US-12625040-B2 - Gas sampling apparatus for extraction of gaseous samples

US12625040B2US 12625040 B2US12625040 B2US 12625040B2US-12625040-B2

Abstract

A gas sampling apparatus including a housing having a housing wall and a housing opening. The gas sampling apparatus includes a sample system for extracting the gaseous sample, including a sample pipe having an opening enclosed by the housing wall and in fluid communication with the gaseous environment and filter means including a filter for filtering solid particles from the gaseous sample. The filter is enclosed by the housing wall and arranged at the opening. The gas sampling apparatus includes a central purge system to remove aggregates of solid particles deposited on one or more housing surfaces by a gaseous medium, wherein the central purge system includes a purge pipe including an outlet opening directed towards the housing opening and enclosed by the housing wall, wherein the sample system is arranged externally to the central purge system so that the sample pipe is separate from the purge pipe.

Inventors

Karsten Brink Floor

Assignees

FLO2R APS

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20201218
Priority Date: 20200113

Claims (16)

1 . A gas sampling apparatus for extraction of a gaseous sample from a gaseous environment comprising flue gas comprising solid particles, wherein the gas sampling apparatus comprises: a housing comprising a housing wall enclosing an interior of the housing, wherein the housing wall comprises: an exterior housing surface; an interior housing surface; a rim surface connecting the exterior housing surface and the interior housing surface and enclosing a housing opening directed towards a gaseous environment during use, wherein the housing opening is located at a front portion of the housing and is configured to provide initial fluid communication between the gaseous environment and the interior of the housing; a sample system for extracting a gaseous sample from the gaseous environment, wherein the sample system comprises: at least one sample pipe having an opening at the front portion of the housing, wherein at least the opening is enclosed by the housing wall and is configured to be in fluid communication with the gaseous environment; and filter means comprising at least one filter for filtering a plurality of solid particles from the gaseous sample, wherein the at least one filter is enclosed by the housing wall and arranged at the opening of the at least one sample pipe, wherein the gas sampling apparatus further comprises: a central purge system configured to remove aggregates of solid particles deposited on one or more of the rim surface, the interior housing surface and the exterior housing surface by a gaseous medium, wherein the central purge system comprises at least one purge pipe comprising an outlet opening directed towards the housing opening and enclosed by the housing wall; a peripheral purge system configured to clean at least a part of an exterior surface of the at least one filter, wherein the peripheral purge system comprises one or more second purge pipes enclosed by the housing and arranged externally to the sample system; wherein the sample system is arranged externally to the central purge system so that at least the one sample pipe is separate from the at least one purge pipe, wherein the at least one filter is arranged radially between an exterior surface of the purge pipe and the housing; and wherein the at least one filter and the housing opening are positioned in an open end of the housing and wherein the open end of the housing is arranged to be positioned inside the gaseous environment, during use; further comprising a filter cleaning system for cleaning the at least one filter, wherein the filter cleaning system comprises one of more filter cleaning pipes configured to direct a gaseous medium through the at least one filter towards the gaseous environment; wherein the one or more second purge pipes are configured to be connected to a gas supply system and to transfer a gaseous medium from the gas supply system to at least a part of the exterior surface of the at least one filter; wherein the sample system is configured to be in connection with a gas analysis system so as to transfer the gaseous sample extracted from the gaseous environment to the gas analysis system.
2 . The gas sampling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the opening of the sample system is radially arranged between the central purge system and the housing wall.
3 . The gas sampling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the purge pipe is configured to transfer a gaseous medium from a gas supply system to at least a part of the interior of the housing arranged adjacent to the housing opening.
4 . The gas sampling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the outlet opening of the purge pipe has an inner outlet diameter, which is between 15-35 mm.
5 . The gas sampling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the outlet opening of the purge pipe has an inner diameter, which is between 1.5-5 times larger than an inner diameter of the opening of the at least one sample pipe.
6 . The gas sampling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more filter cleaning pipes comprises a filter cleaning inlet opening configured to be connected with a gas source and a filter cleaning outlet opening arranged so as to face the at least one filter.
7 . The gas sampling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one filter of the filter means is arranged between the opening of the at least one sample pipe and the gaseous environment present in the interior of the housing, when the gas sampling apparatus is in use.
8 . The gas sampling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one filter is of a tubular shape and is arranged coaxially with the purge pipe.
9 . The gas sampling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the peripheral purge system comprises distribution means comprising one or more outlet openings, wherein the distribution means is arranged for distributing a gaseous medium from the gas supply system through the one or more outlet openings towards the housing opening.
10 . The gas sampling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the central purge system and/or the filter cleaning system and/or the peripheral purge system are arranged to be operated independently from the sample system.
11 . The gas sampling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the sample system is in connection with one or more extraction means, for extraction of a gas sample through the at least one sample pipe.
12 . The gas sampling apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising a gas analysis system arranged in connection with the sample system and arranged to analyze a gas sample extracted from the gaseous environment.
13 . The gas sampling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the sample system comprises heating means for heating at least an interior surface of the at least one sample pipe.
14 . The gas sampling apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises cooling means for cooling a least the exterior housing surface.
15 . Use of a gas sampling apparatus comprising: a housing comprising a housing wall enclosing an interior of the housing, wherein the housing wall comprises: an exterior housing surface; an interior housing surface; a rim surface connecting the exterior housing surface and the interior housing surface enclosing a housing opening directed towards a gaseous environment during use, wherein the housing opening is located at a front portion of the housing and is configured to provide initial fluid communication between the gaseous environment and the interior of the housing; a sample system for extracting a gaseous sample from the gaseous environment, wherein the sample system comprises: at least one sample pipe having an opening at the front portion of the housing, wherein at least the opening is enclosed by the housing wall and is configured to be in fluid communication with the gaseous environment; and filter means comprising at least one filter for filtering a plurality of solid particles from the gaseous sample, wherein the at least one filter is enclosed by the housing wall and arranged at the opening of the at least one sample pipe, wherein the gas sampling apparatus further comprises: a central purge system configured to remove aggregates of solid particles deposited on one or more of the rim surface, the interior housing surface and the exterior housing surface by a gaseous medium, wherein the central purge system comprises at least one purge pipe comprising an outlet opening directed towards the housing opening and enclosed by the housing wall; a peripheral purge system configured to clean at least a part of an exterior surface of the at least one filter, wherein the peripheral purge system comprises one or more second purge pipes enclosed by the housing and arranged externally to the sample system; wherein the sample system is arranged externally to the central purge system so that at least the one sample pipe is separate from the at least one purge pipe; and wherein the at least one filter and the housing opening are positioned in an open end of the housing and wherein the open end of the housing is arranged to be positioned inside the gaseous environment, during use, wherein the use comprises: extracting a gas sample from a gaseous environment, wherein a gaseous sample is extracted from the gaseous environment through the housing opening and the first opening and thereafter through the sample pipe; and cleaning at least a part of housing by releasing a gaseous medium towards one or more of the rim surface, the interior housing surface and the exterior housing surface through at least the purge pipe, and wherein the at least one filter is arranged radially between an exterior surface of the purge pipe and the housing further comprising a filter cleaning system for cleaning the at least one filter, wherein the filter cleaning system comprises one of more filter cleaning pipes configured to direct a gaseous medium through the at least one filter towards the gaseous environment; wherein the one or more second purge pipes are configured to be connected to a gas supply system and to transfer a gaseous medium from the gas supply system to at least a part of the exterior surface of the at least one filter; wherein the sample system is configured to be in connection with a gas analysis system so as to transfer the gaseous sample extracted from the gaseous environment to the gas analysis system.
16 . A gas sampling apparatus for extraction of a gaseous sample from a gaseous environment comprising flue gas comprising solid particles, wherein the gas sampling apparatus comprises: a housing comprising a housing wall enclosing an interior of the housing, wherein the housing wall comprises: an exterior housing surface; an interior housing surface; a rim surface connecting the exterior housing surface and the interior housing surface and enclosing a housing opening directed towards a gaseous environment during use, the housing opening is located a front portion of the housing and is positioned in an open end of the housing, wherein the open end of the housing is arranged to be positioned inside the gaseous environment, during use, wherein the housing opening is configured to provide initial fluid communication between the gaseous environment and the interior of the housing; a sample system for extracting a gaseous sample from the gaseous environment, wherein the sample system comprises: at least one sample pipe having a opening at the front portion of the housing, wherein the opening is enclosed by the housing wall and is configured to be in fluid communication with the gaseous environment; and filter means comprising at least one filter for filtering a plurality of solid particles from the gaseous sample, wherein the at least one filter is enclosed by the housing wall and arranged at the opening of the at least one sample pipe and in the open end of the housing, wherein the gas sampling apparatus further comprises: a central purge system configured to remove aggregates of solid particles deposited on one or more of the rim surface, the interior housing surface and the exterior housing surface by means of a gaseous medium, wherein the central purge system comprises at least one purge pipe comprising an outlet opening directed towards the housing opening and enclosed by the housing wall; a peripheral purge system configured to clean at least a part of an exterior surface of the at least one filter, wherein the peripheral purge system comprises one or more second purge pipes enclosed by the housing and arranged externally to the sample system; and wherein the sample system is arranged externally to the central purge system so that at least the at least one sample pipe is separate from the at least one purge pipe and wherein the at least one filter is arranged radially between the housing and an exterior surface of the at least one purge pipe; further comprising a filter cleaning system for cleaning the at least one filter, wherein the filter cleaning system comprises one of more filter cleaning pipes configured to direct a gaseous medium through the at least one filter towards the gaseous environment; wherein the one or more second purge pipes are configured to be connected to a gas supply system and to transfer a gaseous medium from the gas supply system to at least a part of the exterior surface of the at least one filter; wherein the sample system is configured to be in connection with a gas analysis system so as to transfer the gaseous sample extracted from the gaseous environment to the gas analysis system.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PRIORITY APPLICATIONS This application is a national application based on Patent Cooperation Treaty Patent Application No. PCT/DK2020/050381, filed on Dec. 18, 2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. This application claims under 35 U.S.C. § 119 (a) the benefit of the filing date of Danish Patent Application No. PA202070025, filed on Jan. 13, 2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of Invention The invention relates to a gas sampling apparatus for extraction of a gaseous sample from a gaseous environment as well as to cleaning of the gas sampling apparatus. Description of Related Art In industries such as cement kilns there exist a need for monitoring the content of flue gasses produced so as to perform quality check and optimization of the combustion process and to check for occurrence of any harmful gasses produced by the process. It is especially beneficial to be able to continuously monitor the flue gas content over time in order to increase the understanding of the combustion process. However, the flue gasses provide a gaseous environment of extreme temperatures and extreme dust loads, which in turn apply extreme demands to the equipment used, especially the equipment situated inside and exposed to the gaseous environment for sampling gaseous samples. Solid particles from the flue gas can adhere to the equipment and eventually cause deterioration of the sampling efficiency, which in turn increase the time spend on maintaining the equipment and potentially decreasing equipment-lifetime. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a gas sampling apparatus, which allows for efficient monitoring of flue gas content in harsh conditions and for efficient removal of any disadvantageous solid particles adhering to the gas sampling apparatus. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The first aspect of the invention relates to a gas sampling apparatus for extraction of a gaseous sample from a gaseous environment including flue gas comprising solid particles, wherein the gas sampling apparatus includes a housing having a housing wall enclosing an interior of the housing, wherein the housing wall includes an exterior housing surface, an interior housing surface, a rim surface connecting the exterior housing surface and the interior housing surface and enclosing a housing opening directed towards the gaseous environment during use, wherein the housing opening is configured to provide fluid communication between the gaseous environment and the interior of the housing,a sample system for extracting the gaseous sample, wherein the sample system includesat least one sample pipe having a first opening, wherein at least the first opening is enclosed by the housing wall and is configured to be in fluid communication with the gaseous environment, andfilter means including at least one filter for filtering a plurality of solid particles from the gaseous sample, wherein the filter is enclosed by the housing wall and arranged at the first opening of the sample pipe,wherein the gas sampling apparatus further includes a central purge system configured to remove aggregates of solid particles deposited on one or more housing surfaces via a gaseous medium, such as air, wherein the central purge system includes at least one first purge pipe including a first outlet opening directed towards the housing opening and enclosed by the housing wall,wherein the sample system is arranged externally to the central purge system so that at least the sample pipe(s) are separate to the first purge pipe(s). Advantageously, the present invention provides a gas sampling apparatus, which is both capable of extraction a gaseous sample through a filter and through the sample pipe and in addition, the gas sampling apparatus is also capable of cleaning at least the tip of the gas sampling apparatus pointed towards the gaseous environment by means of at least the central purge system. In one or more embodiments, the gaseous environment may be an interior environment of a duct, flue stack, or a chimney, wherein the gaseous environment contains gaseous media and solid particles, such as a product of combustion from an industrial plant, such as cement kilns, Lime kilns, mineral kilns (Al, Mg, a.o), fertilizer kilns, waste boilers, etc. When coming into contact with the housing, a formation of aggregates of solid material may form on the housing and partly or entirely block the passageway through the housing opening. This is in particular troublesome when aggregates are formed on the interior surface of the housing and/or the rim surface of the housing at the tip of the gas sampling apparatus. By the present invention the housing of the gas sampling apparatus is effectively cleaned such that any build-up of solid particles stuck to the interior housing wall at positions preventing efficient gas extraction, e.g. blocking t