An equipment for three-dimensional spatially resolved gas analysis

Abstract

The apparatus described is able to measure three-dimensional temperature and partial pressure distributions in gas mixtures with a spatial resolution better than 0.5 mm. The measurements are performed in a well defined laminar gas flow in a duct of rectangular cross section. The gas mixture is sampled locally with a quartz tube orifice leak movable in three dimensions. Mass spectrometry is used for partial pressure measurements. The total pressure in the duct can be regulated in the range 50–760 Torr and the gas temperature can be varied between room temperature and 500 °C. The apparatus is primarily designed for studies of the distribution of reactants and products over catalytic surfaces. Because of the well defined gas flow in the duct the partial pressure distributions of reactants and products over the catalytic surface can be calculated with good accuracy. By comparing calculated pressure distributions to measured ones the local reaction rate on the catalytic surface as well as the pressures of reactants and products at the surface can be obtained. As an example it is shown how the hydrogen distribution over a platinum surface exposed to a mixture of hydrogen, oxygen, and argon can be used to calculate the local water formation rate on the platinum surface.