| abstract |
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for determining the amount of various materials in a liquid sample. Because the apparatus is particularly flexible it can be used repeatedly with very hard liquid samples such as gas from water separator of an oil refinery. The apparatus uses at least one volume and / or a concentration independent optical analysis method to determine at least one of: the pH, amount of chloride, and / or amount of iron in the sample. The optical property can be colorimetric, fluorescent or both, and results from adding dyes, complexing agents, turbidity inducing compounds, and other reagents, which optically affect the sample. Because the measurements are of independent concentration and volume, they can be carried out continuously, quickly, and avoid the inconvenience of the start and stop procedures in the prior art measurement regimes. The method also includes using a BDD cell to oxidize materials (such as sulfoxy compounds) that could otherwise interfere with the optical analysis and / or bubble the congas sample. |