ELECTROCHEMICAL METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DETERMINING THE WATER STEAM PARTIAL PREAAURE IN GASES

摘要

A method of, and apparatus for, determination of the partial pressure of water vapour in a mixture of gases. The mixture is allowed to impinge on one side of one or more membrane permeable to water vapour (6, 7). Any water vapour in the mixture diffuses through the membrane and is absorbed in a strongly hygroscopic electrolyte (4). A DC voltage is then passed through the electrolyte by. means of two electrodes (5) on opposite polarity. The water is decomposed yielding hydrogen and oxygen gases which are removed from the electrolyte in such manner as to prevent ingress of atmospheric moisture, and the current produced during the electrolytic decomposition is measured, the magnitude of the current being proportional to the partial pressure of water vapour in the mixture of gases.