JP4302473B2 - Electronic cooler and analyzer using the same - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an electronic cooler used for separating condensate in a fluid, for example, removing moisture in a sample gas, and an analysis apparatus using the same.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an air pollution analysis device such as a generation source analysis device, an environmental air analysis device, or an automobile exhaust gas analysis device, an electronic cooler (hereinafter referred to as “cooler”) is used for dehumidification in a sample fluid. It is used a lot. In addition, coolers are also widely used in chemical processes, as well as analytical devices for component measurement for various research and field use.

  In general, as the cooler, for example, one shown in FIG. 10 is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). That is, in FIG. 10, reference numeral 21 denotes a thermo module, which is supported by a pair of support plates 22, 23 made of an insulating material such as ceramic from both sides, and filled around the entire circumference between the support plates 22, 23. The cooling module 25 is formed by enclosing the thermo module 21 in the support plates 22 and 23 with the formed sealing wall 24 made of silicon rubber as a sealing material. A heat exchanger 26 is superposed on the support plate 22 which is a cooling surface of the cooling unit 25. In order to improve heat conduction between the heat exchanger 26 and the cooler 25, a silicon grease film is provided. 27 is interposed. Reference numeral 28 denotes a gas supply pipe provided through the heat exchanger 26, to which a sample gas to be dehumidified is supplied. Reference numeral 29 denotes a heat radiating member formed of fins or the like disposed on the support plate 23 side which is the heat radiating surface of the cooling unit 25. Reference numeral 30 denotes a fixing plate overlaid on the heat exchanger 26, and fixing bolts 31 penetrating the both end block diagrams are screwed into screw holes 32 formed in the heat radiating member 29 so that the heat exchanger 26 and the cooling unit 25 are fixed to each other. Thus, a cooler is configured. In the cooler configured as described above, while the sample gas supplied to the gas supply pipe 28 passes through the heat exchanger 26, moisture contained in the sample gas is condensed on the inner surface of the gas supply pipe 28 and removed. be able to.

On the other hand, the performance of the analyzer often depends on the dehumidifying capacity of the cooler used in the sampling unit, that is, the cooling capacity, but like sulfur dioxide (SO ₂ ) and nitrogen dioxide (NO ₂ ). About the measurement component which is easy to melt | dissolve in a water | moisture content, since the dissolution loss in a cooling part is large, various devices are needed. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, usually, a method is adopted in which a sample is supplied to a drain separator 12 and condensed water is separated at ambient temperature and then introduced into a cooler 10 to condense and dehumidify. Since the temperature is often set as 2 to 5 ° C. and dissolution loss due to rapid cooling increases, it has been proposed to provide a two-stage cooler after the drain separator and gradually cool and dehumidify by so-called three-stage dehumidification. (For example, refer to Patent Document 2).

Specifically, the sample is dehumidified by the method shown in FIG. While being heated by the heating pipe 11, a sample containing a large amount of moisture is supplied to the drain separator 12, and the condensed water is separated. At this time, the drain separator 12 is kept at a temperature of about 40 ° C., for example, and the dissolution loss can be made constant. Next, the sample is sent to the first stage cooler 10a having a set temperature of, for example, 20 ° C. through the pipe 13 whose temperature is adjusted (temperature controlled) to about 40 ° C., cooled and dehumidified at 20 ° C., and condensed water is separated again. Further, the sample is supplied to the second stage cooler 10b having a set temperature of, for example, 2 ° C., cooled and dehumidified at 2 ° C., and condensed water is separated for the third time. Thus, by reducing the dissolution loss rate and cooling and dehumidifying at a constant dissolution loss rate, the measurement error can be reduced.
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-63117 Japanese Patent Publication No.56-25971

  However, in the above-described type of dehumidifier, not only the sample is cooled, but all the condensed water is cooled to the set temperature as the condensed water is generated, which may increase the burden on the cooling element. In multi-stage dehumidification, the number of coolers corresponding to the number of stages is required, which may increase the size of the apparatus. In addition, when the sample cooled by the first stage cooler is supplied to the second stage cooler, it is heated to the ambient temperature by piping once in summer and the load on the second stage cooler. May give. Alternatively, in order to alleviate such a condition, there is a restriction on the apparatus configuration such that a separate device is required for the arrangement of each member.

  In other words, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a compact electronic cooler that can reduce the burden on the cooling element and can cope with a multi-stage cooling function and can perform efficient gas-liquid separation, It is a point to provide a compact and high-accuracy analyzer using this energy efficiency. In addition, the manufacturing cost can be reduced by reducing the number of parts of both.

  As a result of intensive studies, the present inventors have found that the above object can be achieved by the following electronic cooler and an analyzer using the same, and have completed the present invention.

  The present invention is characterized in that an electronic cooler having a cooling function of one or more fluid passages (flow paths) has a plurality of condensate discharge paths (discharge paths) in a part of one flow path. The inventor needs to absorb and cool the latent heat much greater than the sensible heat of the gas in the sample mixed with gas and liquid, so minimizing the cooling of the condensate It has been found that it is very effective for improvement. By providing a plurality of discharge paths in one flow path, the burden on the cooling element can be reduced, and it is possible to cope with a multi-stage cooling function, which is efficient. A compact electronic cooler capable of gas-liquid separation can be provided.

  In addition, a plurality of sample supply paths (delivery paths) are provided in a part of the one flow path. By applying the multistage cooling function, a sample with a plurality of dew points can be taken out simultaneously by such a configuration. For example, in a sample processing unit of an analyzer that contains a water-soluble measurement component (water-soluble component) as a measurement target, the water-soluble component is measured by dehumidifying it at a temperature at which dissolution is low, and other components are measured at lower temperatures By performing the dehumidifying treatment and measuring, it is possible to select an optimum treatment method suitable for the properties of each component and measure it with high accuracy.

  Here, the nth discharge path is arranged inside the (n + 1) th discharge path. In order to efficiently arrange multiple discharge paths in one flow path, it was devised that it is appropriate to have multiple discharge paths. By disposing the condensed water sequentially away from the cooling element, the absorbed latent heat can be greatly reduced, and more efficient gas-liquid separation can be achieved.

  Further, a spiral member is disposed in the flow path. With such a structure, the contact time with the tube wall in a predetermined volume space is increased, and the inner core of the spiral member is made into a multiple tube, so that it becomes effective in securing the discharge path as well as the role of the column, and more efficient gas-liquid A compact electronic cooler that can be separated can be provided.

  The present invention is characterized in that a plurality of temperature detection elements are arranged along the flow path in the one flow path, and the temperature of the flow path is controlled by a plurality of different set temperatures. By arranging a plurality of temperature detection elements (temperature sensors) in the flow path of the cooler along the flow path and controlling them by a plurality of different set temperatures, it is possible to perform multistage control of the optimum temperature distribution of the flow path. By processing the generated condensed water in the discharge path provided for each stage, a compact electronic cooler having a multi-stage cooling function can be provided.

  In addition, the present invention is characterized in that a plurality of cooling elements are arranged along the flow path, and a flow path that performs temperature control so as to sequentially decrease the temperature of the fluid is provided. By arranging a plurality of cooling elements along the flow path and gradually reducing them until reaching the desired cooling temperature, the capacities of the cooling elements can be complemented with each other, and the generated condensed water Is processed in the discharge path provided at each stage, thereby reducing the variation in the cooling rate in the flow path and suppressing the variation in the condensation amount.

  Further, it is preferable that the set temperature can be changed according to the condensate content in the fluid introduced into the electronic cooler. The generation of condensate in the cooler may cause dissolution loss of a specific substance in the fluid to the condensate, and in order to minimize dissolution in the condensate, multistage condensation by multistage cooling is preferred. . In addition, dissolution in the condensate varies depending on the condensate content in the sample introduced into the cooler. Therefore, in order to minimize the loss accompanying dissolution in the condensate and obtain stable cooler characteristics, the set temperature of the flow path is adjusted according to the condensate content in the sample, and the optimum temperature It is preferable to control the distribution.

  The present invention is suitable for an analyzer using any one of the above-described electronic coolers in a sample processing section. Such a cooler is a single device that has excellent thermal efficiency and can perform multi-stage cooling and dehumidification. Therefore, it can be used as a dehumidifier in the sample collection part of the analyzer, making it highly energy efficient, compact and highly accurate. It is effective to provide an analysis apparatus. Specifically, when cooling and dehumidifying a sample containing a water-soluble component, the generation rate of condensed water is substantially uniformed by reaching the target cooling temperature in stages, and the generated condensed water is By processing in the discharge path provided for each, it is possible to greatly reduce the measurement error by minimizing the occurrence of loss due to dissolution in condensed water.

  As described above, the present invention can cope with a multistage cooling function and has an advantage that the sample can be efficiently cooled. Further, since the number of parts can be greatly reduced, there is an advantage that the manufacturing cost can be reduced. In particular, by using it as a dehumidifier in the sample processing section of the analyzer, a measurement error due to dissolution loss can be greatly reduced, and a compact and highly accurate analyzer with high energy efficiency can be provided.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an electronic cooler showing an example of the present invention. In FIG. 1A, the cooling element 1 including the thermo module cools the block 2b by contacting the cooling surface with the block 2b, and radiates heat by contacting the heat radiation surface with the fins 4. The sample is supplied to the flow path 3 provided in the block 2a and sequentially cooled and dehumidified, and the moisture in the sample is discharged as condensed water. The block 2 includes a first stage cooling block 2a and a second stage cooling block 2b, and a temperature sensor 5 is provided in the block 2b. The block 2b is controlled so that one surface is in contact with the cooling surface of the cooling element 1 and a desired cooling temperature Tb is obtained. A part of the block 2a is in contact with the block 2b and becomes an intermediate temperature Ta between the ambient temperature Ts and the cooling temperature Tb. At this time, the blocks 2a and 2b can be integrated, but the cooling temperature of the sample is lowered stepwise along the flow path, and condensed water is gradually discharged to improve cooling efficiency. Another block is preferable because the burden on the cooling element can be reduced. It is also possible to perform so-called multistage dehumidification by providing a heating member and a temperature sensor on one surface of the block 2a and controlling the temperature so as to reach a substantially constant temperature.

  That is, in FIG. 1B, the sample containing the water having a substantially ambient temperature Ts saturation introduced from the flow path inlet 3a (point A of the block 2a) is gradually cooled to the temperature Ta at the point B. At this time, the condensed water generated between AB is directly discharged from the discharge port 3c in the lower part. Next, the sample is gradually cooled from the inlet 3b of the block 2b and reaches the second stage set temperature Tb at the point C. At this time, the condensed water generated between the BCs is directly discharged from the discharge port 3e at the lower part. The sample thus cooled is delivered from the channel outlet 3d via the point D.

  The temperature change at each point of the sample at this time is shown in FIG. When the case where there is no discharge path 3e provided in the block 2a is assumed and the temperature distribution of the virtual condition is represented by a broken line (b), the temperature Ta ′ at the point B is slightly higher than the temperature Ta in the present invention. become. This is because the condensed water generated between AB flows to BC and requires a lot of (negative) energy to cool them, and the formation of such a heat transfer mechanism that requires local cooling is In addition, an excessive load is applied to the cooling element, and the balance of the thermal efficiency of the cooler is deteriorated. On the other hand, the temperature distribution in the present invention can reduce the temperature Ta at the point B as shown by the solid line (a) in FIG. By discharging the condensed water generated between AB, it is possible to reduce the heat of cooling between BCs and greatly reduce the burden on the cooling element, and to reduce the temperature Ta at point B. The temperature drop at point B can further reduce the burden on the cooling element for cooling between the BCs. As described above, the temperature reduction of the block and the reduction of the burden on the cooling element interact with each other, so that efficient heat transfer of the cooler can be achieved. In the above, the two-stage condensate discharge method is used as an example of the configuration, but the number of discharge passages may be three or more and the discharge may be performed sequentially.

  Thus, the present invention is characterized in that an electronic cooler having a cooling function of one or more flow paths has a plurality of discharge paths in a part of one flow path. Minimizing the cooling of the condensate is very effective in improving the thermal efficiency of the cooler because the sample mixed with gas and liquid needs to absorb and cool much more latent heat than the sensible heat of the gas. It is. In other words, by providing multiple discharge paths in one flow path, the condensed water to be cooled is greatly reduced, the burden on the cooling element is reduced, and multi-stage cooling functions can be accommodated for efficient gas-liquid separation. It is possible to provide a compact electronic cooler capable of satisfying the requirements.

  A second configuration of the present invention is illustrated in FIG. A plurality of delivery paths are provided in a part of the one flow path. That is, a part of the sample that has passed the point B of the block 2a can be delivered from the outlet 3f, and the remaining sample is delivered from the outlet 3d via the C point at a lower temperature. At this time, since the condensed water generated between AB is discharged from the discharge port 3c and separated into gas and liquid, the former sample has a dew point of the temperature Ta at the point B, and the latter sample has the temperature Tb at the point C as described above. It has a dew point of. At this time, as described later, (1) the heating member 6 and the temperature sensor 5a are provided on one surface of the block 2a, or (2) the cooling element 1a and the temperature sensor 5a (and the heating member 6) are provided on one surface of the block 2a. By providing this, the sample delivered from the delivery port 3f can be controlled to have a substantially constant temperature Ta. Such a configuration can be applied not only to two stages but also to three or more multi-stage dehumidifications, and a sample having a plurality of different dew points can be taken out simultaneously using one flow path of one cooler. . In addition, the temperature at points A to D of the sample at this time is as shown by a solid line in FIG. 2, and at point F, the sample has an intermediate temperature between A and D, and the dew point is Ta.

  Specifically, as will be described later, this configuration can be applied to a sample processing unit of an analyzer that uses a sample containing a water-soluble component as a measurement target, and is dehumidified at a temperature at which the water-soluble component is less dissolved. Measure the water-soluble component with the sample that has been subjected to, and further measure the other components with the sample that has been dehumidified at a low temperature, so that the most appropriate treatment method that matches the properties of each component can be selected and measured accurately be able to.

  FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of an electronic cooler showing a third configuration example of the present invention. In the case of having a plurality of discharge paths as described above, the nth discharge path is arranged inside the (n + 1) th discharge path. That is, two discharge paths 3c and 3e can be formed by inserting, for example, a member 7 as shown in FIG. 4B between the flow paths AC shown in FIG. A plurality of discharge paths can be formed by sequentially arranging a plurality of these as shown in (C). The member 7 comprises a funnel 7a, a tube 7b, and a passage 7c. The generated condensate is collected by the funnel 7a and discharged from the tube 7b forming a discharge path, and the sample is separated and the tube 7b is separated from the passage 7c. It introduce | transduces into the following cooling part C through the space part between the outer wall of this, and the inner wall of the outer tube to insert. At this time, the temperature of the condensate generated first is relatively high, and it is preferable that the condensate is discharged without taking cooling heat from the viewpoint of the thermal efficiency of the cooler. In the present invention, the innermost discharge passage is used to discharge the condensate that has been generated earliest, and the condensate that has been lowered in temperature is discharged sequentially from a plurality of discharge passages arranged in the outward direction. Therefore, the cooling heat taken away by the condensate present in each discharge passage is only a heat amount based on the temperature difference from the wall surface of the discharge passage, and becomes a very small value. Therefore, efficient cooling can be performed with a very compact structure while ensuring a favorable situation in which the amount of energy carried out by the discharged condensate can be minimized. Further, as shown by broken lines in FIGS. 4A and 4C, it is also possible to provide sample delivery paths 3f and 3f ′ corresponding to the respective discharge paths. Note that the temperatures at the points A to D of the sample at this time are as shown by the solid lines in FIG. 2, and at the points F and F ′, the samples have dew points B and C ′ at an intermediate temperature between A and D. .

  Thus, for the efficient arrangement of a plurality of discharge paths in one flow path aimed at by the present invention, (1) it is appropriate to make the discharge paths in a multiple structure, and (2) the condensation separated earlier It is very effective to use the fact that the latent heat absorbed can be greatly reduced by disposing water sequentially away from the cooling element, and this configuration enables efficient gas-liquid separation, Supply of a compact cooler having a plurality of discharge paths can be achieved.

  Moreover, the 4th structure of this invention is illustrated in FIG. In order to form the plurality of discharge paths, spiral members 8 and 8 'are arranged in the flow path. Here, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the spiral members 8 and 8 ′ are members in which spiral partitions 8d and 8′d are provided around the core tubes 8b and 8′b. It has a function of lengthening the flow path and improving heat transfer from the tube wall to substantially increase the heat transfer area of the sample. At the same time, as shown in FIG. 5 (C), in the case of forming a multi-pipe, a structure that holds the pipes together by the partition 8d is formed, so that each pipe is fixed, that is, a fixed-size flow path is secured. It also works to increase the holding strength of the multiple tubes. Specifically, two discharge paths 3c and 3e can be formed by inserting the structure shown in FIG. 5B between the flow paths AB and BC in FIG. A plurality of discharge paths can be formed by sequentially arranging a plurality of these as shown in 5 (C). By the insertion of the spiral members 8 and 8 ', the generated condensate is collected by the funnel 8a and discharged from the tube 8b forming the discharge passage, and the sample is separated and inserted from the passage 8c into the outer wall of the tube and the tube. The heat is exchanged by the spiral partition 8d between the inner wall of the outer pipe and introduced into the next cooling section C. In addition, as shown by broken lines in FIGS. 5A and 5C, it is also possible to provide sample delivery paths 3f and 3f ′ corresponding to the respective discharge paths. Note that the temperatures at the points A to D of the sample at this time are as shown by the solid lines in FIG. 2, and at the points F and F ′, the samples have dew points B and C ′ at an intermediate temperature between A and D. .

  With such a structure, the contact time with the tube wall in a predetermined volume space is increased, and the inner core of the spiral member is made into a multiple tube, so that it becomes effective in securing the discharge path as well as the role of the column, and more efficient gas-liquid A compact electronic cooler that can be separated can be provided.

  In the present invention, in addition to the above-described configuration, it is preferable that a plurality of temperature detection elements are arranged along the flow path in the one flow path, and the temperature of the flow path is controlled by a plurality of different set temperatures. is there. By arranging a plurality of temperature detection elements (temperature sensors) in the flow path of the cooler along the flow path and controlling them by a plurality of different set temperatures, it is possible to perform multistage control of the optimum temperature distribution of the flow path. By processing the generated condensed water in the discharge path provided for each stage, a compact electronic cooler having a multi-stage cooling function can be provided.

  A specific configuration (fifth configuration example) is illustrated in FIG. In FIG. 6 (A), two blocks 2a and 2b provided with temperature sensors 5a and 5b are arranged, and a second set temperature that is a desired cooling temperature by the cooling element 1 provided on one surface of the block 2b. Controlled by Tb. A part of the block 2a is in contact with the block 2b, receives heat transfer (cooling) by the block 2b, and is provided with a heating member 6 on one surface, so that the intermediate temperature between the ambient temperature Ts and the cooling temperature Tb is substantially constant. Control is performed so that the set temperature Ta becomes one stage. If the allowable width of Ta is large, the heating member 6 can be omitted. In FIG. 6B, the sample introduced from the flow path inlet 3a is gradually cooled to the first set temperature Ta at the point B. At this time, the condensed water generated between AB is directly discharged from the discharge port 3c in the lower part. Next, the sample is gradually cooled from the inlet 3b of the block 2b and reaches the second stage set temperature Tb at point C. At this time, the condensed water generated between the BCs is directly discharged from the discharge port 3e at the lower part. The sample thus cooled is delivered from the channel outlet 3d via the point D. Here, since the liquid other than the newly generated condensed water is not included between the BCs, the burden on the cooling element for cooling to the set temperature Tb of the second stage can be greatly reduced. The first-stage temperature control in B can be easily performed with a small load. In addition, as shown by a chain line in FIG. 6B, it is also possible to provide a sample supply path F corresponding to each discharge path. The temperature at points A to D of the sample at this time is as shown by the solid line in FIG. 2, and at point F, the sample has a dew point B at an intermediate temperature between A and D.

  In the present invention, it is preferable that a plurality of cooling elements are disposed along the flow path, and the flow path is configured to perform temperature control so as to sequentially decrease the temperature of the fluid. By arranging a plurality of cooling elements along the flow path and gradually reducing them until reaching the desired cooling temperature, the capacities of the cooling elements can be complemented with each other, and the generated condensed water Is processed in the discharge path provided at each stage, thereby reducing the variation in the cooling rate in the flow path and suppressing the variation in the condensation amount.

  As described in (2) in the second configuration example of the present invention described above, the specific configuration (sixth configuration example) is as shown in FIG. 3 in the cooling element 1b provided in the block 2b. In addition, the cooling element 1b is further provided on one surface of the block 2a, and the heating member 6 can be provided depending on the set temperature. A separate cooling element is provided to enable independent temperature control of each block, and a plurality of elements are arranged along the flow path so that each element absorbs substantially the same volume of heat, thereby allowing the temperature of the fluid to be controlled. Can be reduced sequentially, and independent control can be performed while reducing the load on each element, making it easy to form an optimum temperature distribution in the flow path. In particular, since the amount of condensed water contained in the sample in each channel is very small, temperature control can be performed with very high accuracy. In addition, although the case where two cooling elements and two blocks were used was illustrated in FIG. 3, it is possible to use one block or three or more cooling elements.

  Furthermore, it is preferable that the set temperature can be changed according to the ambient temperature of the electronic cooler. As shown in FIG. 7, in a two-stage cooling type cooler in which the first stage set temperature is Ta and the second stage set temperature is Tb, the temperature distribution of the flow path at a certain ambient temperature Ts is indicated by a solid line (a ). Here, when the ambient temperature changes to Ts ′ and the set temperatures Ta and Tb are left as they are, the temperature distribution between AB from the flow path inlet to the first stage cooling section is a broken line (b). It has a steep slope like Since the dew point at the normal channel inlet changes in the same way as the ambient temperature, the amount of condensed water generated between AB greatly increases, and the balance between the amount of generated water between BC greatly collapses, and multiple cooling In the case where the element is used, the load on the cooling element in the previous stage is greatly increased. In the present invention, as the ambient temperature rises, the set temperature of the first stage is raised to Ta ′ to form a temperature distribution of the flow path as shown by a chain line (c), thereby generating condensed water at various points in the flow path. The amount can be made substantially even. In addition, when the ambient temperature is lowered, the balance is lost due to the decrease in the generation of condensed water in the previous stage. Condensed water in various places in the flow path is lowered by lowering the set temperature in the first stage. It is possible to achieve a substantially uniform generation amount. That is, in order to maintain efficient cooler characteristics, the set temperature of the flow path is adjusted according to the ambient temperature to control the optimum temperature distribution. It can be said that this is a particularly effective configuration for a multi-stage cooling system having one supply path in one flow path, in which the set temperatures at a plurality of intermediate points can be changed according to the ambient temperature.

  A seventh configuration example of the present invention is shown in FIG. 8A and 8B, since the sample supplied to the cooler is usually supplied from the cooler at approximately the same temperature, the sample cooled and dehumidified to a desired temperature is removed from the flow path outlet 3d ( And 3f), the flow path between CD (and between BF) is placed in contact with blocks 2b and 2a, and the amount of heat released from the sample between AC (and between AB) is given to change the sample temperature. It is characterized by a gradual increase. That is, the sample separated from the condensed water at points B and C is a low-temperature fluid having a temperature Tb (and Ta) and can be used for cooling both blocks by passing through the blocks 2b and 2a. Since the fluid has a small sensible heat, the temperature can be easily raised to near Ts through both blocks.

  That is, it is characterized in that a heat exchange function suitable for the properties of the sample itself is used by having at least a flow path in which the temperature of the fluid sequentially increases. By forming a flow path so that the sample before and after cooling flows countercurrently, the (negative) calorific value of the low-temperature sample once formed in the cooler is used to cool the sample introduced into the cooler. In addition to serving as an auxiliary element for the cooling element, it is possible to perform efficient heat exchange by using the amount of heat of the sample introduced into the cooler for heating the supplied sample. Therefore, a compact and efficient cooler can be configured. In addition, the stepwise cooling method of the present invention can be a more effective temperature control means because heat exchange can be performed with a relatively small countercurrent temperature difference.

  In the case where a gas-liquid mixed state occurs due to the cooling of the fluid by the cooler, the temperature distribution of the flow path is set and temperature controlled so that the amount of condensate generated is substantially constant in the predetermined range of the flow path. Is preferred. In a sample mixed with gas and liquid, the amount of energy absorption required to lower the sample temperature by 1 ° C. differs depending on the sample temperature. Therefore, a simple temperature distribution with a constant gradient in the cooler channel is an aspect of energy efficiency. Therefore, based on the knowledge that it is not effective, temperature control is performed so as to discharge condensed water from a plurality of discharge paths substantially evenly. That is, the temperature condition of each part of the flow path for making the amount of condensed water generated constant is calculated, and control is performed so that the flow path has an optimal temperature distribution (inclination). As described above, it is preferable to control the temperature distribution according to the properties of the sample because the load on the cooling element is small and the heat transfer is efficient.

  Moreover, in each said structural example, it is suitable for the said preset temperature to be changeable according to the condensate content in the fluid introduce | transduced into an electronic cooler. As described above, the generation of condensate in the cooler may cause a loss of dissolution of a specific substance in the fluid into the condensate. Stage condensation is preferred. In addition, dissolution in the condensate varies depending on the condensate content in the sample introduced into the cooler, and the condensate content in the sample supplied to the cooler, that is, the dew point of the sample, depends on the properties of the sample itself or the surroundings. Since it may change with temperature, the amount of condensation in the channel and the temperature distribution in the channel change depending on the properties of the sample itself or the ambient temperature. Therefore, in order to minimize the loss accompanying dissolution in the condensate and obtain stable cooler characteristics, the set temperature of the flow path is adjusted according to the condensate content in the sample, and the optimum temperature It is preferable to control the distribution. Further, in the case of a cooler having a plurality of supply paths or discharge paths as described above, it is possible to supply a cooler with very little melting loss due to a synergistic effect with such control of the temperature distribution.

Specifically, taking as an example a sample processing part of an analyzer containing a water-soluble component such as SO ₂ as an object to be measured, the temperature of each part of the channel that minimizes the dissolution loss of the water-soluble component in the cooler in advance. By obtaining the distribution and controlling the set temperature of each part according to the amount of moisture in the sample to obtain the optimal temperature distribution, it is possible to select the optimal treatment method that matches the properties of the sample and measure it accurately. it can. The optimum temperature distribution at this time can be obtained experimentally corresponding to the characteristics unique to the measurement component such as SO ₂ and is calculated from the temperature change characteristic of the solubility and the distribution of the channel temperature. It is also possible.

  The present invention is suitable for an analyzer using any one of the above-described electronic coolers in a sample processing section. By sequentially removing condensate from the flow path using multiple discharge paths, it is possible to minimize the condensate present in the flow path through which the sample actually passes, and to measure with minimal influence of the condensate Therefore, it is possible to supply an analyzer capable of performing the above. Specifically, in the case of cooling and dehumidifying a sample containing a water-soluble measurement component, the generation rate of condensed water is made substantially uniform by reaching the target cooling temperature in stages, and the generated condensed water is reduced. By processing in the discharge path provided for each stage, it is possible to greatly reduce the measurement error by minimizing the generation of loss due to dissolution in condensed water.

  In addition, since such a cooler can perform multiple stages of cooling and dehumidification with a single device, a compact analyzer can be provided by using it as a dehumidifier in a sample collection section of an analyzer that has conventionally required multiple coolers. It becomes possible to do. Specifically, in the analyzer comprising the components shown in FIG. 11, by applying any one of the coolers of the present invention as the cooler 10, the performance almost equivalent to that of the analyzer comprising the components shown in FIG. Can be secured. In other words, multistage dehumidification is possible with one cooler, and the apparatus can be made compact, the number of pipes and connecting members can be reduced, the possibility of sample leakage, and maintenance and inspection can be reduced.

Furthermore, when the cooler 10 having a plurality of delivery paths is used in the analyzer, a plurality of samples having different dew points can be obtained by one cooler. A specific configuration of the sample processing unit of the analyzer is illustrated in FIG. The sample introduced through the heating pipe 11 is separated into condensed water at the ambient temperature by the drain separator 12 and then introduced into the cooler 10 to be condensed and dehumidified and supplied to the analyzer for measurement. At this time, even if it is a component in the same sample, as described above, for example, a water-soluble component such as SO ₂ or NO ₂ is not a non-carbon component such as carbon monoxide (CO) or carbon dioxide (CO ₂ ). It is preferable to treat at a cooling temperature different from that of the water-soluble component. Therefore, for example, the former is taken out from the cooling part set within a range of 5 to 15 ° C. and supplied to the analyzer 14a, and the latter is taken out from the cooling part set at 2 to 5 ° C. and supplied to the analyzer 14b. One cooler can be measured under the optimum conditions for both. In other words, water-soluble components can be combined with a decrease in contact with condensed water inside the cooler, and can greatly reduce dissolution loss due to set temperature rise and response delay due to adsorption. While the improvement can be achieved, the non-dissolved component can ensure the improvement in measurement accuracy due to the reduction of the interference effect due to moisture as in the conventional case. Thus, when applied in a sample processing section of an analyzer containing a water-soluble component as a measurement target, the water-soluble component is measured with a sample that has been dehumidified at a temperature at which the water-soluble component is less dissolved, By measuring a component with a sample that has been dehumidified at a lower temperature, it is possible to select an optimum processing method that matches the properties of each component and to measure it accurately.

  Furthermore, by removing the condensate sequentially from the flow path, it is possible to ensure reliable sample processing and to provide a high-energy compact and high-precision analyzer with excellent thermal efficiency. It becomes.

  Although the above description has focused on samples mainly containing moisture, the same technique can be applied to an organic mixture having a plurality of dew points. For example, it is needless to say that the application of the present invention is very effective for a mixture of butane, pentane and hexane, and is not limited to the above. Moreover, although the case of one flow path was described, it can be applied to a cooler having a plurality of flow paths. In particular, since there is little condensate in each channel, the burden on the cooling element is greatly reduced even when there are multiple channels, and a compact cooler with high energy efficiency and analysis using this An apparatus can be provided.

Explanatory drawing which shows the 1st structural example of the electronic cooler which concerns on this invention. Explanatory drawing illustrating characteristics of the electronic cooler according to the present invention Explanatory drawing which shows the 2nd structural example of the electronic cooler which concerns on this invention. Explanatory drawing which shows the 3rd structural example of the electronic cooler which concerns on this invention. Explanatory drawing which shows the 4th structural example of the electronic cooler which concerns on this invention. Explanatory drawing which shows the 5th structural example of the electronic cooler which concerns on this invention. Explanatory drawing illustrating characteristics of the electronic cooler according to the present invention Explanatory drawing which shows the 6th structural example of the electronic cooler which concerns on this invention. Explanatory drawing which shows the structural example of the analyzer which concerns on this invention Explanatory drawing which shows the example of 1 structure of the electronic cooler which concerns on a prior art Explanatory drawing which shows the example of 1 structure of the analyzer which concerns on a prior art Explanatory drawing which shows the other structural example of the analyzer which concerns on a prior art

Explanation of symbols

1 Cooling element 2 Block 3 Sample flow path (flow path)
4 Fin 5 Temperature detection element (temperature sensor)
6 Heating member 7 Member 8 Spiral member

Claims (7)

In an electronic cooler having a cooling function for one or more fluid passages (flow paths) , a plurality of condensate discharge paths (discharge paths) and a plurality of sample discharge paths (discharge paths) are provided in a part of one flow path. An electronic cooler characterized by comprising: 2. The electronic cooler according to claim 1, wherein the nth discharge path is disposed inside the n + 1th discharge path. Cooler according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a spiral member in the flow path. Wherein the plurality of temperature detection elements in one channel disposed along the flow path, according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that controlled by setting different temperatures the temperature of the flow path with multiple Electronic cooler. A plurality of cooling elements disposed along the flow path, cooler according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it has a flow passage to control the temperature so as to lower the temperature of the fluid sequentially . The electronic cooler according to claim 4 , wherein the set temperature can be changed according to a condensate content in a fluid introduced into the electronic cooler. An analyzer using the electronic cooler according to any one of claims 1 to 6 in a sample processing section.

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