Chemical apparatus and process disinfecting – deodorizing – preser – Analyzer – structured indicator – or manipulative laboratory... – Means for analyzing gas sample
Patent
1997-11-28
1999-05-18
Pyon, Harold Y.
Chemical apparatus and process disinfecting, deodorizing, preser
Analyzer, structured indicator, or manipulative laboratory...
Means for analyzing gas sample
422 61, 422 83, 436174, 436181, 7386311, 7386312, G01N1/02;1/00
Patent
active
059049006
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This application is a 371 of PCT/FR96/00633 filed in Apr. 25, 1996.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for sampling gaseous substances, liquids, aerosols, or even powdered materials with a view to their analysis in situ in a device for analyzing gas composition.
It relates in particular, but not exclusively, to the detection of contamination by highly toxic substances, such as those used in chemical weapons, which can be spread in the form of gas, fine droplets, or even fine and widely spaced particles.
2. Description of Related Art
A portable gas-composition analyzer associated with a device for sampling and vaporizing the substance analyzed has already been proposed for such a detection purpose, notably by French patents 26 118 98 and 26 482 27 in the name of the Applicant.
According to French patent 2 648 227, the sampling device has a flexible tongue with an electrical heating resistor that vaporizes the substances collected by the tongue.
This device proves to require the intervention of an operator, who must collect the samples, then vaporize the liquids sampled so that the vapors produced are drawn into the analyzer as a gas whose composition is to be analyzed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The particular goal of the invention is to achieve these results without the aid of any operator so that the sampler/analyzer assembly can be used as an autonomous sensor located at a site so that it can instantaneously detect the presence of atmospheric contamination or pollution.
To achieve this result, the sampler according to the invention comprises a collector having a collecting surface exposed to an atmosphere whose possible contamination is to be detected, a sampling element coming into contact with said collecting surface over an area thereof with reduced dimensions, means for effecting relative displacement between said sampling element and said surface so that said surface is swept by said sampling element in the course of at least one sweeping sequence, heating means associated with said sampling means for vaporizing any contaminants collected during the sweeping sequence, and an intake nozzle designed to connect to the inlet orifice of a gas-composition analyzer, said nozzle being designed so that it can draw in the contaminant vapors produced by the heating means.
Advantageously, said intake nozzle can include a shutter that allows
either the intake of ambient air so that the gas composition of this air can be analyzed,
or the intake of the vapors produced by the heating means to detect the presence of solid or liquid contaminants deposited on the collecting surface and collected by the collecting element.
Moreover, the sampler can include an automatic mechanism for actuating the heating means and analyzer at the end of the sweeping sequence.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Embodiments of the invention will be described hereinbelow as nonlimiting examples with reference to the attached drawings wherein:
FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a gas-composition analyzer equipped with a sampler according to the invention;
FIG. 2 is an elevation of the sampler shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a partial cross section of the sampling element and the intake nozzle of the sampler shown in FIG 1; and
FIG. 4 is an axial section of the collector housing.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In this example, the gas-composition analyzer consists of a portable, automatic device for flame spectrophotometry analysis of the type described in French patent 87 02 762 in the name of the Applicant.
The analyzer 1 has an elongate body having, on one side, electrical connecting means 2, and, on the other side, an intake head 3 to draw in the gases to be analyzed. It can be held by a handle 4 that contains a generator delivering hydrogen that participates in the combustion of the gas to be analyzed to produce the flame to be analyzed spectrographically.
The analyzer 1 includes a burner that has a window equipped with focusing optics on the axis of which is di
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Bleuse Patrick
Clausin Pierre
Heurtel Christian
Etat Francais as represented by le Delegue General pour l'Armeme
Pyon Harold Y.
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