Patent 11150227 was granted and assigned to Rosemount Inc. on October, 2021 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
A microwave resonator flame ionization detector assembly includes a microwave resonator disposed proximate a flame to evaluate an ion concentration in a flame effluent. A resonant frequency of the microwave resonator is detected, and a reflection coefficient of the resonator is used to determine an electric permittivity of a material in which the resonator is immersed. The electric permittivity depends on an ion concentration proximal to the resonator, and the ion concentration is related to the concentration of hydrocarbons present in the flame.