Gas Analyzer Span Gas Purge Control for Calibration Accuracy

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing gas analyzing systems face accuracy and reliability issues due to deterioration of span gas over time, which can lead to variations in gas concentration and denaturation, especially in resin and metal pipes, affecting calibration precision.

Innovation Solution

A gas analyzing system with an open-close device control mechanism that purges remaining span gas from the flow path before new calibration, ensuring the introduction of fresh span gas for accurate calibration, utilizing a predetermined time-based schedule to replace deteriorated span gas.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Duration of action of stationary object

If span gas is stored in high-pressure cylinders and supplied through supply lines for long-term use, then the system can maintain continuous operation, but the span gas concentration varies and the gas deteriorates over time

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontinuous operation timeVSAvoidcalibration accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by automatically purging the span gas supply line with fresh span gas before each calibration operation. The control unit detects when calibration is needed and pre-flushes the supply line to remove deteriorated gas, ensuring that only fresh span gas reaches the analyzer during calibration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system discards deteriorated span gas in the supply line by purging it with fresh span gas before calibration. The control unit manages this discarding process automatically, flushing out old gas that has permeated or denatured, and replacing it with fresh span gas from the cylinder.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #34Discarding and recovering

2Ease of manufacture

If resin pipes are used for span gas supply lines, then the system is easier to install and maintain, but span gas permeates the pipes causing concentration variation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinstallation easeVSAvoidgas concentration accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

Before each calibration, the system performs a preliminary flushing action through the resin pipes to remove span gas that has permeated into the pipe walls. This pre-cleaning ensures that the concentration of span gas in the supply line matches the cylinder concentration when calibration begins.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Strength

If metal pipes are used for span gas supply lines, then the system has better durability, but metal components act as catalysts to denature the span gas

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepipe durabilityVSAvoidspan gas stability
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary purging through metal pipes before calibration to remove span gas that has been denatured by catalytic action. The control unit activates the purge function to flush out deteriorated gas, ensuring only stable span gas reaches the analyzer.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

4Duration of action of stationary object

If calibration is performed after long periods without use, then the system can operate continuously, but the remaining span gas deteriorates causing inaccurate calibration

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecalibration intervalVSAvoidcalibration accuracy
Core Design Contradiction:
Duration of action of stationary objectVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The control unit performs preliminary purging of the span gas supply line before each calibration operation, regardless of how much time has passed since the last calibration. This ensures that even after long intervals, the span gas in the supply line is fresh and has not deteriorated.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The control unit monitors calibration timing and automatically triggers purging operations based on the elapsed time since the last calibration. This feedback mechanism ensures that purging is performed at appropriate intervals to maintain span gas quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

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

This approach enables highly accurate and reliable calibration and analysis results, even for low concentrations of measuring target components, by ensuring the span gas remains fresh and undeteriorated during calibration.

Implementation Method 1

a span gas flow path that is configured to be able to introduce span gas from a span gas supply source into the gas analyzer

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectGas flow:

Implementation Method 2

in the case where the span gas supply line is formed of resin pipes such as fluorine resin pipes or nylon pipes, the span gas, or gas in outside air, such as CO2 or O2 may permeate the resin pipes to thereby vary the gas concentration

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPermeation: Permeation

Implementation Method 3

in the case where the span gas supply line is formed of pipes made of metal, such as stainless steel pipes, some component (e.g., nickel in the case of the stainless steel pipes) contained in the meal may act as a catalyst to denature the span gas

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCatalysis: Catalysis

Data Source

PatentEP2518466B1Gas analysis system
Publication Date: 2020.01.22 HORIBA LTD
  • EP2518466B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2518466B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2518466B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

The present invention is intended to provide a gas analyzing system that can perform calibration without being influenced by the deterioration of span gas in a span gas supply line, and provided with an open-close device control part 61 that receives a calibration start signal issuing an instruction to start zero calibration and span calibration, and controls an open-close device 31 for a span gas flow path 3 and an open-close device 21 for a zero gas flow path 2, wherein if the open-close device control part 61 receives a new calibration start signal after a predetermined time has passed since previous calibration was performed, before the span calibration is started, for a predetermined time, the open-close device control part 61 controls the open-close device 31 for the span gas flow path 3 so as to open the open-close device 31 for the span gas flow path 3, and thereby purges span gas that remains in the span gas flow path 3.