HK1069876B - Non-instrusive device and conduit-mounted light-transmitting device for optical analysis - Google Patents

Description

Non-intrusive device for optical analysis and light transmission device for duct assembly

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to spectroscopy, and more particularly to a non-intrusive device for allowing the spectroscopic analysis of material passing through a pipe section of a given process plant process line.

Background

It is known to use spectroscopy to monitor the chemical composition and physical properties of various solutions used in processing plants, such as the chemical, pharmaceutical, petroleum, semiconductor and food product processing industries. Generally, such spectral analysis is performed by taking a sample of an analyzed substance from a process line of a processing plant and performing spectrometric analysis of the collected sample by passing near-infrared to far-infrared radiation therethrough.

Instead of the above-described method, it is preferable to perform the in-line test directly through the pipe portion of the process line, and this can avoid modification of the process line when it includes a pipe portion made of a light-transmitting material directly through the existing pipe portion.

Disclosure of Invention

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a light transmission device adapted to be fitted outside a pipe section of a process line for allowing spectroscopic analysis of a substance circulating through the pipe section.

It is another object of the present invention to provide on-line analysis of a substance without the need to extract a sample of the substance from a process line through which the substance is circulated.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a light-transmitting device for allowing spectroscopic analysis of a substance circulating through a process line without the need for modification of the process line when the process line comprises a pipe section made of a light-transmitting material.

Thus, according to the present invention, there is provided a non-intrusive apparatus for allowing spectroscopic analysis of a confined process stream passing through a light transmissive pipe section of a process line, the apparatus comprising: a clip adapted to fit outside the light-transmissive tubing portion, the clip being at least partially made of a light-transmissive material and being connectable to a light source for directing a light beam transversely through the tubing portion.

The term spectroscopic analysis is here intended to mean the investigation of a substance or object by means of electromagnetic spectroscopy, in particular the analysis of its chemical composition and physical properties.

Here, the term light is intended to mean light of all wavelengths included in the electromagnetic spectrum, including the ultraviolet, visible and infrared portions of the electromagnetic spectrum.

According to another general aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tube-fitting light-transmitting device for allowing spectroscopic analysis of a substance passing through a process line tube portion, wherein the tube portion is made of a light-transmitting material, the tube-fitting light-transmitting device comprising: a clip adapted to be detachably secured around the conduit portion, the clip forming an optical path (optical path) intersecting the conduit portion when the clip is secured around the conduit portion.

Drawings

Having thus described the nature of the invention in general terms, the invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, which show by way of illustration preferred embodiments of the invention, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a process line with a light-transmitting device according to the present invention mounted externally of the process line for allowing spectral analysis of a process stream passing through the tube of the process line;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a light transmitting device mounted on a portion of the process line;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged exploded view of a portion of the light transmission device showing how the device is removably secured about a portion of a process line; and

fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a light transmitting device mounted on the process line.

Detailed Description

As will be explained below, the present invention generally relates to a light transmissive device 10 that is adapted to be removably secured about a process line of a given process plant to allow optical analysis of the composition and/or physical properties of a substance circulating through the process line. More specifically, the light-transmitting device 10 is adapted to be externally installed in a pipe section of an existing process line to guide a light beam (visible, near-infrared, or infrared) from a remote light source (not shown) through the pipe section and then to transmit light emitted from an illuminated substance through the pipe section to a light-receiving sensor (not shown), such as a spectrometer. It should be understood that the conduit portion of the process line must be made of an optically transparent or translucent material, such as Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), other fluorinated hydrocarbon polymers, and any other optically/infrared transmissive material, to allow light to pass laterally therethrough. For example, the pipe sections may be Teflon @^TMGlass, polypropylene, polystyrene or other polymers.

As will be seen below, the present invention advantageously enables on-line control and monitoring of process streams without the need to extract product samples from the process lines. Thus, there is no risk of that contaminating the process stream. The present invention is further advantageous in industrial applications of process lines comprising a light-transmissive pipe section, wherein control and monitoring of the process flow can be performed by simply installing a light-transmissive device outside the light-transmissive pipe section of the process line, i.e. without replacing a section of the process line with a light-transmissive pipe section, thereby eliminating any process interruption. That is, in those applications, the process lines do not require any form of modification. It is only necessary to fit the light-transmitting device 10 outside the light-transmitting pipe section of the process line.

Fig. 1 is an illustration showing one possible application of the present invention. More specifically, FIG. 1 showsA wet station 12, such as the one used in the semiconductor industry, is shown. The wetting station 12 is essentially constituted by a circulation line 14 comprising: teflon (R) coated with Teflon (R) resin^TMThe tube 22 connects the tank 16, the filter 18 and the pump 20 together in a closed cycle. The tank 16 can contain various solutions, such as a cleaning solution, a stripping solution, or an etching solution.

As seen in FIG. 1, light transmission device 10 is directly mounted on Teflon on a selected pipe portion of existing process pipeline 14^TMThe exterior of the tube 22. The light transmissive device 10 generally includes a clip 24 adapted to be detachably secured to different pipes or tubes having different outer diameters.

The clip 24 has a hollow body 26 defining an open-ended peripheral elongate slot 28 adapted to receive one of a plurality of interchangeable tube adapters, one of which is indicated at 30 in figure 3. A different conduit adapter is used for each conduit diameter so that the body 26 can fit over a wide variety of conduits. The tube adapter 30 includes a pair of spaced apart tube gripping arms 32 extending perpendicularly from a bottom wall 33 for tightly gripping a tube or pipe having an outer diameter slightly larger than the spacing between the gripping arms 32. At least the bottom wall 33 of the adapter 30 is made of a light transmissive material such as, but not limited to, PTFE or other fluorinated hydrocarbon polymer. Once the correct adapter is selected and installed on the selected pipe portion of the process line 14, the body 26 is brought onto the adapter 30 to position the adapter within the slot 28 of the body 26. Adapter 30 is held clamped within slot 28 by cover plate 34. The cover plate 34 is detachably secured to the body 26 by screws 36. The cover plate 34 is provided on its lower surface with an elongated locking rib 38, the locking rib 38 for engagement between a pair of axially spaced locking fingers 40 projecting laterally outwardly from one of the clamp arms 32 of the pipe adaptor 30 to lock the adaptor 30 within the slot 28 against axial sliding movement.

As shown in FIG. 4, the body 26 is disposed to one side of its slot 28 and incorporates a first connector 41 for receiving a distal portion of a first optical fiber cable 42. An opposite proximal end of the first fiber optic cable 42 is connected to a light source (not shown) for directing a light beam such as, but not limited to, an infrared light beam (IR light beam) or a near infrared light beam (NIR light beam) transversely through the Teflon @processline 14^TMThe tube 22 constitutes a conduit portion. The side walls of the slot 28 may be made of a light-transmissive material to allow the light beam to pass therethrough, or alternatively, a pair of oppositely aligned light-transmissive windows 44 may be formed therein. The window 44 may be provided in the form of a hole. The light beam is directed to intersect the central axis of the pipe section on which the clip 24 is fitted.

According to the illustrated embodiment of the invention, light emitted from the illuminating processing solution is passed through Teflon^TMThe conduit portion of tube 22, bottom wall 33 of conduit adaptor 30 and one of the side walls of slot 28 are turned 180 degrees by a pair of flat mirrors 46 (see fig. 4) before being transmitted to the light receiving sensor via a second fiber optic cable 48, the distal end portion of which second fiber optic cable 48 is connected to body 26 of clip 24 by a second connector 50. According to one embodiment of the invention, the flat mirror 46 is mounted within the hollow body 26 of the clip 24 using an aluminum frame (not shown). It should be noted that a lens may also be provided to focus the transmitted light onto the second fiber optic cable 48, or alternatively directly onto the light receiving sensor. Also, it should be noted that the second connector 50 may be disposed on an opposite side of the slot 28 from the first connector and aligned therewith. In fact, various optical elements may be integrally disposed within the hollow body 26 of the clip 24 to cause the light to follow the optical path between the light source and the light receiving sensor. According to an embodiment of the invention, the hollow body 26 of the clip 24 is made of Teflon^TMMade to protect the optical elements housed therein from the surrounding environment. However, it should be understood that the clip 24 may be made from a variety of materials.

In the case where tube 22 is made of a non-optically transparent or translucent material, a portion of such a tube may be replaced once with an appropriate tubing portion, and then light-transmitting device 10 may be used when it is needed, without further modification of the tube of the process line.

As will be appreciated from the foregoing, the present invention enables on-line spectroscopic detection to determine the chemical composition and/or nature of a substance passing through an existing pipe section in which the substance is circulating.

It is readily seen that the invention described above has a number of advantages which can be summarized as follows: no sample preparation is required, installation is rapid without process interruption, no contact at all, no insertion, no possibility of contamination, etc.

Claims (15)

1. A non-intrusive device for allowing spectral analysis of a restricted process flow through a light transmissive pipe portion of a process line, the device comprising: a clip adapted to fit outside the light-transmissive tubing portion, the clip being at least partially made of a light-transmissive material; an input fiber optic cable connectable to the clamp for directing a light beam from a light source transversely through the conduit portion; an output fiber optic cable connectable to the clip for transmitting light from the conduit portion to a light receiving sensor, and wherein the clip includes a hollow body housing at least one optical element, the hollow body forming a peripheral slot for receiving a light transmitting conduit portion of a process line, the optical element focusing light transmitted through the conduit portion to the output fiber optic cable.

2. A non-intrusive device as defined in claim 1, wherein said clip is adapted to be releasably secured around a light-transmissive conduit portion.

3. The non-intrusive device of claim 1, wherein said clip is adjustable so as to be securable to light-transmissive conduits having different cross-sectional dimensions.

4. The non-intrusive device of claim 1, wherein said body defines a peripheral slot for receiving an interchangeable pipe adapter adapted to grip pipes having different outside diameters.

5. The non-intrusive device of claim 4, wherein the clip further comprises: a removable cover for maintaining a selected one of the interchangeable tube adapters clamped within the peripheral slot.

6. The non-intrusive device of claim 1, wherein the body forms a peripheral slot having a wall made of a light transmissive material.

7. The non-intrusive device of claim 6, wherein the body has a first connector adapted to connect to the incoming fiber optic cable to direct the light beam through the peripheral slot and through the light-transmissive conduit portion to which the clip is fitted, and wherein the at least one optical element comprises a lens.

8. The non-intrusive device of claim 7, wherein the body has a second connector adapted to connect to a light receiving sensor for receiving light emitted from the process stream through the light-transmissive conduit and the peripheral slot of the clip.

9. The non-intrusive device of claim 8, wherein the second connector is connectable to the light receiving sensor via the output fiber optic cable.

10. The non-intrusive device of claim 1, wherein a conduit adapter is removably mounted within said slot, said conduit adapter having a bottom wall from which extends a pair of spaced-apart clip arms adapted to receive a light-transmissive conduit portion therebetween, wherein said conduit adapter is at least partially made of a light-transmissive material.

11. A tube-fitting light-transmissive device, in combination with a light-transmissive tube portion fitted in a process line, for allowing optical analysis of a substance in the process line, the tube-fitting light-transmissive device comprising: a clip detachably secured about the conduit portion, the clip forming an optical path intersecting the conduit portion when the clip is secured about the conduit portion, wherein the clip has a hollow body forming a peripheral slot for receiving a light transmitting conduit portion of a process line, the hollow body having a tube engaging portion by which the hollow body is releasably fitted directly over the light transmitting tube portion, the optical path extending through the conduit engagement portion for receiving and conducting the light beam through the light transmissive conduit portion, and at least one optical element disposed within the body for collecting light transmitted through the conduit portion, the optical element focuses transmitted light onto an output fiber optic cable that is removably coupled to the clip via a connector disposed on the body.

12. The duct-assembled light-transmitting device of claim 11, wherein the duct-engaging portion comprises: an open-ended slot formed in one face of the body and a conduit adapter removably mounted within the open-ended slot, the conduit adapter having a bottom wall from which extends a pair of spaced apart conduit gripping arms for receiving the light-transmissive conduit portion therebetween, wherein the conduit adapter is at least partially made of a light-transmissive material.

13. The tube-fitting light-transmitting device of claim 11, wherein the body has a first connector adapted to connect to an incoming fiber optic cable to direct a light beam through the tube-engaging portion and through the light-transmitting tube portion to which the clip is fitted.

14. The plumbing fixture light-transmitting device of claim 11, wherein the light-transmitting material is selected from the group consisting of: near-infrared transmissive materials and infrared transmissive materials.

15. The tube-assembled light-transmitting device of claim 13, wherein the tube-engaging portion is made of a light-transmitting material.