Method for sampling a solid object, and a system configured to sample a solid object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12596060-B2
Application number	US-202218574341-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2022
Priority date	Jun 28, 2021
Publication date	Apr 7, 2026
Grant date	Apr 7, 2026

Abstract

According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for sampling a solid object, the method comprising: providing a solid object; treating the solid object mechanically to remove material, such as pulverized material, from the solid object; and aspirating the removed material through a solids separation system, thereby separating one or more solid fractions from said material.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A method for sampling a solid object, the method comprising:
treating the solid object mechanically in sub-atmospheric pressure to remove a mixture of pulverized material and gaseous substances from the solid object; aspirating the removed mixture through a solids separation system, thereby separating one or more solid fractions from said removed mixture; and after said solids separation, aspirating the rest of the mixture through a gas separation system, thereby separating one or more gaseous fractions from the mixture,
wherein the solids separation system comprises a separation device that applies vortex separation to separate solid material from a solid/gas mixture, and
wherein said gas separation system comprises a material or composition that adsorbs or absorbs gaseous substances from said mixture.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein a solid sample is obtained from the solid object, wherein said pulverized material or one or more fractions thereof constitutes said solid sample and has such average particle size that makes the sample directly suitable for analysis by a chemical, biochemical or radiochemical analysis method.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the gaseous substances comprise one or more gaseous substances selected from the group consisting of: gaseous substances released from inside the solid object during said mechanical treatment, gaseous substances formed by chemical reactions and released during said mechanical treatment, and gaseous substances formed as a result of vaporization or sublimation of a substance during said mechanical treatment.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the mechanical treatment comprises drilling, crushing, grinding, sawing or coring.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the solid object is encased in a chamber, during said mechanical treatment, and wherein said chamber is configured to prevent spreading of the removed material to the surroundings of the chamber.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said sub-atmospheric pressure and said aspirating is effected by a vacuum pump, and wherein an aspirated air flow in the range 0.5 to 30 L/min is generated by the vacuum pump.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said mechanical treatment is executed during said aspirating, to collect the removed mixture and to feed it to the solids separation system immediately after the removal from the solid object.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , comprising keeping the solid object at a temperature lower than 100° C. during said mechanical treatment.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
said treating comprises drilling the solid object by a hollow drilling bore bit, and said aspirating comprises aspirating the mixture from inside the chamber through said hollow bore bit and further to the solids separation system.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the solids separation system comprises one or more selected from the group consisting of: a gravitational settling chamber, a cyclone, a multi-cyclone, an impactor, a cascade impactor, and a filter.

11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least 95 wt-% of the solid matter in the removed and aspirated mixture is separated from the mixture before directing the rest of the mixture to the gas separation system.

12 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the pulverized material collected by the solids separation system or by one or more parts of the solids separation system has an average particle size smaller than 0.1 mm.

13 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein said gas separation system is configured to adsorb or absorb one or more isotopologues of water and/or carbon dioxide from said mixture.

14 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the gas separation system comprises at least one absorption solution through which the mixture is passed, whereby said absorption solution extracts gaseous substances from said mixture.

15 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein said extracted gaseous substances comprise radioactive gaseous compounds, said radioactive gaseous compounds comprising 14 CO 2 and/or tritiated water.

16 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the gas separation system comprises a plurality of absorption solutions arranged serially, in gas connection with each other, through which solutions the mixture is passed consecutively.

17 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein said absorption solutions comprise one or more first absorption solutions comprising an acidic water solution and one or more second absorption solutions comprising an alkaline water solution.

18 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the solid object comprises one or more materials selected from the group consisting of: concrete, graphite, metal oxides, stone, and rock.

19 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the solid object comprises compounds or substances harmful to a human or to the environment.

20 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein one or more of the separated solid and/or gaseous fractions are directly suitable for analysis by a radiochemical analysis method.

21 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising analysing by a radiochemical analysis at least one of the separated solid and/or gaseous fractions, wherein said at least one of the separated solid and/or gaseous fractions is used without further mechanical treatment, as a sample in said radiochemical analysis.

22 . A system configured to sample a solid object, the system comprising:
a sampling chamber configured to encase a solid object, a device configured to mechanically treat said solid object inside the sampling chamber in sub-atmospheric pressure, to remove a mixture of pulverized material and gaseous substances from the solid object, a solids separation system connected to an outlet of the sampling chamber, wherein said solids separation system is configured to separate one or more solid fractions from said removed material, and means for aspirating the removed material from the sampling chamber through the solids separation system, wherein: the system further comprises a gas separation system connected to an outlet of the solids separation system, wherein said gas separation system is configured to separate one or more gaseous fractions from the mixture, and wherein the solids separation system comprises a separation device that is configured to apply vortex separation to separate solid material from a solid/gas mixture, and wherein said gas separation system comprises a material or composition that adsorbs or absorbs gaseous substances from said mixture.

23 . A method for sampling a solid object, the method comprising:
treating the solid object mechanically in sub-atmospheric pressure to remove a mixture of pulverized material and gaseous substances from the solid object; aspirating the removed mixture through a solids separation system, thereby separating one or more solid fractions from said removed mixture; and after said solids separation, aspirating the rest of the mixture through a gas separation system, thereby separating one or more gaseous fractions from the mixture,
wherein the solids separation system comprises a separation device that applies vortex separation to separate solid material from a solid/gas mixture.

Assignees

• Teknologian Tutkimuskeskus Vtt Oy

Inventors

• Hokkinen Jouni
• Kärkelä Teemu
• Leskinen Anumaija

Classifications

• G21F9/30

  Processing (separating different isotopes of the same chemical element B01D59/00) · CPC title

• G01N2001/2866

  Grinding or homogeneising · CPC title

• G01N2001/1018

  Gas suspensions; Fluidised beds · CPC title

• G01N1/4077

  by other techniques involving separation of suspended solids · CPC title

• G01N1/405

  by adsorption or absorption · CPC title