Ionization Cell with Dual Filaments for Rapid Leak Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mass spectrometers with dual filaments experience excessively long waiting times when switching from a faulty working filament to a standby filament, affecting the stability and reproducibility of measurements.
Innovation Solution
The ionization cell design features a second emergency filament positioned outside the frontal region of the ionization cage, with parallel entry slots and iridium wires coated with yttrium or thorium oxide, allowing for quick switching and reduced interaction between filaments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a second emergency filament is added to the ionization cell, then the reliability of the mass spectrometer is improved, but the waiting time for the emergency filament to become operational increases excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The ionization cell is segmented into two distinct regions: a front region containing the first entry slit and first working filament, and a rear region containing the second entry slit and second emergency filament. This spatial segmentation allows the filaments to operate independently without interfering with each other, enabling the emergency filament to reach operational temperature quickly without being affected by the front region's thermal environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a spatial dimension solution by positioning the second entry slit and second emergency filament in the rear region of the ionization cell, away from the front region. This dimensional separation in the ionization cell structure allows the emergency filament to be thermally isolated from the front region operations, reducing thermal interference and enabling faster operational readiness when switching is needed.
2Device complexity
If the second emergency filament is positioned in the front region, then the device complexity is reduced, but the measurement stability and reproducibility deteriorate due to excessive waiting time
Solution Approach 1:
The ionization cell is divided into functionally independent front and rear regions, each with its own entry slit and filament assembly. This segmentation allows the emergency filament in the rear region to operate independently from the front region, eliminating thermal interference that would otherwise cause long stabilization times and measurement instability.
Solution Approach 2:
The rear region of the ionization cell acts as an intermediary space that provides thermal isolation for the second emergency filament. This spatial intermediary region protects the emergency filament from thermal fluctuations in the front region, allowing it to maintain stable operational conditions and achieve quick, reproducible measurements when activated.
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 configuration enables rapid stabilization of the standby filament, reducing the switching time to approximately 15 minutes and ensuring stable, accurate measurements upon filament failure.
Implementation Method 1
a heating electric filament emits electrons
Implementation Method 2
The molecules of the gas to be analyzed are bombarded by the electron beam and a large part of the molecules of the gas to be analyzed are transformed into ionized particles
Implementation Method 3
These ionized particles are then accelerated by an electric field
Implementation Method 4
They then arrive in an area subjected to a magnetic field, which has the property of deflecting the trajectories of the ionized particles according to their mass
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
Figure 5~8
AI summary
The invention relates to an ionization cell for a mass spectrometer (2), comprising: an ionization housing (10) comprising a first and a second electron input groove (11, 26) and one side (16) of which has an output groove (15) for passing ionized particles (14a, 14b, 14c) therethrough, a first working filament (13) placed opposite said first electron input groove (11) and intended to be supplied to produce an electron beam (12), and a second backup filament (22) placed opposite said second electron input groove (26) and intended to be supplied in the even the first working filament (13) fails so as to produce the electron beam, said input groove (26) being placed outside a front region (F) located opposite said first input groove (11). The invention also relates to a leak detector with a mass spectrometer, comprising such an above-described ionization cell.