Abstract: A gas supply system for a flame module of a spectrometer and a method of controlling a flame module. The gas supply system comprises an oxidant gas supply line for providing a supply of oxidant gas, an oxidant gas flow valve for varying a gas flow rate of an oxidant gas in the oxidant gas supply line, an oxidant gas safety controller configured to control the oxidant gas flow valve, a fuel gas supply line for providing a supply of fuel gas, a fuel gas flow valve configured to control a gas flow rate of a fuel gas on the fuel gas supply line, and a fuel gas safety controller configured to control the fuel gas flow valve. During normal operation, the oxidant gas safety controller is configured to charge an energy storage circuit of the oxidant gas safety controller.

Abstract: A method and device for determining an average frequency of a series of ion detection pulses (P) in a spectrometer can be applied to a measurement interval (MI). The method may comprise determining the duration of an auxiliary interval (AI1, AI2, . . . ), wherein the auxiliary interval overlaps the measurement interval, the auxiliary interval starts at the last pulse (P0) preceding the measurement interval (MI), and the auxiliary interval ends at the last pulse (PN) within the measurement interval. The method may further comprise determining the number of pulses during the auxiliary interval and dividing the number of pulses by the duration of the auxiliary interval so as to produce the average frequency. The method may be applied to a series of ion pulses produced by a voltage-to-frequency converter connected to a Faraday cup.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a gas supply system for a flame module of a spectrometer and a method of controlling a flame module. The gas supply system comprises an oxidant gas supply line for providing a supply of oxidant gas, an oxidant gas flow valve for varying a gas flow rate of an oxidant gas in the oxidant gas supply line, an oxidant gas safety controller configured to control the oxidant gas flow valve, a fuel gas supply line for providing a supply of fuel gas, a fuel gas flow valve configured to control a gas flow rate of a fuel gas on the fuel gas supply line, and a fuel gas safety controller configured to control the fuel gas flow valve. During normal operation, the oxidant gas safety controller is configured to charge an energy storage circuit of the oxidant gas safety controller.