• G01N21/276

  with alternation of sample and standard in optical path · CPC title