Alkali metal ionization detector

US4095171A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Westinghouse Electric Company LLC · US

Inventors

• James E. Bauerle · Beaver, US
• William Henry Reed · Lexington, US
• Edgar Berkey · Murrysville, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 7, 1976
• Grant date: Jun 13, 1978
• Expiry date: Apr 7, 1996

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01N27/626
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Variations in the conventional filament and collector electrodes of an alkali metal ionization detector, including the substitution of helical electrode configurations for either the conventional wire filament or flat plate collector; or, the substitution of a plurality of discrete filament electrodes providing an in situ capability for transferring from an operationally defective filament electrode to a previously unused filament electrode without removing the alkali metal ionization detector from the monitored environment. In particular, the helical collector arrangement which is coaxially disposed about the filament electrode, i.e. the thermal ionizer, provides an improved collection of positive ions developed by the filament electrode. The helical filament design, on the other hand, provides the advantage of an increased surface area for ionization of alkali metal-bearing species in a monitored gas environment as well as providing a relatively strong electric field for collecting the ions at the collector electrode about which the helical filament electrode is coaxially positioned. Alternatively, both the filament and collector electrodes can be helical. Furthermore, the operat…