US3558283A - Determination of reactive hydrocarbons in air - Google Patents
Determination of reactive hydrocarbons in air Download PDFInfo
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- US3558283A US3558283A US646150A US3558283DA US3558283A US 3558283 A US3558283 A US 3558283A US 646150 A US646150 A US 646150A US 3558283D A US3558283D A US 3558283DA US 3558283 A US3558283 A US 3558283A
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- 229930195733 hydrocarbon Natural products 0.000 title abstract description 24
- 150000002430 hydrocarbons Chemical class 0.000 title abstract description 24
- 239000007789 gas Substances 0.000 abstract description 44
- 238000002485 combustion reaction Methods 0.000 abstract description 24
- QAOWNCQODCNURD-UHFFFAOYSA-N Sulfuric acid Chemical compound OS(O)(=O)=O QAOWNCQODCNURD-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 abstract description 10
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 abstract description 9
- 229910052783 alkali metal Inorganic materials 0.000 abstract description 5
- 239000008187 granular material Substances 0.000 abstract description 5
- SOCTUWSJJQCPFX-UHFFFAOYSA-N dichromate(2-) Chemical compound [O-][Cr](=O)(=O)O[Cr]([O-])(=O)=O SOCTUWSJJQCPFX-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 abstract description 4
- 150000001340 alkali metals Chemical class 0.000 abstract 1
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 8
- 239000002253 acid Substances 0.000 description 6
- JHWIEAWILPSRMU-UHFFFAOYSA-N 2-methyl-3-pyrimidin-4-ylpropanoic acid Chemical compound OC(=O)C(C)CC1=CC=NC=N1 JHWIEAWILPSRMU-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 4
- 239000004215 Carbon black (E152) Substances 0.000 description 4
- -1 alkali metal dichromate Chemical class 0.000 description 4
- VNWKTOKETHGBQD-UHFFFAOYSA-N methane Chemical compound C VNWKTOKETHGBQD-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 4
- 229920006395 saturated elastomer Polymers 0.000 description 4
- 238000003915 air pollution Methods 0.000 description 3
- 230000003197 catalytic effect Effects 0.000 description 3
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- VYPSYNLAJGMNEJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Silicium dioxide Chemical compound O=[Si]=O VYPSYNLAJGMNEJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 238000007084 catalytic combustion reaction Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000011521 glass Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000003345 natural gas Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000001117 sulphuric acid Substances 0.000 description 2
- 235000011149 sulphuric acid Nutrition 0.000 description 2
- 238000012360 testing method Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000000007 visual effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 239000005909 Kieselgur Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000002159 abnormal effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- PNEYBMLMFCGWSK-UHFFFAOYSA-N aluminium oxide Inorganic materials [O-2].[O-2].[O-2].[Al+3].[Al+3] PNEYBMLMFCGWSK-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 238000013459 approach Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000005540 biological transmission Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000015572 biosynthetic process Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000011449 brick Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000012876 carrier material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000003054 catalyst Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000003153 chemical reaction reagent Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000004880 explosion Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000000446 fuel Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000003502 gasoline Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000011491 glass wool Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000010438 heat treatment Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000002440 industrial waste Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000008235 industrial water Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000007689 inspection Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000012544 monitoring process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000001590 oxidative effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000005949 ozonolysis reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
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Images
Classifications
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- G01N27/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of electric, electrochemical, or magnetic means
- G01N27/02—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of electric, electrochemical, or magnetic means by investigating impedance
- G01N27/04—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of electric, electrochemical, or magnetic means by investigating impedance by investigating resistance
- G01N27/14—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of electric, electrochemical, or magnetic means by investigating impedance by investigating resistance of an electrically-heated body in dependence upon change of temperature
- G01N27/16—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of electric, electrochemical, or magnetic means by investigating impedance by investigating resistance of an electrically-heated body in dependence upon change of temperature caused by burning or catalytic oxidation of surrounding material to be tested, e.g. of gas
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- G01N33/00—Investigating or analysing materials by specific methods not covered by groups G01N1/00 - G01N31/00
- G01N33/0004—Gaseous mixtures, e.g. polluted air
- G01N33/0009—General constructional details of gas analysers, e.g. portable test equipment
- G01N33/0022—General constructional details of gas analysers, e.g. portable test equipment using a number of analysing channels
- G01N33/0024—General constructional details of gas analysers, e.g. portable test equipment using a number of analysing channels a chemical reaction taking place or a gas being eliminated in one or more channels
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T436/00—Chemistry: analytical and immunological testing
- Y10T436/21—Hydrocarbon
- Y10T436/218—Total hydrocarbon, flammability, combustibility [e.g., air-fuel mixture, etc.]
Definitions
- Reactive hydrocarbons (RH) in automotive exhaust gases are determined by the difference in heat effect of combustion upon the gases with and without their content of RH. Preferably, this is accomplished by subjecting a stream of the exhaust gases to combustion, then removing the RH from the stream and again subjecting it to combustion, the content of reactive hydrocarbons being determined as a function of the difference in the heats of combustion before and after removal of the RH.
- the RH removal is effected by passage of the gases through a body of acid-resistant granular material impregnated with an anhydrous solution of sulfuric acid and an alkali metal dichromate.
- a difliculty encountered with the use of catalytic systems, after-burners and related devices is that the content of RH in the exhaust varies with operating conditions such, for example, as whether the internal combustion engine is operating under normal or abnormal load, and differences in atmospheric conditions such as high and low humidity and variations in barometric pressure.
- the problem is complicated because the industry has lacked simple, reliable and relatively inexpensive means for monitoring the exhaust gases under all possible conditions. And although the substitution of natural gas or LPG would presumably solve the RH problem there would be encountered such factors as the necessity for storing enormous amounts of such gases under pressure which would involve cryogenic storage conditions and this involves great expense as well as the fire and explosion hazards attendant upon the storage and transmission of such gases.
- a further object is to provide a simple and inexpensive device for stripping RH from automotive exhaust gases.
- FIG. 1 is a schematic representation illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention.
- FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of another embodiment.
- a stream of automotive exhaust gases to be tested for its content of RH is introduced in a conduit 1, FIG. 1, Within which there are mounted electrically heated catalytic combustion filaments 2 and 3.
- the gases emerging from conduit 1 enter a conduit 4 and are passed through a column 5 capable of stripping the reactive hydrocarbons from the gas stream.
- the thus treated gases, now freed from RH, then pass through a conduit 6 to another conduit 7 containing electrically heated catalytic combustion filaments 8 and 9.
- Conduit 7 has an extension 7a from its outlet to a suction pump 10.
- a supply 11 which may be one or more batteries in the case of portable equipment, from which conductors 12 and 13 establish a Wheatstone bridge-like circuit made up of the combustion filaments 2, 3, 8 and 9 and conductors 14, 15, 16 and 17.
- a sensitive meter 18 with conductors 19 and 20 completes the bridge circuit.
- Zero adjustment of the meter is accomplished in accordance with normal Wheatstone bridge practice by a rheostat 21 which serves to establish a null condition at the beginning of a test.
- Span adjustment to take care of different concentrations of RH is achieved through a rheostat 22. It should be pointed out that this embodiment is operative because only a small portion of the combustibles (RH) are consumed on the catalytic surfaces 2 and 3.
- the stripping column of this invention consists of an elongated container, preferably of glass or other acidresistant transparent material, which contains a body of inert granular material impregnated with substantially anhydrous sulphuric acid (H having dissolved in it an alkali metal dichromate, preferably sodium dichromate (Na Cr O- Preferably also the acid used is preliminarily saturated with the dichromate, most suitably in initially dehydrated condition.
- substantially anhydrous sulphuric acid H having dissolved in it an alkali metal dichromate, preferably sodium dichromate (Na Cr O-
- the acid used is preliminarily saturated with the dichromate, most suitably in initially dehydrated condition.
- acidwashed diatomaceous earth a variety of other carrier materials are available such, for instance, as fire-brick, silica gel, alumina, and the like.
- sodium dichromate is dehydrated by heating at C. for four hours and it is then added to anhydrous sulphuric acid (reagent grade) in the proportion of 3 g. of the dehydrated dichromate to 40 cc. of the acid. The solution is allowed to stand until it assumes a dark red color, This aciddichromate solution is then thoroughly mixed with the inert carrier in the proportion of 24 g. of the acid solution to 60 g. of the inert carrier.
- a stripping column adequate for use in a portable instrument in accordance with the invention may be prepared by filling a glass tube of 11 mm. diameter and six inches long with the impregnated carrier, and closing the ends of the tube with glass Wool plugs.
- the exhaust gas to be tested is drawn by a pump into conduit 1 and passed over combustion filaments 2 and 3 after which it passes through the stripping column 5 and thence over the combustion filaments 8 and 9 followed by discharge to the atmosphere through conduit 7a.
- the circuit is such that the meter indicates the difference in heat of combustion of the gas stream before and after removal of the RH by the stripping column.
- Preliminary calibration using gases of known contents of reactive hydrocarbons will estabish a span setting so that the meter response will indicate the amount of reactive hydrocarbons in the gas being tested.
- a stream of automotive exhaust gases may be split into equal portions one of which is subjected to combustion while the other is treated to remove the RH and then subjected to combustion using a similar system for obtaining the net effect of combustion of the two streams.
- FIG. 2 is illustrative of this embodiment.
- the stream of exhaust gases moves through a conduit 23 to a T having branches 24 and 25, one of which is provided with a regulating valve 26 for spitting the gas stream into two equal portions.
- the gases pass to a flame ionization detector 27, a known type of device, where substantially all of the RH are consumed.
- the other branch stream passes first through a stripping column 28 of the type described above and thence to another flame ionization detector 29. After passage through detectors 27 and 29 the treated gases are exhausted.
- Electric current is supplied to the detectors 27 and 29 from a source 30 from which leads 31 and 32 feed detectors 27 and 29 respectively.
- the outputs from these two detectors are passed to a summing amplifier 33, as shown.
- a suitable meter 34 associated with the amplifier shows the difference between the two input signals and hence is a measure of the RH content of the raw incoming exhaust gases.
- a method of determining the reactive hydrocarbon content of automotive exhaust gases comprising determining the heat effect of combustion upon a stream of the gases and also upon a stream from which the reactive hydrocarbons have been removed by passage through a body of acid-resistant granular material impregnated with a substantially anhydrous solution of sulfuric acid and an alkali metal dichromate, and applying the two heat effects to means responsive to the difference between them and thereby determining the reactive hydrocarbon content of the said gases.
- a method of determining the reactive hydrocarbon content of automative exhaust gases comprising passing a stream of said gases into contact with electrically heated combustion filaments in opposed arms of a Wheatstone bridge, then removing the reactive hydrocarbons from the stream by passing said stream through a body of acidresistant granular material impregnated with a substantially anhydrous solution of sulfuric acid and and alkali metal dichromate and then passing ths stream over the opposed other arms of the same bridge and applying the output of the Wheatstone bridge to provide a measure of the amount of reactive hydrocarbons in the exhaust gases.
- a method of determining the reactive hydrocarbon content of automotive exhaust gases comprising splitting a stream of said gases into two equal portions, subjecting one of said equal portions to combustion, removing the reactive hydrocarbons from the other of said equal portions by passing said other equal portion through a body UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,591,761 4/1952 Zaikowsky 73-27 2,633,737 4/1953 Richardson 73-27 3,026,713 3/1962 Block 73-27 3,237,181 2/1966 Palmer 73-27X 3,239,828 3/1966 Peterman 73-27X 3,224,838 12/1965 Evans 23-232 3,366,456 1/1968 Andreatch 23-230 OTHER REFERENCES A. Polgar, Organic Analysis, J. Mitchell, Jr. (ed), vol. III, 303, Interscience, New York, 1956.
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- Immunology (AREA)
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Pathology (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
- Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
- Biochemistry (AREA)
- General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Medicinal Chemistry (AREA)
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Abstract
REACTIVE HYDROCARBONS (RH) IN AUTOMOTIVE EXHAUST GASES ARE DETERMINED BY THE DIFFERENCES IN HEAT EFFECT OF COMBUSTION UPON THE GASES WITH AND WITHOUT THEIR CONTENT OF RH. PREFERABLY, THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED BY SUBJECTING A STREAM OF THE EXHAUST GASES TO COMBUSTION, THEN REMOVING THE RH FROM THE STREAM AND AGAIN SUBJECTING IT TO COMBUSTION, THE CONTENT OF REACTIVE HUDROCARBONS BEING DETERMINED AS A FUNCTION OF THE DIFFERENCE IN THE HEATS OF COMBUSTION BEFORE AND AFTER REMOVAL OF THE RH. THE RH REMOVAL IS EFFECTED BY PASSAGE OF THE GASES THROUGH A BODY OF ACID-RESISTANT GRANULAR MATERIAL IMPREGNATED WITH AN ANHYDROUS SOLUTION OF SULFURIC ACID AND AN ALKALI METAL DICHROMATE.
Description
Jan. 26,1971 w. R. FREEMAN ETAI- 3,558,233
' DETERMINATION OF REACTIVE HYDROCARBONS IN AIR Filed June 9, 1967 SAMPLQ were:
, 7 a. mu 5M sue-r1014 J P-Y3 5 f NWER. PPLY EXHAUST GASES" Pows'tz SUPPLY FLAME IONIZATI ON EJ'E-CTQB STBIPPING COL UMN 1642 J 63%??? W12 1.10/9 2. P65501467.
United States Patent 3,558,283 DETERMINATION OF REACTIVE HYDROCARBONS IN AIR William R. Freeman, Pittsburgh, Pa., and Karl J. Bombaugh, Framingham, Mass., assignors t0 Mine Safety Appliances Company, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Filed June 9, 1967, Ser. No. 646,150 Int. Cl. G01n /22 US. Cl. 23-232 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Reactive hydrocarbons (RH) in automotive exhaust gases are determined by the difference in heat effect of combustion upon the gases with and without their content of RH. Preferably, this is accomplished by subjecting a stream of the exhaust gases to combustion, then removing the RH from the stream and again subjecting it to combustion, the content of reactive hydrocarbons being determined as a function of the difference in the heats of combustion before and after removal of the RH. The RH removal is effected by passage of the gases through a body of acid-resistant granular material impregnated with an anhydrous solution of sulfuric acid and an alkali metal dichromate.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Air pollution workers believe that photochemical smogs are caused, at least in part, by photolytic ozonolysis of reactive hydrocarbons. They are therefore concerned with the removal of those hydrocarbons from automotive exhaust gases, at least to below an amount responsible for smog formation. Consequently, there are moves at both Federal and State levels not only seeking to limit the amount of RH emitted by automotive vehicles, but also to establish actual standards setting maximum permissible amounts. However, control of the allowable quantity of RH in exhaust gases is at present hampered by the lack of a simple method of measuring the amount of those hydrocarbons in the exhaust gases.
Various means and methods of minimizing air pollution and fog by automotive exhaust gases have been proposed and tried, but to date none has proved to be satisfactory for all conditions. Among the variety of proposals are those to pass the gases through oxidizing catalysts intended to convert the RH to innocuous compounds not productive of air pollution, to provide after-burners in the exhaust system, and various others.
It has been proposed also to substitute saturated compounds such as natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for the petroleum fuels now used because such saturated compounds are not productive of fog and smog.
A difliculty encountered with the use of catalytic systems, after-burners and related devices is that the content of RH in the exhaust varies with operating conditions such, for example, as whether the internal combustion engine is operating under normal or abnormal load, and differences in atmospheric conditions such as high and low humidity and variations in barometric pressure. The problem is complicated because the industry has lacked simple, reliable and relatively inexpensive means for monitoring the exhaust gases under all possible conditions. And although the substitution of natural gas or LPG would presumably solve the RH problem there would be encountered such factors as the necessity for storing enormous amounts of such gases under pressure which would involve cryogenic storage conditions and this involves great expense as well as the fire and explosion hazards attendant upon the storage and transmission of such gases.
Patented Jan. 26, 1971 It is among the objects of this invention to provide a method for the determination of reactive hydrocarbons (RH) in automotive exhaust gases which is rapid, simple, and operable by personnel not having technical training, is suited to field use as Well as at gasoline service stations, garages, inspection stations, and the like, and which make use of simple, relatively inexpensive, easily transportable apparatus consisting of standard equipment items and capable of visual, audible and recording response.
A further object is to provide a simple and inexpensive device for stripping RH from automotive exhaust gases.
THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings FIG. 1 is a schematic representation illustrative of the preferred embodiment of the invention, and
FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of another embodiment.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the preferred embodiment of this invention a stream of automotive exhaust gases to be tested for its content of RH is introduced in a conduit 1, FIG. 1, Within which there are mounted electrically heated catalytic combustion filaments 2 and 3. The gases emerging from conduit 1 enter a conduit 4 and are passed through a column 5 capable of stripping the reactive hydrocarbons from the gas stream. The thus treated gases, now freed from RH, then pass through a conduit 6 to another conduit 7 containing electrically heated catalytic combustion filaments 8 and 9. Conduit 7 has an extension 7a from its outlet to a suction pump 10.
Electrical power is supplied to the apparatus by a supply 11, which may be one or more batteries in the case of portable equipment, from which conductors 12 and 13 establish a Wheatstone bridge-like circuit made up of the combustion filaments 2, 3, 8 and 9 and conductors 14, 15, 16 and 17. A sensitive meter 18 with conductors 19 and 20 completes the bridge circuit. Zero adjustment of the meter is accomplished in accordance with normal Wheatstone bridge practice by a rheostat 21 which serves to establish a null condition at the beginning of a test. Span adjustment to take care of different concentrations of RH is achieved through a rheostat 22. It should be pointed out that this embodiment is operative because only a small portion of the combustibles (RH) are consumed on the catalytic surfaces 2 and 3.
The stripping column of this invention consists of an elongated container, preferably of glass or other acidresistant transparent material, which contains a body of inert granular material impregnated with substantially anhydrous sulphuric acid (H having dissolved in it an alkali metal dichromate, preferably sodium dichromate (Na Cr O- Preferably also the acid used is preliminarily saturated with the dichromate, most suitably in initially dehydrated condition. Although it is preferred to use acidwashed diatomaceous earth as the carrier, a variety of other carrier materials are available such, for instance, as fire-brick, silica gel, alumina, and the like.
As as example of the preparation of a stripping col umn in accordance with the invention, sodium dichromate is dehydrated by heating at C. for four hours and it is then added to anhydrous sulphuric acid (reagent grade) in the proportion of 3 g. of the dehydrated dichromate to 40 cc. of the acid. The solution is allowed to stand until it assumes a dark red color, This aciddichromate solution is then thoroughly mixed with the inert carrier in the proportion of 24 g. of the acid solution to 60 g. of the inert carrier.
A stripping column adequate for use in a portable instrument in accordance with the invention may be prepared by filling a glass tube of 11 mm. diameter and six inches long with the impregnated carrier, and closing the ends of the tube with glass Wool plugs. An advantage of the device as thus described is that the appearance of a purple color in the column indicates the approach of exhaustion of the stripping material and thus shows the need for replacing the column with a fresh one.
In the use of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 the exhaust gas to be tested is drawn by a pump into conduit 1 and passed over combustion filaments 2 and 3 after which it passes through the stripping column 5 and thence over the combustion filaments 8 and 9 followed by discharge to the atmosphere through conduit 7a. The circuit is such that the meter indicates the difference in heat of combustion of the gas stream before and after removal of the RH by the stripping column. Preliminary calibration using gases of known contents of reactive hydrocarbons will estabish a span setting so that the meter response will indicate the amount of reactive hydrocarbons in the gas being tested.
Although the invention has been described thus far with reference to passage of the exhaut gases through the system under reduced pressure, it will be clear to those familiar with the gas testing art that positive movement of exhaust gases through the system is equally applicable. Also, although the invention as thus described is based upon the use of the heats of combustion before and after removal of the reactive hydrocarbons, various other heat effects due to combustion may be used such, for example, as flame ionization in which the changes in ionization of a flame before and after removal of reactive hydrocarbons is applied to the same end.
Moreover, instead of subjecting a stream to combustion before and after removal of the RH, a stream of automotive exhaust gases may be split into equal portions one of which is subjected to combustion while the other is treated to remove the RH and then subjected to combustion using a similar system for obtaining the net effect of combustion of the two streams. FIG. 2 is illustrative of this embodiment. Here the stream of exhaust gases moves through a conduit 23 to a T having branches 24 and 25, one of which is provided with a regulating valve 26 for spitting the gas stream into two equal portions. From branch the gases pass to a flame ionization detector 27, a known type of device, where substantially all of the RH are consumed. The other branch stream passes first through a stripping column 28 of the type described above and thence to another flame ionization detector 29. After passage through detectors 27 and 29 the treated gases are exhausted.
Electric current is supplied to the detectors 27 and 29 from a source 30 from which leads 31 and 32 feed detectors 27 and 29 respectively. The outputs from these two detectors are passed to a summing amplifier 33, as shown. This is a standard piece of equipment. A suitable meter 34 associated with the amplifier shows the difference between the two input signals and hence is a measure of the RH content of the raw incoming exhaust gases.
There are, of course, other systems in which heat effects due to combustion may be applied for the same purpose, for instance, as determination of differences in thermal conductivity, various spectral determinations of the effect of heat upon streams with and without RH to determine the content of RH, and others. All such heat effects are within the purview of the invention. Also, instead of using a sensitive meter as a measuring instrument the output of the circuit may be used to actuate an audible or a visual signal, or both, when the content of reactive hydrocarbons reaches a predetermined value, or it may be applied to a recorder to provide a permanent record, all as will be understood by those concerned with such operations. Furthermore, combustion can be induced by means other than catalytic, e.g. by flame.
According to the provisions of the patent statutes, we have explained the principle of our invention and have illustrated and described what we now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, we desire to make it understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.
We claim:
1. A method of determining the reactive hydrocarbon content of automotive exhaust gases comprising determining the heat effect of combustion upon a stream of the gases and also upon a stream from which the reactive hydrocarbons have been removed by passage through a body of acid-resistant granular material impregnated with a substantially anhydrous solution of sulfuric acid and an alkali metal dichromate, and applying the two heat effects to means responsive to the difference between them and thereby determining the reactive hydrocarbon content of the said gases.
2. A method according to claim 1, said dichromate being sodium dichromate.
3. A method according to claim 1, in which the acid is saturated with sodium dichromate dissolved therein.
4. A method of determining the reactive hydrocarbon content of automative exhaust gases comprising passing a stream of said gases into contact with electrically heated combustion filaments in opposed arms of a Wheatstone bridge, then removing the reactive hydrocarbons from the stream by passing said stream through a body of acidresistant granular material impregnated with a substantially anhydrous solution of sulfuric acid and and alkali metal dichromate and then passing ths stream over the opposed other arms of the same bridge and applying the output of the Wheatstone bridge to provide a measure of the amount of reactive hydrocarbons in the exhaust gases.
5. A method of determining the reactive hydrocarbon content of automotive exhaust gases comprising splitting a stream of said gases into two equal portions, subjecting one of said equal portions to combustion, removing the reactive hydrocarbons from the other of said equal portions by passing said other equal portion through a body UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,591,761 4/1952 Zaikowsky 73-27 2,633,737 4/1953 Richardson 73-27 3,026,713 3/1962 Block 73-27 3,237,181 2/1966 Palmer 73-27X 3,239,828 3/1966 Peterman 73-27X 3,224,838 12/1965 Evans 23-232 3,366,456 1/1968 Andreatch 23-230 OTHER REFERENCES A. Polgar, Organic Analysis, J. Mitchell, Jr. (ed), vol. III, 303, Interscience, New York, 1956.
W. B. Innes, Industrial Water and Wastes, 5 (6), 191 (1960).
JOSEPH SCOVRONEK, Primary Examiner S. MARANTZ, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.
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US64615067A | 1967-06-09 | 1967-06-09 |
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US646150A Expired - Lifetime US3558283A (en) | 1967-06-09 | 1967-06-09 | Determination of reactive hydrocarbons in air |
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Cited By (14)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE2407940A1 (en) * | 1973-02-28 | 1974-09-26 | Mine Safety Appliances Co | Low boiling and total hydrocarbon measurement - by hydrogen flame burners, electro-meters and subtractive indicators |
US3852036A (en) * | 1971-12-28 | 1974-12-03 | Borg Warner | Breath testing system |
US3867097A (en) * | 1973-05-04 | 1975-02-18 | Us Health | Measurement of carbon dioxide |
US3915645A (en) * | 1973-04-24 | 1975-10-28 | Us Army | Chemical reaction transducers for use with flueric gas concentration sensing systems |
US3927979A (en) * | 1974-06-10 | 1975-12-23 | Westinghouse Electric Corp | Technique for measuring the carbon monoxide and reactive hydrocarbon content of a gas |
US4226675A (en) * | 1977-05-23 | 1980-10-07 | Comsip Delphi, Inc. | Method and apparatus for monitoring and measuring a gas |
WO1990009586A1 (en) * | 1989-02-11 | 1990-08-23 | Honeywell-Elac-Nautik Gmbh | Gas detector |
US5265417A (en) * | 1993-01-07 | 1993-11-30 | Ford Motor Company | Method and apparatus for determining the hydrocarbon conversion efficiency of a catalytic converter |
DE19515561A1 (en) * | 1995-04-27 | 1996-11-07 | Macherey Nagel & Co Chem | Hydrocarbon determn. in air, soil or water samples |
US5852227A (en) * | 1996-05-25 | 1998-12-22 | Pierburg Ag | Apparatus for measuring the composition of exhaust gases of internal combustion engines |
WO2010094750A1 (en) * | 2009-02-18 | 2010-08-26 | Beko Technologies Gmbh | Measuring device and method for detecting the hydrocarbon fraction in gases |
WO2013064280A1 (en) * | 2011-11-02 | 2013-05-10 | Hygrosens Instruments GmbH | Measurement device and method for detecting the hydrocarbon content in gases |
WO2013178714A1 (en) * | 2012-05-30 | 2013-12-05 | Beko Technologies Gmbh | Measuring apparatus and method for detecting the hydrocarbon fraction in gases while taking into account cross-sensitivities |
US11168629B2 (en) * | 2018-12-12 | 2021-11-09 | Horiba, Ltd. | Exhaust gas analysis apparatus, exhaust gas analysis method, and correction expression creation method |
-
1967
- 1967-06-09 US US646150A patent/US3558283A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Cited By (19)
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