Combustion Chamber Oxygen Control for Protein Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing devices for determining the composition of samples, particularly those containing protein, face challenges such as high oxygen consumption, contamination from tin oxide dust, difficulty in measuring nitrogen content, and limited sample size capacity, leading to unrepresentative results and increased analysis costs.
Innovation Solution
A device that uses a sub-stoichiometric amount of oxygen for combustion, continuously monitors and adjusts oxygen levels, and employs a circulating exhaust gas line with a post-combustion chamber and oxygen sensor to ensure complete combustion with minimal oxygen usage, allowing analysis of varying sample quantities and using reusable ceramic crucibles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If continuous oxygen supply is used for combustion and transport gas, then complete combustion is achieved, but oxygen consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic oxygen supply through controlled injection phases rather than continuous supply. Oxygen is injected in specific time windows during the combustion cycle, allowing complete combustion to occur while significantly reducing total oxygen consumption compared to continuous supply methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary oxygen injection before the main combustion phase to prepare the combustion environment. This preliminary action ensures that oxygen is available when needed for complete combustion, while avoiding the need for continuous oxygen supply throughout the entire process.
2Ease of operation
If tin capsules are used for sample combustion, then sample containment is achieved, but tin oxide dust contaminates the furnace interior
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful tin oxide dust formation by replacing tin capsules with ceramic crucibles. This substitution removes the source of contamination while maintaining the sample containment function, as ceramic materials do not produce dust under combustion conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces disposable tin capsules with reusable ceramic crucibles. While tin capsules are inexpensive and disposable, they create contamination. Ceramic crucibles, though more durable and reusable, eliminate the dust contamination problem and can be cleaned and reused multiple times.
3Power
If high oxygen concentrations from carrier gas are present, then combustion support is improved, but nitrogen content measurement becomes problematic
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses periodic oxygen injection rather than continuous carrier gas flow, which allows for better control of oxygen concentrations during different phases of the combustion process. This periodic approach enables accurate nitrogen measurement by controlling when oxygen is present and when it is not.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the oxygen concentration parameter dynamically during the combustion process through controlled injection timing and duration. By adjusting oxygen levels at different stages, the system maintains adequate combustion support while creating conditions suitable for accurate nitrogen content measurement.
4Device complexity
If small sample amounts (up to 100 mg) are used, then combustion control is simplified, but measurement representativeness decreases for inhomogeneous samples
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic combustion control that adapts to varying sample sizes and compositions. The system can handle both small and large samples by adjusting combustion parameters in real-time, maintaining measurement representativeness for inhomogeneous samples while preserving the simplicity of combustion control through automated regulation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables complete combustion of samples with minimal oxygen consumption, allowing for precise determination of nitrogen, hydrogen, carbon, and sulfur content, with a detection limit of 0.01% by weight, and flexibility in handling different sample sizes, while reducing contamination and analysis costs.
Implementation Method 1
a heating device for heating the combustion chamber
Implementation Method 2
an oxygen sensor which is used to determine the oxygen content in the combustion gases
Implementation Method 3
a combustion chamber for burning the sample to be analyzed
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
AI summary
Apparatus for determining the composition of specimen (8), in particular specimen containing protein, comprises: a combustion chamber (2) for combustion of the specimen to be analyzed; an exhaust gas line (14) connected to combustion chamber; a heating device (3) for heating the combustion chamber and a control device for controlling the combustion; an oxygen inflow line (13) opening out into combustion chamber; and an analyzer is connected to combustion chamber, where an oxygen sensor for determining oxygen content in the combustion gases is provided, and is connected to the control device. Apparatus for determining the composition of a specimen (8), in particular specimen containing protein, comprises: a combustion chamber (2) for the combustion of the specimen to be analyzed; an exhaust gas line (14) connected to the combustion chamber; a heating device (3) for heating the combustion chamber and a control device for controlling the combustion; an oxygen inflow line (13) opening out into the combustion chamber, and having an oxygen inflow valve which can be operated by means of the control device; and an analyzer is connected to the combustion chamber, where an oxygen sensor for determining the oxygen content in the combustion gases is provided and is connected to the control device, where the apparatus is designed such that the oxygen content in the combustion gases is determined by means of the oxygen sensor at intervals of time or continuously during combustion of the specimen, and if a pre-specifiable concentration of oxygen is not achieved, a definable quantity of oxygen is injected into the combustion chamber by means of the oxygen inflow valve, and after complete combustion of the specimen the combustion gases are delivered to the analyzer where, in particular, the nitrogen, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and/or water content in the combustion gases is determined. An independent claim is also included for a method of determining the composition of a specimen, in particular specimen containing protein, where the specimen to be analyzed is completely combusted in an oxygen atmosphere and the composition of the combustion gases produced is then determined.