JPH09320513A - Icp mass spectrograph - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the power used for regulating the temperature of a plasma stand part. SOLUTION: An RF power supply 5 usually produces about 100W of waste heat, and the waste heat is added to the heat produced by a heater 8 of about 200W and is supplied to a plasma stand part 2 by a blower 7 to elevate the temperature of a plasma stand to a predetermined value. The temperature of the plasma stand part is detected by a temperature sensor 9, and on/off control or PID control of the heater 8 is effected so that its temperature is controlled to a predetermined range, e.g. from 33 to 35 deg.C.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an ICP mass spectrometer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An ICP mass spectrometer is included in a solution by ionizing a solution sample by ICP (high frequency inductively coupled plasma), guiding the ions to a mass spectrometric section, and detecting the intensity of each ion mass. This is a device for qualitative and quantitative analysis of the elements to be measured. In the plasma stand, which consists of a sample atomizer, gas pipes that carry the sample, and a plasma torch, the amount of sample supplied and the state of atomization change depending on the ambient temperature of the device, resulting in the quantification of the target element The value is affected. Therefore, the conventional I
The CP mass spectrometer waits for the temperature of the plasma stand to reach a natural thermal equilibrium for quantitative analysis, or is equipped with a heater and temperature sensor to positively adjust the temperature of the plasma stand for stable quantitative analysis. I was trying to get results.

[0003]

When a heater for heating the plasma stand is provided as in the conventional apparatus and the temperature is adjusted, the power consumption of the entire apparatus is increased accordingly. An increase in power consumption causes an increase in running cost of the device. Also, the heat generated by the device is
Eventually, it will be dissipated into the room where the device is installed, but this will raise the temperature of the room where the device is installed, and it will burden the temperature control equipment of the room. Also becomes.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to effectively use electric power in controlling the temperature of the plasma stand portion and reduce the electric power consumption of the entire apparatus. .

[0005]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides an ICP mass spectrometer having an ICP plasma stand unit and various power supplies, and a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the plasma stand unit, Blower means for sending waste heat of various power sources to the plasma stand, heat generating means for raising the temperature of the plasma stand portion, and a temperature controller for controlling the heat generation amount of the heat generating means based on a signal from the temperature sensor. And increasing the temperature of the plasma stand unit by using waste heat of the various power sources and heat generated by the heat generating unit, and controlling the heat generation amount of the heat generating unit by the temperature control controller. It is characterized in that the temperature is controlled to a predetermined temperature.

The plasma stand portion is warmed by the waste heat of various power sources and the heat generated by the heat generating means, and is cooled by heat radiation to the surroundings. By controlling the amount of heat generated by the heat generating means by the temperature control means so that the temperature of the plasma stand section detected by the temperature sensor becomes a predetermined value, the plasma stand section is maintained at a predetermined constant temperature.

[0007]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows the ICP of the present invention.
It is the schematic which shows the main-body part of a mass spectrometer. The main body of the ICP mass spectrometer 1 comprises a plasma stand section 2 and a mass spectrometric section 4. Plasma stand part 2
Contains a plasma torch 3 ignited by high frequency inductive coupling, a solution pipe that sucks up and carries the solution sample, an atomizer that atomizes the solution sample, and an argon gas pipe that carries the atomized sample to the plasma torch. ing. The mass spectrometric unit 4 is mainly composed of a mass spectroscope such as a quadrupole mass filter and is composed of various electrodes and an ion detector. For the quadrupole mass filter as a mass spectrometer, a high frequency power source 5 (hereinafter,
RF power source) is connected. Plasma torch 3
The sample ionized in (3) is guided to the mass spectrometric section 4 where it is separated and detected for each mass. In this way, the ICP mass spectrometer 1 can check what kind of element and how much the solution sample contains.

In order to prevent the quantitative value of the element to be measured from fluctuating due to the change in ambient temperature of the ICP mass spectrometer, it is preferable to adjust the temperature of the plasma stand so that the temperature is constant. Therefore, the ICP mass spectrometer of the present invention includes a temperature sensor 9 for measuring the temperature of the plasma stand portion 2 and a heater 8 as a heating means. Further, the waste heat 6 of the RF power source 5 is supplied to the plasma stand 2
Blower 7 for supplying the This blower 7
Is heat generated by the heater 8 in the plasma stand 2
Also acts as a blower to supply to.

Assuming that the room temperature is about 23 ° C., the temperature of the plasma stand portion 2 is set to about 10 ° C. higher than the room temperature.
Set to 3-35 ° C. Since the RF power source 5 normally has a waste heat of about 100 W, the waste heat is supplied to the plasma stand unit 2 in addition to the heat generated by the heating heater 8 having a size of about 200 W. Raise the temperature to a predetermined value. Plasma stand part 2
The temperature of the heater 8 is detected by the temperature sensor 9.
ON / OFF control or PID control is performed to control the temperature of the plasma stand unit 2 to a predetermined temperature, for example, 33 to 35 ° C. By doing so, the waste heat of the RF power source 5 of about 100 W is supplied to the plasma stand unit 2 in addition to the heat generated by the heater 8 for heating, so that energy saving of about 100 W is possible for the entire apparatus. .

In addition, the heat generated by the plasma torch 3 and the plasma torch 3 are usually provided above the plasma stand 2.
An exhaust pipe 11 is provided for exhausting a gas such as a carrier gas supplied to the exhaust pipe, and an exhaust duct 12 for delivering the exhaust gas to the outside of the room is further provided on the exhaust pipe 11. In the apparatus of the present invention, the waste heat of the RF power source 5 is once used to warm the plasma stand portion 2 and finally carried to the outside by the exhaust duct 12 through the exhaust tube 11, so that the RF power source directly enters the room. It rarely dissipates and raises the temperature of the room.

In the above description, the mass spectrometric power supply (R
Although the example in which the waste heat of the F power source) is used to control the temperature of the plasma stand is shown, the present invention is not limited to this.
Other than that, for example, waste heat of a power source for plasma generation or a DC power source for electric circuits may be used for temperature control of the plasma stand portion.

[0012]

In the ICP mass spectrometer of the present invention, waste heat such as a high-frequency power source for mass separation supplied to the mass spectrometric section is used for temperature control of the plasma stand section, so that it is supplied to the heating means. Power consumption can be reduced by reducing power consumption. Further, unnecessary waste heat generated by various power sources was discarded in the installation room of the device in the conventional technique, but in the device of the present invention, the waste heat can be discharged from the exhaust duct together with the heat of plasma. Does not raise room temperature. Therefore, the temperature in the installation room of the device is less likely to rise, and the load on the temperature control equipment in the room is also reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an example of an embodiment of an ICP mass spectrometer of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 ... ICP mass spectrometer 2 ... Plasma stand 3 ... Plasma torch 4 ... Mass analyzer 5 ... Mass analyzer power supply 6 ... Waste heat 7 ... Blower 8 ... Heater 9 ... Temperature sensor 10 ... Temperature controller 11 ... Exhaust Cylinder 12 ... Exhaust duct

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An ICP mass spectrometer having an ICP plasma stand unit and various power supplies, a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the plasma stand unit, a blower for sending waste heat of the various power supplies to the plasma stand, A heat generating means for raising the temperature of the plasma stand section and a temperature controller for controlling the heat generation amount of the heat generating means based on a signal from the temperature sensor are provided, and waste heat of the various power sources and heat generation by the heat generating means are provided. Is used to raise the temperature of the plasma stand portion, and the temperature control controller controls the amount of heat generated by the heat generating means to control the temperature of the plasma stand portion to a predetermined temperature. ICP mass spectrometer.