Photolytic converter

Abstract

The present invention provides a photolytic converter for converting reactant molecules in a fluid sample into product molecules by photolytic dissociation with electromagnetic radiation. The converter has a reaction chamber in communication with one or more electromagnetic radiation sources, an inflow conduit for conveying the fluid sample into the reaction chamber, and an outflow conduit for conveying the fluid sample out of the reaction chamber into a receptacle, wherein at least one of the first and outflow conduits extends into the reaction chamber. The receptacle can comprise detection means for generating a signal indicative of a concentration of product molecules in the processed fluid sample.

1 .- 31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . A photolytic converter for converting NO 2  molecules in a gas sample into NO molecules by photolytic dissociation with electromagnetic radiation, the converter comprising:
 a converter body defining a sealed reaction chamber, and having an inner surface and an outer surface, wherein the inner surface of the reaction chamber has electromagnetic radiation reflective properties;   a housing enclosing the converter body,   one or more electromagnetic radiation sources provided outside the converter body, and in communication with one or more corresponding windows provided in the converter body to allow electromagnetic radiation into the reaction chamber for photolytically dissociating the NO 2  molecules in the gas sample to form the NO molecules;   an inflow conduit for conveying the gas sample into the reaction chamber, the inflow conduit having an inlet opening configured to be in fluid communication with a source of the gas sample and an outlet opening in communication with the reaction chamber, wherein the gas sample enters the inlet of the inflow conduit as an unprocessed gas sample; and   an outflow conduit for conveying the gas sample out of the reaction chamber, the outflow conduit having an inlet opening in fluid communication with the reaction chamber and an outlet opening configured to be in fluid communication with a receptacle for receiving the gas sample, wherein the gas sample exits the outflow conduit as a processed gas sample;   wherein at least one of the inflow conduit and the outflow conduit have a length, so that the outlet opening of the inflow conduit and/or the inlet opening of the outflow conduit extends into the reaction chamber, the length is sufficient to provide a confined path for the unprocessed gas sample being conveyed into the reaction chamber via the inflow conduit, and/or the processed gas sample being conveyed out of the reaction chamber via the outflow conduit.   
     
     
         33 . The photolytic converter of  claim 32 , wherein the length of the inflow conduit and/or the outflow conduits within the reaction chamber is from about 30% to about 99.5% of the length of the reaction chamber. 
     
     
         34 . The photolytic converter of  claim 32 , further comprising: a pressure regulator or flow control device for controlling flow rate of the fluid sample into to the reaction chamber, and a pressure regulator or flow control device for controlling flow rate of the fluid sample out of the reaction chamber, and/or a volume sized to achieve a residence time of the fluid sample in the photolytic converter up to 10 s. 
     
     
         35 . The photolytic converter of  claim 32 , wherein said converter body is made of metal or glass, and has transparent windows to allow exposure of the radiation from said one or more electromagnetic radiation sources to the gas sample in the reaction chamber, said housing optionally comprising a heat dissipating device. 
     
     
         36 . The photolytic converter of  claim 35 , wherein said converter body is made of glass, wherein the inner surface of the converter body has a reflective coating and/or the outer surface of the converter body has a reflective coating or a reflective covering. 
     
     
         37 . The photolytic converter of  claim 32 , wherein the inflow conduit and/or the outflow conduit extends in a direction parallel to or orthogonal to propagation of said electromagnetic radiation within said chamber, or the inflow conduit has a first portion extending in a direction parallel to the propagation of said electromagnetic radiation within said chamber and a second portion extending in a direction orthogonal to the propagation of said electromagnetic radiation within said chamber. 
     
     
         38 . The photolytic converter of  claim 32 , wherein said body has a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis, wherein the inflow conduit and/or the outflow conduit has a first portion extending parallel to the longitudinal axis and a second portion extending parallel to the transverse axis. 
     
     
         39 . The photolytic converter of  claim 38 , wherein the first portion has a length at least 60% of the length of the reaction chamber, and the second portion has a length less than 60% of a width of the reaction chamber. 
     
     
         40 . The photolytic converter of  claim 32 , further comprising one or more additional conduits within the reaction chamber, each having an inlet and an outlet, wherein the outlet of an inflow conduit of said one or more additional conduits is in fluid communication with the inlet of a next conduit of said one or more additional conduits and so on, and wherein the inlet of a first additional conduit is in fluid communication with the outlet of the inflow conduit and the outlet of the last conduit of said one of more additional conduits is in fluid communication with the inlet of the outflow conduit. 
     
     
         41 . The photolytic converter of  claim 32 , wherein the outlet of the inflow conduit and/or the inlet of the outflow conduit is adjacent the converter body, which is in communication with the one or more electromagnetic radiation sources. 
     
     
         42 . The photolytic converter of  claim 32 , wherein said reflective covering has specular and/or diffuse reflective properties specific to a UV light spectrum. 
     
     
         43 . The photolytic converter of  claim 32 , wherein the electromagnetic source is a light-emitting diode (LED), LASER, and/or a gas discharge lamp.