Assist Gas Heating Structure for Ionizer Desolvation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional ionizers face challenges in efficiently desolvating liquid samples at high temperatures, particularly when analyzing substances that are difficult to vaporize or when using high flow velocities, leading to increased costs due to the use of high-temperature assist gas heaters.
Innovation Solution
The ionizer incorporates a heat transfer member in addition to the heater within the assist gas passage, increasing the contact area between the assist gas and the heat source, allowing for more efficient heating of the assist gas to higher temperatures without the need for expensive heaters.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a high-temperature assist gas is used to promote desolvation of charged droplets, then desolvation efficiency is improved, but the cost increases due to the need for high heat resistance heaters
Solution Approach 1:
The assist gas passage is divided into multiple sections with heaters disposed in different locations (first heater in the first section, second heater in the second section). This segmentation allows the assist gas to be heated in stages, achieving high temperature for effective desolvation while distributing the thermal load across multiple lower-power heating elements, thereby reducing the need for expensive high heat resistance materials in a single heater.
Solution Approach 2:
The assist gas passage itself acts as an intermediary heat transfer medium. By disposing heaters in contact with the assist gas passage wall, the heating elements transfer heat to the assist gas through the passage wall. This intermediary approach allows the use of conventional heaters with lower heat resistance requirements, as the passage wall provides thermal coupling between the heaters and the assist gas.
2Use of energy by moving object
If a micro-sheath heater is used to heat assist gas, then heating efficiency is improved, but the heater is fragile and easily destroyed by excessive power supply
Solution Approach 1:
The heating function is segmented into multiple heaters disposed at different locations along the assist gas passage. This distribution of heating functions across multiple elements reduces the power burden on each individual heater, preventing overheating and damage to any single heating element while maintaining overall heating efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
By providing multiple heaters that can share the heating load, the system creates a buffer against power supply fluctuations. If one heater receives excessive power, the other heaters compensate to prevent overall overheating, thereby cushioning against potential damage and improving reliability.
3Speed
If the assist gas flow velocity is increased, then analysis speed is improved, but desolvation becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The assist gas passage is divided into multiple heated sections with heaters disposed in different locations. This segmentation extends the effective heating length, allowing the assist gas to remain in contact with heated surfaces for a longer duration even at higher flow velocities, thereby maintaining desolvation efficiency while enabling faster analysis.
Solution Approach 2:
The heating is extended from a single-point or single-section approach to a multi-section distributed heating approach along the length of the assist gas passage. This dimensional extension of the heating zone compensates for the reduced residence time of the assist gas at higher flow velocities, maintaining effective desolvation.
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 the supply of high-temperature assist gas, promoting effective desolvation of liquid samples while maintaining cost-effectiveness by using conventional heaters, thus enhancing the desolvation process.
Implementation Method 1
a heater disposed inside the assist gas passage
Implementation Method 2
a heat transfer member disposed in the assist gas passage in contact with the heater
Implementation Method 3
desolvation is promoted by the assist gas which is heated by the heater and is supplied to the charged droplets of the liquid sample
Data Source
AI summary
An ionizer including: an ionization chamber 2; a sample nozzle 60 configured to cause a liquid sample to flow out into the ionization chamber 2; an assist gas passage 61 configured to supply, to the ionization chamber 2, an assist gas that promotes desolvation of the liquid sample; a heater 62 disposed inside the assist gas passage 61; and a heat transfer member 64 disposed in the assist gas passage 61 in contact with the heater 62. The heat transfer member 64 can be disposed, for example, inside the heater 62 including a spirally wound heater wire and between the heater 62 and an inner wall surface of the assist gas passage 61.