Rotating Gas Separation Cartridge for Safe Tube Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current gas separation technologies require manual installation and removal of glass tubes, which is time-consuming, potentially dangerous, and involves handling broken glass, leading to safety risks and increased cleanup efforts.
Innovation Solution
A gas separation cartridge with multiple individual tubes or chambers accessible by rotating a single container, where each passage is physically separated by a gas-impermeable barrier, allowing for easy access and replacement without manual handling of broken glass, reducing the need for frequent tube changes and minimizing safety hazards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If multiple gas separation tubes are manually installed one-at-a-time onto a gas sensor, then each tube can be individually accessed and used, but the process becomes time-consuming and potentially dangerous due to manual handling of broken glass
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple individual gas separation tubes are merged into a single cartridge assembly that contains multiple passages, each with its own absorbent material. The cartridge is installed as one unit on the gas sensor, eliminating the need to manually install multiple separate tubes. This combining approach maintains individual tube functionality while reducing installation time and manual handling operations.
2Productivity
If glass tubes are manually broken to allow air flow, then the tubes become functional for gas separation, but safety risks increase and cleanup efforts are required
Solution Approach 1:
The glass tubes are pre-broken during the manufacturing process before the cartridge is assembled and shipped. The breaking action is performed in a controlled factory environment where safety precautions are in place and broken glass can be properly contained and disposed of. By the time the cartridge reaches the user, the tubes are already prepared for immediate use without requiring field breaking operations.
Solution Approach 2:
A removable cap or seal acts as an intermediary that closes the tube openings during storage and transport. This cap protects the broken tube ends and prevents glass shards from escaping. When the cartridge is installed, the cap is removed to allow air flow through the pre-broken tubes, eliminating the need for users to handle broken glass.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a single cartridge contains multiple passages with physical barriers, then access to multiple tubes is enabled through rotation, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The internal structure of the cartridge is segmented into multiple independent passages, each containing its own absorbent material and flow path. These passages are separated by thin gas-impermeable barriers that divide the internal volume. The segmentation allows each passage to function independently while being accessed through a single rotating cartridge interface, providing versatility without requiring complex external mechanisms.
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 solution streamlines the process by allowing multiple gas separation tubes to be accessed and replaced within a single cartridge, reducing installation and removal time, minimizing interruptions in air sampling, and eliminating the risk of handling broken glass, thereby enhancing safety and operational efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
The passages are physically separated from each other by a gas impermeable, inert barrier
Implementation Method 2
high surface area carbon is used to adsorb extraneous volatile organic gas species
Data Source
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AI summary
A gas separation cartridge including a housing comprising an inlet port for an air sample to enter; a top cover attached to the housing; an upper cavity comprising individual chambers comprised of a chemical or an absorbent or a mixture thereof attached to the top cover wherein each end of each chamber has an opening; a bottom cover attached to the upper cavity, wherein the bottom cover comprises a lower cavity, a separate opening for an air sample traveling from an individual chamber to pass through, and a separate opening for an air sample that does not pass through an individual chamber; and a base upon which the bottom cover of the cartridge is seated, wherein the base has an exit port.