Atmospheric pressure flow reactor: gas phase chemical kinetics under tropospheric conditions without wall effects

US5179025A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• The United States of America as represented by the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration · US

Inventors

• Steven L. Koontz · Houston, US
• Dennis D. Davis · Garland, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 30, 1991
• Grant date: Jan 12, 1993
• Expiry date: Jul 30, 2011

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T436/178459
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A flow reactor for simulating the interaction in the troposphere is set forth. A first reactant mixed with a carrier gas is delivered from a pump and flows through a duct having louvers therein. The louvers straighten out the flow, reduce turbulence and provide laminar flow discharge from the duct. A second reactant delivered from a source through a pump is input into the flowing stream, the second reactant being diffused through a plurality of small diffusion tubes to avoid disturbing the laminar flow. The commingled first and second reactants in the carrier gas are then directed along an elongate duct where the walls are spaced away from the flow of reactants to avoid wall interference, disturbance or turbulence arising from the walls. A probe connected with a measuring device can be inserted through various sampling ports in the second duct to complete measurements of the first and second reactants and the product of their reaction at selected XYZ locations relative to the flowing system.