Gas Sampling Loop with Vacuum Depressurization for Low-Pressure Injection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas sample injection apparatuses for gas chromatography analysis struggle with automatically injecting low-pressure gas samples and processing large numbers of samples effectively, especially in lithium-ion battery applications where gas pressures are often below normal levels.
Innovation Solution
A gas sample injection apparatus comprising a gas collecting tube, a gas sampling loop, a first switching valve for injecting gas samples with a carrier gas, a second switching valve for regulating gas diffusion, and a vacuum pump for vacuum-depressurizing the sampling loop, allowing for automatic injection and processing of low-pressure gas samples.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If gas sample injection is performed manually or with simple apparatus, then the system is simple, but automatic injection of low-pressure gas samples cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The injection apparatus is divided into multiple functional components: a gas collecting tube for sample collection, a gas sampling loop for sample holding, a first switching valve for injection control, a second switching valve for diffusion regulation, and a vacuum pump for pressure control. Each component performs a specific function, enabling automatic injection while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular design.
Solution Approach 2:
The gas sampling loop acts as an intermediary component between the gas collecting tube and the chromatography column. It temporarily holds the gas sample and facilitates controlled transfer, enabling automatic injection of low-pressure samples without requiring direct pressure matching between source and destination.
2Extent of automation
If low-pressure gas samples are injected without vacuum-depressurization, then the apparatus is simpler, but automatic filling of the sampling loop cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The vacuum pump performs preliminary action by vacuum-depressurizing the gas sampling loop before sample injection. This creates a pressure differential that automatically draws the low-pressure gas sample into the loop without requiring additional pumping or forcing mechanisms, enabling automatic filling while using energy only when needed to establish the initial pressure condition.
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes pneumatic principles by employing a vacuum pump to create a pressure differential in the gas sampling loop. This pressure difference drives the automatic filling of low-pressure gas samples without mechanical intervention, converting energy into useful pneumatic work for sample transfer.
3Productivity
If multiple gas samples are processed manually, then the analysis is accurate, but processing speed is slow
Solution Approach 1:
The switching valves operate periodically to sequentially process multiple gas samples through the same chromatography system. The first switching valve alternates between connecting the sampling loop to the column for analysis and to the vacuum pump for depressurization, enabling rapid sequential injection of multiple samples without manual intervention between injections, thus increasing productivity while maintaining analysis accuracy.
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 the automatic injection of low-pressure gas samples into a gas chromatograph and facilitates the analysis of multiple samples by controlling the open/close valves and vacuum-depressurization, overcoming the limitations of prior systems.
Implementation Method 1
a vacuum pump for vacuum-depressurizing the gas sampling loop
Implementation Method 2
a second switching valve connected to the gas collection tube and adapted to regulate diffusion of the gas sample into the gas sampling loop
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a gas sample injection apparatus for gas chromatography analysis comprising: a gas collecting tube for collecting the gas inside a cell and regulating it with an open/close valve to discharge a portion of the collected gas as a gas sample; a gas sampling loop for collecting the gas sample injected into a gas chromatograph; a first switching valve for regulating an injection of the gas sample filled in the gas sampling loop into the column of the chromatography with a carrier gas; a second switching valve connected to the gas collection tube and for regulating a diffusion of the gas sample into the gas sampling loop; and a vacuum pump for vacuum-depressurizing the gas sampling loop, and an injection method using the same.