When I worked for a leading manufacturer of Coriolis meters, I always had a saying: "A pound of oil in Louisiana is a pound of oil in Antarctica but not a quart." Now, in the realm of analyzers, you'll often hear me say, "Your analyzer is only as good as its sample system." When designing a robust sample system, one of the key elements is maintaining a constant flow, pressure, and temperature. If the pressure, whether it's forward or back pressure (which can cause no flow or reverse flow), and temperature are fluctuating, compensation is often necessary. For technologies like UV, NIR, MIR, TDLAS, LED, or ASTM Method Physical Property Analyzers, the heartbeat of these instruments lies in the consistent flow and pressure of samples. This is where Alicat Flow and Pressure controllers come into play. These devices not only measure the mass flow rate and pressure but also actively control it, ensuring a steady and reliable stream of samples for accurate and repeatable results. Now, let's delve a little into the chemistry.
The 4 gas laws or also known as the Ideal Gas Law.
Understanding the four laws governing gas behavior—Boyle's Law, Charles' Law, Avogadro's Law, and Dalton's Law—provides additional insights into the nuances of gas analysis.
Boyle's Law: Describing the inverse relationship between pressure and volume at constant temperature, Boyle's Law informs system design to mitigate the impact of pressure changes on gas volume.
Charles' Law: Highlighting the direct proportionality between temperature and volume under constant pressure, engineers must consider Charles' Law when implementing temperature control mechanisms for stable operating conditions.
Avogadro's Law: Emphasizing the relationship between gas volume and the number of moles at constant temperature and pressure, technicians must apply this law to accurately determine gas quantity during analysis.
Dalton's Law: Dalton's Law underscores the behavior of gas mixtures, emphasizing the importance of considering gas composition when designing analyzers to accommodate the diverse nature of industrial gas streams.
Alicat's Instrinsically-Safe Flow and Pressure Controllers.
Importance of Steady Sample Flow and Pressure for continuous online analyzers:
If using UV, IR, or TDLAS online analyzers, they all require a consistent pressure, temperature, and flow rate for optimal performance. Fluctuations in mass flow can lead to variations in sample concentration, potentially skewing results. Mass flow controllers play a pivotal role in stabilizing the flow, providing a foundation for precise measurements and enhancing the overall reliability of the analytical process. When it comes to technologies like gas chromatography, rely heavily on accurate mass flow and pressure control to ensure efficient separation and detection of analytes. If the pressure increases that can speed up the retention time and peaks widths will change, causing an error in the reading.
In addition to mass flow and pressure control, temperature compensation further solidifies the reliability of analytical measurements. Alicat's Mass flow controllers are equipped with temperature sensors enable real-time adjustments, ensuring that the sample temperature remains constant. This feature is especially crucial in processes where temperature fluctuations can impact the accuracy of the analysis.
Alicat's innovative mass flow and pressure controllers stand as a beacon in the world of analytical chemistry. These multivariable devices go beyond conventional controllers, offering the ability to measure and control both pressure and flow in a single, compact package. This eliminates multiple pieces of equipment in a sample system. Alicat controllers excel in providing real-time data, offering outputs for mass or volume flow, pressure, and temperature—all crucial parameters for maintaining the stability of analytical processes.
To discuss your flow and pressure issues, please contact Bobby Singh or Greg Brumfield by clicking the contact button below!
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