Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and method for trapping and injecting a fluid sample (liquid or gas) at high temperature and pressure without any sample loss. Here, a sample is flowed into an aperture in the valve body and then into a sample chamber. The sample chamber is mounted in a slidable stem and once the sample is in the sample chamber, the stem is moved to a position to seal off the sample. Once the sample is trapped, the valve is moved to a chromatograph (while maintaining the sample at pressure and temperature), flushed with a carrier gas, and the stem is moved to open the sample chamber to the gas. This flushes the sample and moves it to the chromatograph.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for controlling the flow of solids in systems containing solid/fluid slurries is disclosed. An L-valve, having subsequent thereto a separator for separating the solid and fluid phases of the slurry, and a way to regulate the flow of the separated fluid permits the opening and closing of the L-valve without the necessity of mechanical valving systems in contact with the solid phase. A novel L-valve design comprising a radial barrier above a vertical outlet which barrier is of sufficient dimension to permit the solids to attain their angle of repose before reaching the outlet is also disclosed.