Gas analyzer utilizing infrared emission from gaseous molecules

Claim 1

The method of claim 1 wherein the infrared emission is permitted to pass from the cavity along a plurality of paths.

Claim 6

A method for analyzing a gaseous mixture to detect the presence of at least one molecular component, the method including the steps of: providing a gaseous mixture having molecules with a first energy level distribution; generating synchronous timing cycles, each such cycle having a predetermined operational duration; causing a generally adiabatic pressurization of the mixture at a first location during the cycle duration to raise the temperature of the mixture resulting in a second energy level distribution of the mixture substantially above the first energy level distribution; transporting the pressurized mixture to an optical cavity remote from the first location, where the mixture evidences gradually increasing infrared emission as the optical cavity becomes pressurized with the mixture, during the duration, due to the elevated energy level distribution; permitting the passage of infrared emission from the cavity along at least one path; detecting radiation from the time varying emission in at least one preselected wavelength band indicative of a predetermined molecular component of the gaseous mixture; enabling information from the detecting step to be utilized only during the operational duration to maximize emission detection gain; and venting the optical cavity at the end of the duration which decreases the infrared emission and restores the cavity to an original condition for a subsequent cycle.

Claim 7

A system for measuring the concentration of at least one molecular component in a gaseous mixture comprising: means for Generating timing signals, each signal having a predetermined duration; inet means for receiving a gaseous mixture having molecules with a first energy level distribution; means for pressurizing the mixture substantially adiabatically at a first location to raise the temperature of the mixture resulting in a second energy level distribution of the mixture substantially above that of the first energy level distribution; connecting means for directing the pressurized mixture to an optical cavity remote from the first location during the timing signal duration, where the mixture evidences gradually increasing infrared emission due to the elevated energy level distribution as the optical cavity becomes filled with the pressurized mixture; means for permitting passage of infrared emission from the cavity along at least one path; detection means for detecting radiation from the time varying emission, in at least one preselected wavelength band indicative of a pre-determined molecular component of the gaseous mixture; means connecting the signal generating means to gated synchronous detection means for enabling transmission of information from the radiation detection means to further concentration readout means, only during the duration of a timing signal, thereby maximizing emission detection gain; and means for venting the optical cavity at the end of the duration of the timing signal which decreases the infrared emission and restores the cavity to an original condition for a subsequent cycle.