Optical Liquid Analysis with Partial Degassing to Prevent Bubbles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Optical analysers for liquids containing dissolved gas face issues with gas bubble formation causing measurement inaccuracies, leading to unreliable results, and existing solutions either require pressurized containers, additional systems, or prolonged degassing times, increasing complexity and cost.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a piston pump system that transfers liquid under ambient pressure to allow partial degassing, followed by pressurization for analysis in a measurement cell, minimizing bubble formation and reducing system complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If liquid is analysed under ambient pressure, then measurement speed is improved, but gas bubbles form causing measurement errors
Solution Approach 1:
The liquid is pre-degassed under ambient pressure before analysis, removing dissolved gas in advance. This preliminary action prevents bubble formation during measurement, allowing fast analysis under ambient pressure without sacrificing accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
A degassing module is introduced as an intermediary component between the liquid supply and measurement cell. This module selectively removes dissolved gas through controlled off-gassing, enabling accurate measurement of the remaining liquid components without interference from gas bubbles.
2Reliability
If liquid is degassed completely before analysis, then measurement accuracy is improved, but analysis time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of complete degassing, the system applies partial degassing to remove only the dissolved gas portion while retaining the liquid. This partial action is sufficient to prevent bubble formation during measurement, achieving accurate results without the time consumption of complete degassing.
Solution Approach 2:
The degassing process occurs continuously during the analysis sequence rather than requiring a separate prolonged degassing step. The liquid flows continuously through the degassing module and into the measurement cell, maintaining continuous useful action without time loss.
3Reliability
If pressurized container is used to maintain dissolved gas, then bubble formation is prevented, but system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The dissolved gas is extracted from the liquid through controlled off-gassing in the degassing module. By removing the gas component separately, the system avoids the need for pressurized containers, simplifying the overall system while maintaining measurement accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The degassing module serves as an intermediary that handles the gas-liquid separation function, replacing the need for pressurized containment. This intermediary component enables accurate measurement without requiring complex pressurization systems.
4Productivity
If mechanical agitation is applied to speed up degassing, then degassing rate is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces mechanical agitation with a passive degassing module that utilizes controlled pressure differential and surface area for gas removal. This substitution eliminates the need for complex mechanical mixing devices while achieving effective degassing at the required speed.
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 approach saves time and simplifies the analysis process by reducing the need for manual degassing and dedicated pressurizing systems, while maintaining measurement accuracy by inhibiting bubble formation during analysis.
Implementation Method 1
transferring an amount of the liquid containing dissolved gas from a reservoir into a holder of a flow system of an optical analyser; holding the amount of the liquid containing the dissolved gas in the holder at around ambient pressure
Implementation Method 2
transferring at least a portion of the amount of the liquid containing the dissolved gas held in the holder under a pressure above ambient into a measurement cell of the optical analyser
Implementation Method 3
transmitting optical radiation from a light source, configured to generate optical radiation selected from within the wavelength region from and including the ultra-violet to and including the infrared, into the liquid sample and measuring a wavelength dependent attenuation of the interrogating optical radiation
Data Source
AI summary
A method of performing an optical analysis of a liquid containing dissolved gas includes transferring an amount of the liquid containing the dissolved gas from a reservoir into a holder of a flow system of the optical analyser, holding the amount of the liquid in the holder at around ambient pressure for a period such that a portion of the dissolved gas is expelled from the amount of liquid held in the holder while the holder is open to a waste reservoir, transferring at least a portion of the amount of the liquid containing the dissolved gas held in the holder under a pressure above ambient into a measurement cell of the optical analyser as a liquid sample, and performing the optical analysis of the liquid sample from a detection of optical radiation by an optical detector after its interaction with the liquid sample in the measurement cell.