Published in

European Geosciences Union, Atmospheric Measurement Techniques Discussions, 7(7), p. 7531-7567

DOI: 10.5194/amtd-7-7531-2014

Links

Tools

Export citation

Search in Google Scholar

Development of an automated high temperature valveless injection system for on-line gas chromatography

This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

Full text: Download

Green circle
Preprint: archiving allowed
Green circle
Postprint: archiving allowed
Green circle
Published version: archiving allowed
Data provided by SHERPA/RoMEO

Abstract

A reliable method of sample introduction is presented for on-line gas chromatography with a special application to in-situ field portable atmospheric sampling instruments. A traditional multi-port valve is replaced with a controlled pressure switching device that offers the advantage of long term reliability and stable sample transfer efficiency. An engineering design model is presented and tested that allows customizing the interface for other applications. Flow model accuracy is within measurement accuracy (1%) when parameters are tuned for an ambient detector and 15% accurate when applied to a vacuum based detector. Laboratory comparisons made between the two methods of sample introduction using a thermal desorption aerosol gas chromatograph (TAG) show approximately three times greater reproducibility maintained over the equivalent of a week of continuous sampling. Field performance results for two versions of the valveless interface used in the in-situ instrument demonstrate minimal trending and a zero failure rate during field deployments ranging up to four weeks of continuous sampling. Extension of the VLI to dual collection cells is presented with less than 3% cell-to-cell carry-over.