Pressurized detectors substance analyzer

1. A method for measuring the concentration of a constituent element in a gas sample contained in an analyzer, the method comprising:

sealing an outlet of a sample cell of a detector;

receiving a predetermined mass of a gas sample through an inlet into the sample cell over a predetermined pressurization period during which the predetermined mass of the gas sample is received into the sample cell, wherein the entire mass of the gas sample contained in the analyzer is contained within the sample cell;

pressurizing the gas sample contained in the sample cell to a predetermined pressure over the pressurization period; and

determining a concentration of a constituent element in the pressurized gas sample contained in the sample cell.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

emitting a beam of incident radiation on the pressurized gas sample in the sample cell.

3. The method of claim 2 , comprising:

determining the concentration of the constituent element in the pressurized gas sample in proportion to a quantity of the radiation absorbed by the pressurized gas sample.

4. The method of claim 3 , comprising:

interrupting the beam of incident radiation at predetermined intervals;

measuring a flow rate between a first detector cell and a second detector cell, the first and second detector cells are filled with a predetermined quantity of a constituent element to be measured in the gas sample; and

wherein the concentration of the constituent element in the pressurized gas sample is proportional to the flow rate between the first and second detector cells integrated over a predetermined period of time.

5. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

receiving a liquid sample in a reactor;

converting the liquid sample into the gas sample to be measured; and

sweeping the gas sample from the reactor to the sample cell during the pressurization period.

6. The method of claim 5 , comprising:

receiving a carrier gas into the reactor to sweep the gas sample from the reactor.

7. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

repeating the determining of the concentration of the constituent element of the pressurized gas sample while the pressurized gas sample is in the sample cell.

8. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

pressurizing the gas sample in the sample cell to a pressure above atmospheric pressure.

9. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

receiving a liquid sample in a sparging chamber;

sparging the liquid sample to be measured with an acid; and

sweeping the gas sample from the sparging chamber to the sample cell.

10. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

emitting a beam of incident radiation on the pressurized gas sample in the sample cell;

reflecting the beam of radiation from a mirror; and

detecting a quantity of radiation reflected from the mirror.

11. The method of claim 1 , comprising determining the concentration of the constituent element in the pressurized gas sample based on the detected reflected quantity of radiation.

12. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

contacting the pressurized gas sample with a second gas sample to produce an excited state of a third gas sample; and

detecting a quantity of light emitted within a period of time during which the excited third gas sample returns to a ground state from the excited state.

13. A method for measuring the concentration of a constituent element in a gas sample contained in an analyzer, the method comprising:

sealing an outlet of a sample cell of a detector;

receiving a predetermined mass of a gas sample through an inlet into the sample cell over a predetermined pressurization period during which the predetermined mass of the gas sample is received into the sample cell, wherein the entire mass of the gas sample contained in the analyzer is contained within the sample cell;

pressurizing the gas sample contained in the sample cell to a predetermined pressure over the pressurization period;

emitting a beam of incident radiation on the pressurized gas sample in the sample cell;

interrupting the beam of incident radiation at predetermined intervals;

measuring a flow rate between a first detector cell and a second detector cell, the first and second detector cells are filled with a predetermined quantity of a constituent element to be measured in the gas sample; and

determining the concentration of the constituent element in the pressurized gas sample contained in the sample cell in proportion to a quantity of the radiation absorbed by the pressurized gas sample, wherein the concentration of the constituent element in the pressurized gas sample is proportional to the flow rate between the first and second detector cells integrated over a predetermined period of time.

14. The method of claim 13 , comprising reflecting the beam of incident radiation with a mirror.

15. The method of claim 14 , comprising detecting a quantity of radiation reflected from the mirror.

16. The method of claim 13 , comprising:

measuring a flow rate between a first detector cell and a second detector cell, the first and second detector cells are filled with a predetermined quantity of a constituent element to be measured in the gas sample; and

wherein the concentration of the constituent element in the pressurized gas sample is proportional to the flow rate between the first and second detector cells integrated over a predetermined period of time.

17. A method, comprising:

receiving a predetermined mass of a gas sample through an inlet into the sample cell over a predetermined pressurization period during which the predetermined mass of the gas sample is received into the sample cell, wherein the entire mass of the gas sample contained in the analyzer is contained within the sample cell;

pressurizing the gas sample contained in the sample cell to a predetermined pressure over the pressurization period;

determining a concentration of a constituent element in the pressurized gas sample contained in the sample cell; and

repeating the determining of the concentration of the constituent element of the pressurized gas sample while the pressurized gas sample is in the sample cell.

18. The method of claim 17 , comprising pressurizing the gas sample to 30 psi-60 psi above atmospheric pressure.

19. The method of claim 17 , comprising:

emitting a beam of incident radiation on the pressurized gas sample in the sample cell;

reflecting the beam of radiation from a mirror;

detecting a quantity of radiation reflected from the mirror; and

determining the concentration of the constituent element in the pressurized gas sample based on the detected reflected quantity of radiation.

20. The method of claim 19 , comprising:

contacting the pressurized gas sample with a second gas sample to produce an excited state of a third gas sample; and

detecting a quantity of light emitted within a period of time during which the excited third gas sample returns to a ground state from the excited state.