Patent · US Expired

Infrared light generation

US4803370A · kind A · utility

18Cited by
3References
72Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMay 18, 1987
Grant dateFeb 7, 1989
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 18, 2007

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N2201/061
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

To measure the amount of carbon dioxide in a mixture of gases, a source of infrared light includes a porous getter emitted formed of an inner tungsten heater with a layer of sintered together zirconium and carbon powder covered with spectrographic grade carbon over at least 50 percent of its surface serving as a getter and an emitter of infrared light. It is mounted within a vacuum and emits light in a strong spectrum including light having a bandwidth of at least 150 nanometers with a center point of substantially 4.2 micrometers. The light is transmitted through reference and sample flow cells each including a corresponding one of a reference gas and a sample gas onto a photosensor. The light source includes a reflector located within a range of no more than 1 centimeter from the emitter getter for reflecting heat back to said emitter getter at least 50 percent of its surface and has a window aligned with said infrared light sensor with an opening of area of between 0.05 to 20 square millimeters. The heater heats the emitter getter to a temperature in the range of 600K to 2,000K.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.