Laser Gas Analyzer Dual Display Optical Alignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current laser gas analyzers require two workers to perform optical axis adjustments due to the difficulty in visually checking the transmittance of laser light, leading to inefficient processes, especially in setups with long smoke ducts where slight offsets significantly reduce transmittance.

Innovation Solution

A laser gas analyzer design featuring a main display on the light receiver and a sub-display on the light emitter, allowing one worker to efficiently perform optical axis adjustments by displaying measurement results and transmittance information, enabling independent alignment without the need for communication devices.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If optical axis adjustment is performed using traditional methods with separate workers for light emitter and light receiver, then measurement accuracy can be maintained, but task efficiency decreases due to requiring two workers and communication devices

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveoptical axis alignment accuracyVSAvoidoptical axis adjustment efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies the copying principle by displaying the measurement results from the light receiver on a display device at the light emitter side. This allows the worker at the light emitter to see the same information that would otherwise be visible only at the light receiver, enabling single-worker operation while maintaining alignment accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The display device acts as an intermediary that transfers the measurement result information from the light receiver to the light emitter location. This intermediary enables the worker to access transmittance information remotely without needing to physically move to the light receiver or use communication devices.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Length of stationary object

If the smoke duct diameter is increased to several tens of meters, then the measurement range is improved, but transmittance decreases significantly with slight optical axis offsets

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesmoke duct lengthVSAvoidlaser light transmittance
Core Design Contradiction:
Length of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements feedback by displaying the transmittance measurement results in real-time on a display device during optical axis adjustment. This allows the worker to immediately see the effect of any optical axis offset and make precise adjustments to maximize transmittance, which is critical for long smoke ducts where even slight offsets cause significant transmittance loss.

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 configuration allows a single worker to efficiently perform optical axis adjustments, improving task efficiency and reducing the need for dual worker operations, even in setups with longer smoke ducts where transmittance decreases with slight axis offsets.

Implementation Method 1

measures components contained in a gas to be measured and the concentration, etc., thereof based on the absorption spectrum of a laser light which transmits the gas to be measured

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAbsorption spectrum: Absorption (EM radiation)

Data Source

PatentEP3029451B1Laser gas analyzer
Publication Date: 2020.11.11 YOKOGAWA ELECTRIC CORP
  • EP3029451B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3029451B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP3029451B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

A laser gas analyzer (1) including a light emitter (10) for emitting a laser light irradiated onto a gas to be measured (X) which, for example, flows as smoke through a duct or pipe (P); a light receiver (20) for receiving a laser light which transmitted the gas to be measured (X); a plurality of optical-axis adjustment mechanisms (10b, 20b), one of which is provided in the light emitter (10) and the other one of which is provided in the light receiver (20); a main display (D1) which is provided in one of the light emitter (10) and the light receiver (20), preferably in the light receiver (20), said main display (D1) is arranged to display the measured result acquired by receiving the laser light which transmitted the gas to be measured (X); and a sub-display (D2) which is provided in the other one of the light emitter (10) and the light receiver (20), preferably in the light emitter (10), said sub-display (D2) is arranged to display a part of the measured result displayed on the main display (D1).