Zirconia Oxygen Sensor Droplet Separation for Containment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for measuring oxygen concentration in a containment with mixed vapour, air, and droplets are inaccurate due to pressure changes and the presence of droplets, which complicates the measurement process and increases the risk of radioactive leakage.
Innovation Solution
A real-time measuring device that includes a measurement pipeline with a gas-liquid separation structure, a zirconia oxygen concentration sensor with a built-in thermal resistor, and a signal processing unit to correct the oxygen concentration signal in real-time based on pressure and temperature signals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If external sampling measurement method is used to measure oxygen concentration in containment, then measurement can be performed, but the measurement process becomes complicated and data distortion occurs, failing to reflect real-time gas content changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the measurement function from the external sampling system and implements it directly inside the containment environment using a zirconia oxygen sensor. This eliminates the need for complex sampling tubes and external measurement equipment, achieving real-time measurement while simplifying the overall measurement system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a gas-liquid separation structure as an intermediary component between the measured gas and the zirconia sensor. This mediator removes droplets from the gas stream before they reach the sensor, protecting the sensor from damage while maintaining real-time measurement capability.
2Productivity
If zirconia oxygen concentration sensor is used for direct measurement in droplet environment, then real-time measurement is achieved, but the high-temperature sensor vaporizes droplets and changes gas composition, affecting measurement accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by removing droplets from the gas stream before they reach the zirconia sensor. The gas-liquid separation structure performs this separation in advance, ensuring that only dry gas contacts the high-temperature sensor, thus preventing droplet vaporization and maintaining measurement accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the harmful droplets from the measured gas stream using the gas-liquid separation structure. This separation removes the problematic component (droplets) that would otherwise interact with the sensor and cause measurement errors, allowing the sensor to measure only the gas phase composition.
3Reliability
If zirconia oxygen concentration sensor operates in high-temperature environment, then oxygen measurement function is activated, but droplets in carrier gas are heated and vaporized, changing gas composition
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the potential harm of high-temperature operation into a benefit by using the gas-liquid separation structure to pre-condition the gas stream. The separation structure eliminates droplets before they encounter the sensor, transforming what would be a harmful interaction into a clean measurement process where only gas phase components are measured.
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
The device effectively separates and removes droplets from the measured gas, allowing for accurate real-time measurement of oxygen concentration in a variable pressure environment, thereby overcoming the limitations of existing methods.
Implementation Method 1
the droplets stay on the burrs of the gas-liquid separation structure through inertial collision with the burrs in the flowing process
Implementation Method 2
a potential difference will be formed on the surface of zirconia when oxygen partial pressures on two sides of zirconia are different in a high temperature environment (greater than 650° C.)
Implementation Method 3
a zirconia intra-tube thermal resistor which is arranged inside the zirconia inner tube, wherein normal pressure air... is arranged in the zirconia inner tube as a reference gas, and the zirconia intra-tube thermal resistor is used for measuring the temperature of the reference gas
Implementation Method 4
measuring a real-time absolute pressure P2 in a gas environment to be measured by the pressure sensor
Implementation Method 5
the signal processing unit obtains the amplified and AD converted zirconia oxygen concentration sensing signal, pressure sensing signal and the temperature sensing signal and calculates real-time oxygen concentration
Data Source
AI summary
A real-time measuring device of oxygen concentration in a droplet environment, comprising: a measurement pipeline, a gas-liquid separation structure installed inside a side of the gas inlet of the measurement pipeline, a pressure sensor, a zirconia oxygen concentration sensor with a built-in thermal resistor, a digital signal converter, a signal amplifier and a signal processing unit sequentially installed at the gas outlet of the measurement pipeline, wherein the pressure sensor, the thermal resistor and the zirconia oxygen concentration sensor are connected to the digital signal converter and the signal amplifier, respectively, and the signal processing unit obtains the amplified and AD converted zirconia oxygen concentration sensing signal, pressure sensing signal and the temperature sensing signal and calculates real-time oxygen concentration.