CN114424051A - Laser Induced Spectroscopy System and Process - Google Patents

Abstract

A dedicated linkage assembly for use in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy ("LIBS") systems is provided. The linkage assembly may facilitate attachment of the laser housing of the LIBS system to an existing sample supply chamber, such as a volume or weight feeder. Typically, linkage assemblies may include specialized purge heads and inert gas assemblies that facilitate attachment of the laser housing and may enhance the functionality of the LIBS system.

Description

Laser Induced Spectroscopy System and Process

Related applications

This application claims the benefit of priority of US Patent Application Serial No. 16/561,638, filed September 5, 2019, and entitled "LASER-INDUCED SPECTROSCOPY SYSTEM AND PROCESS," the entire contents of which are incorporated by reference. way to be incorporated into this article.

background

1. Field of Invention

The present invention generally relates to laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy ("LIBS") systems. More particularly, the present invention relates generally to linkage assemblies that may be used in LIBS systems.

2. Description of related technologies

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy ("LIBS") is a technique that uses pulsed laser energy to break down a small amount of material. More specifically, lasers are used to ionize material and form a localized plasma, which is a continuum of light frequencies radiated from the material. These light frequencies are collected and analyzed to determine the chemical composition of the ablated material. With this data, various information specific to the sample material such as moisture content, ash content, heating value and ash melting temperature can be easily output.

Despite the use and advancement of LIBS technology, it can be difficult to incorporate LIBS systems into existing feed systems. Therefore, there remains a need for new and efficient systems and methods to connect LIBS systems with existing systems and structures.

Overview

One or more embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a linkage assembly for a laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy system. Typically, the linkage assembly includes a purge head including: (a) a base for connecting the purge head to the linkage assembly; (b) a protrusion protruding from the base for at least partially extending into the sample supply chamber, the protrusion including a tapered front face and a slot opening positioned between the base and the front face; and (c) a perforation extending through the base and the protrusion, wherein the perforation is configured to allow the laser light to pass through the sample and contact the sample.

One or more embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a system for laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy. Typically, a laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy system includes: (a) a laser housing that includes a laser source and a spectrometer; and (b) a linkage assembly that connects the laser housing to a sample supply chamber. Further, the linkage assembly includes a purge head including: (i) a base for connecting the purge head to the linkage assembly; (ii) a protrusion protruding from the base for at least partially extending into the sample supply chamber, the protrusion including a tapered front face and a slot opening positioned between the base and the front face; and (iii) a perforation extending through the base and the protrusion, wherein the perforation is configured to allow the laser light to pass through the sample and contact the sample.

One or more embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a method for operating a laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy system. Generally, the method includes: (a) providing a laser housing including a laser source and a spectrometer connected to a sample supply chamber via a linkage assembly; and (b) when at least a portion of the sample contacts the tapered shape of the purge head When facing up, the sample is brought into contact with the laser. Further, the linkage assembly includes a purge head including: (i) a base for connecting the purge head to the linkage assembly; (ii) a protrusion protruding from the base for at least partially extending into the sample supply chamber, the protrusion including a tapered front face and a slot opening positioned between the base and the front face; and (iii) a perforation extending through the base and the protrusion, wherein the perforation is configured to allow the laser light to pass through the sample and contact the sample.

One or more embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a linkage assembly for a laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy system. Typically, the linkage assembly includes an inert gas flange assembly including: (a) an inert gas flange including an inert gas inlet configured to transfer inert gas into the inert gas flange; and (b) a removable A lens housing including a first lens and a second lens. A removable lens housing is disposed at least partially within the inert gas flange and is in fluid communication with the inert gas inlet. Additionally, the first lens includes an aperture configured to allow flow of inert gas from the lens housing to the exterior of the linkage assembly.

One or more embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a system for laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy. Typically, a laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy system includes: (a) a laser housing that includes a laser source and a spectrometer; and (b) a linkage assembly that connects the laser housing to a sample supply chamber. Typically, the linkage assembly includes an inert gas flange assembly including: (i) an inert gas flange including an inert gas inlet configured to transfer inert gas into the inert gas flange; and (ii) a removable A lens housing including a first lens and a second lens. A removable lens housing is disposed at least partially within the inert gas flange and is in fluid communication with the inert gas inlet. Additionally, the first lens includes an aperture configured to allow a flow of inert gas from the lens housing to the sample supply chamber.

One or more embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a method for operating a laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy system. Generally, the method includes: (a) providing a laser housing including a laser source and a spectrometer connected to the sample supply chamber via a linkage assembly; and (b) contacting the sample with the laser inside the sample supply chamber. The linkage assembly includes an inert gas flange assembly including: (i) an inert gas flange including an inert gas inlet configured to transfer inert gas into the inert gas flange; and (ii) a removable lens housing The body includes a first lens and a second lens. Additionally, a removable lens housing is disposed at least partially within the inert gas flange and is in fluid communication with the inert gas inlet, and the first lens includes an aperture configured to allow flow of the inert gas from the lens housing to the sample supply chamber.

Brief Description of Drawings

Embodiments of the invention are described herein with reference to the following drawings, in which:

Figure 1 depicts an exemplary embodiment in which a LIBS system is incorporated in a coal feed system;

FIG. 2 depicts an enlarged view of the linkage assembly from FIG. 1 .

3 depicts a front perspective view of a purge head of a linkage assembly in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

4 depicts a rear perspective view of a purge head of a linkage assembly in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

5 depicts a front view of a purge head of a linkage assembly in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

6 depicts a side view of a purge head of a linkage assembly in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

7 depicts a bottom plan view of a purge head of a linkage assembly in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

8 depicts a front perspective view of an inert gas assembly of a linkage assembly in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

9 depicts a front view of an inert gas assembly of a linkage assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention;

10 depicts a side view of an inert gas assembly of a linkage assembly in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 11 depicts a side view of the inert gas assembly of the linkage assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention; and

12 depicts a side perspective view of an inert gas assembly of a linkage assembly in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

detail

LIBS systems allow real-time analysis of various types of particle-based materials present in existing feed systems. More specifically, the LIBS system can be mounted to a sample supply chamber, such as a sample feeder downspout, so that the LIBS system can analyze the particle-based feed stream in real time as soon as the feed stream is introduced into the device or reactor. However, there may be performance and durability issues when incorporating LIBS systems into existing feed systems utilizing particle-based feed streams.

The linkage assembly of the present invention can address many of the previous deficiencies associated with incorporating LIBS systems into existing feed systems. More specifically, the linkage assemblies of the present invention can be used to facilitate attachment of a LIBS system to an existing feed system and enhance the function and operation of the LIBS system. As described in greater detail below, the linkage assemblies of the present invention may utilize dedicated purge heads and/or dedicated inert gas assemblies to provide the desired functionality of the linkage assemblies described herein.

FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary LIBS system 10 including a linkage assembly 16 that may be used in conjunction with a coal feed system 18 . It should be understood that the LIBS system shown in Figure 1 is only one example of a system in which the present invention may be implemented. Accordingly, the present invention can be used in a variety of other particle-based feed systems where efficient and effective analysis of particle-based feed streams is required during operation. The exemplary LIBS system 10 shown in FIG. 1 will now be described in greater detail.

As shown in FIG. 1, the main components of the LIBS system 10 include a laser cabinet 12, a linkage assembly 16, a control cabinet 20, and an inert gas source (not shown in FIG. 1). Typically, the laser cabinet 12 may contain a 100 MJ laser, focusing optics, return optics, a spectrometer, and mirrors. The laser cabinet 12 and linkage assembly 16 may be mounted directly to a sample supply chamber 14 , such as the coal feeder downpipe 14 depicted in FIG. 1 . As shown in FIG. 1 , the linkage assembly 16 connects the laser cabinet 12 with the sample supply chamber 14 . Additionally, as shown in Figure 1, the coal feeder downpipe 14 may flow directly into an existing feed system 18, which may feed a feed stream of particles such as coal into the plant or reactor.

Control cabinet 20 includes hardware for controlling the lasers and other components in laser cabinet 12, and may include, for example, a computer, pulse delay generator, laser controller, cooling system, and data analysis tools. The control cabinet 20 may sit on the floor and communicate with the laser cabinet 12 .

Conventional LIBS systems including laser configurations and arrangements are described in US Pat. No. 6,771,368 and US Pat. No. 8,619,255, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Real-time knowledge of the chemical composition of a particle feed stream, such as coal, can provide better control over the operation of a plant or reactor. The LIBS system 10 in Figure 1 allows analytical measurements of a feed stream of particles, such as coal, prior to feed time, which can facilitate diagnosis and control of coal pile output. More specifically, the LIBS system 10 may allow for feeding a particulate feedstock such as coal at a constant energy rate by measuring and evaluating various properties of the incoming particulate feedstock in real time before it is introduced into the actual feeder. For example, the LIBS system 10 may measure the chemical composition, total ash content, and/or ash species concentration of the particulate feedstock prior to introduction into the feed system.

The sample supply chamber 14 in FIG. 1 is depicted as a weight-based downpipe; however, it is contemplated that the LIBS system 10 and linkage assembly 16 of the present invention may be used with a variety of sample supply chambers, including, for example, other types of weight-based Feeders and/or volume-based feeders that function with other types of particle-based samples.

The linkage assembly 16 for connecting the laser cabinet 12 and the sample supply chamber 14 is depicted in greater detail in FIG. 2 . As shown in FIG. 2 , the linkage assembly 12 may include a purge head 22 , an inert gas assembly 24 and a zero leakage valve 26 . Zero leak valve 26 may include any valve known in the art that can prevent fluid flow between purge head 22 and inert gas assembly 24 . In certain embodiments, the zero leakage valve may comprise a sliding gate valve.

The purge head 22 may be used to connect the linkage assembly 16 and the laser cabinet 12 directly to the sample supply chamber 14 . As shown in FIG. 2, the base of the purge head 22 may be attached to the sample supply chamber 14, while the protrusion of the purge head 22 extends into the sample supply chamber 14 to collect particulate samples therein.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the purge head 22 is designed such that at least a portion of the purge head 22 can be placed in the flow of moving particulate material within the sample supply chamber 14 . This configuration allows particulate sample material to straddle the front face of purge head 22 and expose the sample material to the laser light from laser cabinet 12 .

All of the above-described embodiments, particularly the purge head 22 and inert gas flange assembly 24, will be described in more detail below. It should be noted that while some of the following features and characteristics of purge head 22 and inert gas flange assembly 24 may be listed separately, it is contemplated that each of the following features and/or characteristics of purge head 22 and inert gas flange assembly 24 Not mutually exclusive, they can be combined and appear in any combination as long as they do not conflict.

3-7 provide various depictions of purge head 22 . As shown in FIGS. 3 , 6 and 7 , the purge head 22 may include an integral base including a mounting base 28 , an extension base 30 , a first chamfer 32 , a second chamfer 34 and a third chamfer 36 . The base is designed to support a protrusion 38 of the purge head 22 that extends from the base into the sample supply chamber. As shown in FIG. 2 , the base may attach the purge head 22 to the linkage assembly and the sample supply chamber via the mounting base 28 . The mounting base 28 may include a plurality of attachment holes 40 into which bolts or other attachment means may be introduced.

The protrusion 38 of the purge head 22 facilitates the particulate sample material to traverse the laser sight at a predetermined distance within the sample supply chamber. Thus, this can result in a uniform particle sample flow across the laser detection location within the sample supply chamber. Therefore, the purge head 22 is important because it allows the LIBS system to access the sample material inside the moving sample supply chamber, and it provides a consistent position of the sample material in the sample supply chamber relative to the laser focus. In various embodiments, purge head 22 may include at least 1:1, 1.5:1, 1.8:1, or 2:1 and/or less than 10:1, 9:1, 8:1, 7:1, 6 : 1, 5:1 or 4:1 ratio of the length of the protrusion 38 to the length of the base (including 28, 30, 32, 34 and 36). It should be noted that all "length" measurements are taken in the direction of the longitudinal axis 50 of the purge head 22 .

As shown in FIGS. 3 , 5 and 6 , the protrusion 38 may include a tapered front face 42 . This tapered front face 42 of the protrusion 38 may cause particulate sample material in the sample supply chamber to contact the facestock surface of the purge head 22 during operation of the LIBS system. As shown in FIG. 6, the angle (B) of the tapered front face 42 of the purge head 22 relative to the longitudinal axis 50 of the purge head is at least 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65 or 70 degrees and /or less than 90, 85 or 80 degrees.

Additionally, as shown in FIGS. 3-5 and 7 , the protrusions 38 may include shaped openings 44 present on the front face of the purge head 22 . As shown in FIGS. 4 and 7 , the shaped opening 44 may extend longitudinally from the tapered front face 42 of the purge head 22 into the slot opening 46 and the laser perforation 48 . The shaped openings 44 on the tapered front face 42 may serve as the primary contact area for the laser to contact the particulate sample material as it contacts the tapered front face 42 of the purge head 22 . The defined shape of the shaped openings 44 may be specified to prevent the particulate sample material from getting stuck and accumulating within the purge head 22 . As shown in FIG. 5 , the diameter of the forming opening extends from where the longitudinal axis 50 of the purge head 22 extends downward to the opening at the bottom surface of the tapered front face 42 . In various embodiments, the shaped openings 44 may comprise U-shaped or V-shaped openings. As shown in FIG. 5, in one or more embodiments, the shaped opening may comprise at least 5, 10, 15 or 20 degrees and/or less than 90, 80, 70, 60, 50, 40, 35, 30 or 25 degrees angle (A) in degrees.

Due to their unique shape, the tapered front face 42 and shaped opening 44 achieve the desired effect of setting the sample particulate material in the same position relative to the laser focusing optics. Additionally, the tapered front face 42 and shaped opening 44 may also facilitate self-cleaning of the laser target area within the sample supply chamber, as the shape of these features may help prevent sample material build-up at the laser target area.

As shown in FIGS. 4 , 6 and 7 , the protrusion 38 may include a slot opening 46 on the bottom side of the protrusion 38 . During the laser firing and sample material ablation, the sample may explode slightly and small pieces of sample material may be ejected into the body of the purge head 22 . However, due to gravity, such exploding material may be allowed to escape from the purge head 22 through the slot opening 46 in the bottom of the purge head 22 . Without the slot opening 46, the exploded sample material would clump inside the purge head 22 and eventually block the laser beam path. Typically, the total volume of slot openings 46 may be greater than the total volume of shaped openings 44 . In various embodiments, purge head 22 includes at least 1.5:1, 2:1, 2.5:1 or 3:1 and/or less than 10:1, 9:1, 8:1, 7:1, 6 :1, 5:1 or 4:1 ratio of overall purge head length to slot opening length.

Additionally, as shown in FIG. 7 , the purge head 22 may include perforations 48 extending through the base of the purge head 22 and the protrusions 38 . The perforations 48 may be configured to allow the laser light to pass through the purge head 22 and contact the sample in the sample supply chamber. In various embodiments, as shown in FIG. 7 , the shaped opening 44 has a maximum width at the bottom of the shaped opening 44 . In such embodiments, the maximum width of the shaped openings 44 may be greater than the average width of the perforations 48 . In one or more embodiments, purge head 22 may comprise at least 1.5:1, 2:1, 2.5:1 or 3:1 and/or less than 10:1, 9:1, 8:1, 7:1 The ratio of the average width of the perforations 48 to the maximum width of the shaped openings 44 of 1, 6:1, 5:1 or 4:1. In one or more embodiments, the protrusions 38 constitute at least 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, or 65% of the overall length of the purge head 22 .

Typically, purge heads can be designed and fabricated from various metal alloys, preferably stainless steel. Additionally, in various embodiments, the purge head 22 may be coated with a spray-on durability coating to help improve the durability of the purge head 22 . Exemplary durable coatings may include ceramic-based coatings.

Turning now to the inert gas assembly 24, various views of the inert gas assembly 24 are shown in Figures 8-12. As shown in FIGS. 8-12 , the inert gas assembly 24 may include an inert gas flange 54 and a removable lens housing 56 placed within an aperture of the inert gas flange 54 . Additionally, the inert gas flange 54 may include a plurality of attachment holes 58 to facilitate the introduction of bolts so that the inert gas assembly 24 may be attached to the purge head 22 and zero leak valve 26 . In addition, the inert gas flange 54 may also include other attachment holes 60 to facilitate introduction of bolts so that the inert gas assembly 24 may be attached to the laser cabinet 12 .

As shown in FIGS. 10-12 , the inert gas flange 54 may include an inert gas inlet 66 configured to divert and introduce an inert gas into the inert gas flange 54 and the lens housing 56 . The inert gas inlet 66 may be in the form of a pipe, borehole, or conduit configured to divert the inert gas from the inert gas source. In certain embodiments, the inert gas may include argon.

As a result of the configuration depicted in FIGS. 8-12 , the resulting inert gas assembly 24 can form a gas-tight assembly that forces an inert gas, such as argon, through the zero leak valve 26 and the perforations of the purge head 22 and into the sample supply chamber 14 . The inert gas may provide many benefits to the linkage assembly 16 and the LIBS system 10 . For example, the inert gas assembly 24 may provide the following benefits: (i) the inert gas may act as a fire suppressant within the LIBS system 10; (ii) due to the gas-tight construction of the inert gas assembly 24, the inert gas within the linkage assembly 16 The flow can help prevent dust and other contaminants from entering the laser cabinet and damaging the laser optics; and (iii) the noble gas can be used as a signal intensifier for laser data collection.

Typically, in various embodiments, zero leak valve 26 is closed while inert gas is pumped into inert gas flange 54 and lens housing 56 . After inert gas flange 54 and lens housing 56 are filled with inert gas, zero leak valve 26 may then be opened to allow inert gas to flow into purge head 22 and sample supply chamber 14 .

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 , the lens housing 56 may include a solid lens 62 and a single lens 64 including an aperture 68 . In certain embodiments, aperture 68 may be positioned in the center of lens 64 . The holes 68 may have a diameter of at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 mm and/or less than 25, 20, 15, 10, 9, 8 or 6 mm. Typically, the apertures 68 need to be large enough to facilitate transfer of the inert gas, but small enough to reduce the introduction of particulate samples into the lens housing 56 .

Additionally or alternatively, in various embodiments, the lens 64 with the aperture 68 may include at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 additional around the central aperture 68 in addition to the central aperture 68 hole 68. In such an embodiment, these additional holes may have a smaller diameter than the central hole 68 and thus may help mitigate inert gas backflow into the lens housing 56 . In other words, these additional holes (not shown) may be used to enhance the thrust vectoring characteristics of the inert gas assembly 24 .

Typically, the lens 64 with the aperture 68 is the lens facing the purge head 22 and the sample supply chamber 14 , while the solid lens 62 will face the laser cabinet 12 .

In various embodiments, the solid lens 62 does not contain any apertures and is a solid lens capable of preventing any fluid flow or solids from exiting the lens housing 56 . Thus, this prevents the introduction and contamination of the laser housing 12 by any particulate samples or other contaminants that may be inadvertently introduced into the linkage assembly 16 .

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the lenses 62 and 64 may have a circular shape. Additionally, lenses 62 and 64 may be fabricated from any transparent material capable of efficiently transmitting laser light. In certain embodiments, lenses 62 and 64 may be made of glass, polycarbonate, or polyolefin.

As shown in Figures 10-12, one or more O-rings 70 may be used to hold the lens housing 56 in place. Thus, the lens housing 56 can be easily removed from the inert gas flange 54 due to the use of these O-rings. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 , the O-ring may protrude from the lens housing 56 . The double O-ring arrangement 70 allows inert gas to be delivered to the center of the lens housing 56 through the inert gas inlet 66 .

Generally, the inert gas flange 56 can be designed and fabricated from various metal alloys, preferably stainless steel. Additionally, in various embodiments, the inert gas flange 56 may be coated with a spray-on durability coating to help improve the durability of the purge head 22 . Exemplary durable coatings may include ceramic-based coatings.

A method of using the LIBS system 10 is now described in greater detail below. During operation of the LIBS system 10 , a particulate sample to be tested, such as coal, may be introduced into the sample supply chamber 14 and will then contact the tapered front face 42 of the purge head 22 . Subsequently, the particle sample may be laser ablated upon contact with the tapered front face 42 of the purge head 22 . Once the sample material is ablated, the resulting plasma plume emits light. This light can be captured by a spectrometer located in the laser cabinet 12 . The captured LIBS spectral data can then be sent from the spectrometer to a computer for further analysis. Based on this analysis, the feed rate of the feed system 18 can be adjusted accordingly based on the characteristics and properties of the particle sample being tested.

definition

It should be understood that the following is not intended to be an exclusive listing of defined terms. Other definitions may be provided in the foregoing description, eg, where the defined terms are used in context.

As used herein, the terms "a", "an" and "the" mean one or more.

As used herein, when the term "and/or" is used in the context of a list of two or more items, it means that any one of the listed items can be used alone or any combination of two or more of the listed items can be used. For example, if a composition is described as comprising components A, B and/or C, the composition may comprise A alone; B alone; C alone; A and B in combination; A and C in combination; B and C in combination ; or a combination of A, B, and C.

As used herein, the terms "comprising," "comprises," and "comprise" are open-ended transition terms used to transition from subject matter recited before the term to recited after the term of one or more elements, where the one or more elements listed after the transition term are not necessarily the only elements that make up the subject matter.

As used herein, the terms "having", "has" and "have" have the same meaning as "comprising", "comprises" and "comprise" provided above "The same open-ended meaning.

As used herein, the terms "including", "include" and "included" have the same meaning as "comprising", "comprises" and "comprise" provided above "The same open-ended meaning.

Value range

This specification uses numerical ranges to quantify certain parameters relevant to the present invention. It should be understood that when numerical ranges are provided, these ranges will be construed as providing literal support for claim limitations reciting only the lower value of the range and claim limitations only reciting the upper value of the range. For example, the disclosure of a numerical range of 10 to 100 provides literal support for claims reciting "greater than 10" (no upper limit) and claims reciting "less than 100" (no lower limit).

The claims are not limited to the disclosed embodiments

The preferred forms of the invention described above are for illustration only and should not be used in a limiting sense to interpret the scope of the invention. Modifications to the above-described exemplary embodiments can be easily made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

The inventors hereby declare that they intend to rely on the "doctrine of equivalence" to determine and assess the reasonably equitable scope of this invention as it relates to any equipment.

Claims (40)

1. A connecting rod assembly for a laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy system, the connecting rod assembly comprising a purge head, wherein the purge head comprises: (a) a base for connecting the purge head to the linkage assembly; (b) a protrusion protruding from the base for extending at least partially into the sample supply chamber, the protrusion comprising a tapered front face and positioned between the base and the tapered front face the slot opening; and (c) A perforation extending through the base and the protrusion, wherein the perforation is configured to allow a laser to pass through and contact the sample. 2. The linkage assembly of claim 1, wherein the tapered front face includes a shaped opening extending from the tapered front face to the slot opening. 3. The linkage assembly of claim 2, wherein the shaped opening includes an angle of at least 5 degrees and less than 80 degrees. 4. The linkage assembly of any one of claims 1-3, wherein the tapered front face has an angle of at least 25 degrees and less than 85 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the purge head. 5. The linkage assembly of any one of claims 1-4, wherein the length of the projection constitutes at least 25% of the overall length of the purge head. 6. The linkage assembly of any of claims 2-5, wherein the shaped opening includes a maximum width, wherein the maximum width of the shaped opening is greater than an average width of the perforations. 7 . The connecting rod assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the connecting rod assembly further comprises a leak-proof valve and an inert gas assembly, and the inert gas assembly includes an inert gas flange and a lens. 8 . case. 8. A laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy system, the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy system comprising: (a) a laser housing including a laser source and a spectrometer; and (b) a linkage assembly for connecting the laser housing to the sample supply chamber, wherein the linkage assembly includes a purge head including: (i) a base for connecting the purge head to the linkage assembly; (ii) a protrusion protruding from the base for extending at least partially into the sample supply chamber, the protrusion comprising a tapered front face and a narrow slit positioned between the base and the front face slot opening; and (iii) A perforation extending through the base and the protrusion, wherein the perforation is configured to allow a laser to pass through and contact the sample. 9. The laser induced breakdown spectroscopy system of claim 8, wherein the tapered front face comprises a shaped opening extending from the tapered front face to the slot opening. 10. The laser induced breakdown spectroscopy system of claim 9, wherein the shaped opening comprises an angle of at least 5 degrees and less than 80 degrees. 11. The laser induced breakdown spectroscopy system of any one of claims 8-10, wherein the tapered front face has an angle of at least 25 degrees and less than 85 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the purge head angle. 12. The laser induced breakdown spectroscopy system of any one of claims 8-11, wherein the length of the protrusion constitutes at least 25% of the overall length of the purge head. 13. The laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy system of any one of claims 9-12, wherein the shaped opening includes a maximum width, wherein the maximum width of the shaped opening is greater than an average of the perforations width. 14. The laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy system according to any one of claims 8-13, wherein the connecting rod assembly further comprises a valve and an inert gas assembly, the inert gas assembly comprising an inert gas flange and lens housing. 15. A method for operating a laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy system, the method comprising: (a) providing a laser housing including a laser source and a spectrometer, the spectrometer being connected to the sample supply chamber via a linkage assembly, wherein the linkage assembly includes a purge head including: (i) a base for connecting the purge head to the linkage assembly; (ii) a protrusion protruding from the base for extending at least partially into the sample supply chamber, the protrusion comprising a tapered front face and a narrow slit positioned between the base and the front face slot opening; and (iii) a perforation extending through the base and the protrusion, wherein the perforation is configured to allow a laser to pass through and contact the sample; (b) contacting the laser with the sample when at least a portion of the sample contacts the tapered front face of the purge head. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the tapered front face includes a shaped opening extending from the tapered front face to the slot opening. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the shaped opening comprises an angle of at least 5 degrees and less than 80 degrees. 18. The method of any of claims 15-17, wherein the tapered front face has an angle of at least 25 degrees and less than 85 degrees relative to the longitudinal axis of the purge head. 19. The method of any of claims 15-19, wherein the length of the protrusion constitutes at least 25% of the overall length of the purge head. 20. The method of any one of claims 15-19, wherein the linkage assembly further comprises a valve and an inert gas assembly including an inert gas flange and a lens housing. 21. A linkage assembly for a laser induced breakdown spectroscopy system, the linkage assembly comprising an inert gas flange assembly, wherein the inert gas flange assembly comprises: (a) an inert gas flange, the inert gas flange including an inert gas inlet configured to transfer inert gas into the inert gas flange; and (b) a removable lens housing comprising a first lens and a second lens, wherein the removable lens housing is disposed at least partially within the inert gas flange and is in fluid communication with the inert gas inlet, wherein the first lens includes an aperture configured to allow the flow of the inert gas to flow from the lens housing to the exterior of the linkage assembly. 22. The linkage assembly of claim 21, wherein the second lens comprises a solid lens. 23. The linkage assembly of any one of claims 21 or 22, wherein the hole is positioned in the center of the first lens. 24. The linkage assembly of any of claims 21-23, wherein the first lens includes a plurality of additional holes surrounding the hole. 25. The linkage assembly of any of claims 21-24, wherein the inert gas assembly includes one or more O-rings for positioning the lens housing. 26. The linkage assembly of any one of claims 21-25, wherein the inert gas comprises argon. 27. The linkage assembly according to any one of claims 21-26, wherein the linkage assembly further comprises a purge head and a leak-proof valve, wherein the inert gas inlet is connected to the purge head in fluid communication with the leak prevention valve. 28. A laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy system, the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy system comprising: (a) a laser housing including a laser source and a spectrometer; and (b) a linkage assembly for connecting the laser housing to the sample supply chamber, wherein the linkage assembly includes an inert gas flange assembly, wherein the inert gas flange assembly includes: (i) an inert gas flange including an inert gas inlet configured to transfer inert gas into the inert gas flange; and (ii) a removable lens housing comprising a first lens and a second lens, wherein the removable lens housing is disposed at least partially within the inert gas flange and is in fluid communication with the inert gas inlet, wherein the first lens includes an aperture configured to allow the flow of the inert gas to flow from the lens housing to the sample supply chamber. 29. The laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy system of claim 28, wherein the second lens comprises a solid lens. 30. The laser induced breakdown spectroscopy system of any one of claims 28 or 29, wherein the aperture is positioned in the center of the first lens. 31. The laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy system of any of claims 28-30, wherein the first lens includes a plurality of additional holes surrounding the hole. 32. The laser induced breakdown spectroscopy system of any one of claims 28-31, wherein the noble gas assembly includes one or more O-rings for positioning the lens housing. 33. The laser induced breakdown spectroscopy system of any one of claims 28-32, wherein the noble gas comprises argon. 34. The laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy system of any one of claims 28-33, wherein the linkage assembly further comprises a purge head and a leak-proof valve, wherein the inert gas inlet is connected to the A purge head is in fluid communication with the leak prevention valve. 35. A method for operating a laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy system, the method comprising: (a) providing a laser housing including a laser source and a spectrometer connected to the sample supply chamber via a linkage assembly, wherein the linkage assembly includes an inert gas flange assembly, wherein the inert gas flange assembly includes : (i) an inert gas flange, the inert gas flange including an inert gas inlet configured to transfer inert gas into the inert gas flange; and (ii) a removable lens housing comprising a first lens and a second lens, wherein the removable lens housing is disposed at least partially within the inert gas flange and is in fluid communication with the inert gas inlet, wherein the first lens includes an aperture configured to allow the flow of the inert gas to flow from the lens housing to the sample supply chamber; and (b) contacting the laser with the sample within the sample supply chamber. 36. The method of claim 35, wherein the second lens comprises a solid lens. 37. The method of any one of claims 35 or 36, wherein the hole is positioned in the center of the first lens, wherein the first lens includes a plurality of additional holes surrounding the hole . 38. The method of any of claims 35-37, wherein the inert gas assembly includes one or more O-rings for positioning the lens housing. 39. The method of any of claims 35-38, wherein the inert gas comprises argon. 40. The method of any one of claims 35-39, wherein the linkage assembly further comprises a purge head and a leak-proof valve, wherein the inert gas inlet is connected to the purge head and the The leak-proof valve is in fluid communication.

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