Gas Sampler Pressure Accumulation for Valve Control

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional gas analyzers become large and complicated due to the need for a dedicated pressure controller to generate a driving pressure greater than the carrier gas pressure for pneumatic switching valves, which is required to switch the state of the valves when carrier gas pressure is acting on them.

Innovation Solution

A gas sampler design that accumulates pressure generated by a pump as a source pressure in a tank, allowing the switching valves to be controlled without a dedicated pressure controller, by using this accumulated pressure to switch the pneumatic switching valves and supply the sample gas to the column of a gas analyzer.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a dedicated pressure controller is provided to generate driving pressure for pneumatic switching valves, then the switching valves can be reliably controlled, but the device becomes large and complicated

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveswitching valve control reliabilityVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the driving pressure generation function with the existing carrier gas pressure control system. The pressure controller that originally only controlled carrier gas pressure is modified to also generate driving pressure for pneumatic switching valves by adding a driving pressure output port and associated control piping, eliminating the need for a separate dedicated pressure controller.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The pressure controller is designed to perform multiple functions: it controls both the carrier gas pressure for sample injection and the driving pressure for pneumatic switching valves. This multi-functional design reduces the total number of pressure control devices needed in the system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If a dedicated pressure controller is provided to generate driving pressure for pneumatic switching valves, then the switching valves can be reliably controlled, but the device size increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveswitching valve control reliabilityVSAvoiddevice volume

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the driving pressure generation function with the existing carrier gas pressure control system. The pressure controller that originally only controlled carrier gas pressure is modified to also generate driving pressure for pneumatic switching valves by adding a driving pressure output port and associated control piping, eliminating the need for a separate dedicated pressure controller.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS11531008B2Gas sampler

Publication Date: 2022.12.20 SHIMADZU CORP

AI summary

A gas sampler (30) is provided with a connection portion (C1) connectable to a sample tank (20), a sample loop (PL) for holding a sample gas introduced from the sample tank (20) to the connection portion (C1), pneumatic switching valves (V1 to V6) for switching a flow path connected to the sample loop (PL), a control piping (81) for transmitting a driving pressure to the switching valves (V1 to V6), a pump (31) for suctioning an inside of the sample loop (PL), and a pressure accumulation tank (80) for accumulating the pressure generated by the operation of the pump (31) as a source pressure.