INDUSTRIAL-GRADE FIELD-MOUNTABLE GAS-CHROMATOGRAPH FOR PROCESS MONITORING AND CONTROL

A novel design is proposed for a field-mountable on-line process gas chromatograph. The chromatograph proper is constructed as a light, portable, plug-in cartridge in support of a rapid repair-by-replacement philosophy. The support structure is mounted close to the sampling point and consists of an explosion-proof section and an intrinsically safe oven that can be unbuttoned in the field without powering down the unit. The ''cartridge'' chromatograph is designed to support fast capillary column chromatography. A description of a prototype unit is given as well as performance chromatograms and a demonstration of its multicolumn analysis capability by its application to the rapid BTU (British Thermal Unit) analysis of natural gases.