US 11,460,444 B2 · Aircraft air contaminant analyzer and method of use

(a) passing aircraft air through an inlet of an aircraft air contaminant analyzer and through a flow-through heater block and a first valve, wherein the flow-through heater block is arranged to control temperature of the aircraft air passing through the flow-through heater block;

(a′) the aircraft air contaminant analyzer comprising:

at least a first aircraft air contaminant collector and a second aircraft air contaminant collector;

a first sample flow path including a first sample portion flow path and a second sample portion flow path;

wherein the first aircraft air contaminant collector is arranged along the first sample portion flow path, the aircraft air contaminant analyzer including a first adjustable flow controller communicating with the first sample portion flow path;

and

the second aircraft air contaminant collector is arranged along the second sample portion flow path, the aircraft air contaminant analyzer including a second adjustable flow controller communicating with the second sample portion flow path;

wherein the aircraft air contaminant analyzer includes a second valve arranged downstream of the first sample portion flow path and the second sample portion flow path;

and,

a bypass section providing a bypass sample flow path bypassing the first aircraft air contaminant collector and the first sample portion flow path, and bypassing the second aircraft air contaminant collector and the second sample portion flow path, the bypass section comprising a bypass channel, the bypass channel including the bypass sample flow path;

wherein the aircraft air contaminant analyzer includes a third valve arranged downstream of the bypass sample flow path;

the first aircraft air contaminant collector and the second aircraft air contaminant collector each separately comprising:

(i) a microporous medium comprising microporous flow through channels arranged across the sample portion flow path, the microporous medium having a chemoselective coating;

and,

(ii) a thin film resistive heater, capable of heating to a temperature that vaporizes captured air contaminants, wherein the heater is in contact with the microporous medium;

the aircraft air contaminant analyzer also including a gravimetric sensor near each of the first aircraft air contaminant collector and the second aircraft air contaminant collector, each gravimetric sensor arranged to generate a proportionate resonant frequency response when air contaminant mass is added to or removed from the gravimetric sensor, for classifying air contaminant type;

(a″) the aircraft air contaminant analyzer further comprising:

a pump generating flow along the first sample portion flow path, the second sample portion flow path, and along the bypass sample flow path;

a pressure sensor arranged between the first valve, the second valve, and the third valve;

and

a temperature sensor arranged to measure temperature in the flow through heater block;

(b) passing a first sample of the aircraft air through the aircraft air contaminant analyzer and through the first and second aircraft air contaminant collectors and the second valve along the first sample flow path at a first sample flow rate and at a first sample flow duration, including passing a first sample portion of the first sample through the first aircraft air contaminant collector and passing a second sample portion of the first sample through the second aircraft air contaminant collector;

passing the first sample portion of the aircraft air along the first sample portion flow path at a first sample portion flow rate and at a first sample portion flow duration, and passing the second sample portion of the aircraft air along the second sample portion flow path at a second sample portion flow rate and at a second sample portion flow duration, wherein the first sample portion flow duration equals the second sample portion flow duration;

while passing another sample of aircraft air through the aircraft air contaminant analyzer and through the bypass section and a third valve along the bypass sample flow path bypassing the first and second aircraft air contaminant collectors at a bypass sample flow rate and at a bypass sample flow duration;

(b′) adjusting the first sample portion flow rate and the second sample portion flow rate

such that

the first sample portion flow rate is decreased by adjusting the first adjustable flow controller when a measured signal magnitude by the gravimetric sensor near the first aircraft contaminant collector is higher than a measured signal magnitude by the gravimetric sensor near the second aircraft contaminant collector;

and

the second sample portion flow rate is decreased by adjusting the second adjustable flow controller when a measured signal magnitude by the gravimetric sensor near the second aircraft contaminant collector is higher than a measured signal magnitude by the gravimetric sensor near the first aircraft contaminant collector;

(c) controlling the first sample flow rate and/or the first sample flow duration along the first sample portion flow path;

while independently controlling the bypass sample flow rate and/or the bypass sample flow duration through the bypass section along the bypass sample flow path;

wherein the first sample flow rate and/or the first sample flow duration are initially set at a low value for initial measurements of response signal magnitudes;

(d) capturing air contaminants by each microporous medium;

(e) closing the first valve and the second valve and when a desired pressure is reached based upon a signal from the pressure sensor, closing the third valve and discontinuing passing aircraft air through the first and second aircraft air contaminant collector along the first sample portion flow path and the second sample portion flow path;

(f) heating each microporous medium to a temperature sufficient to vaporize the captured air contaminants and desorb the captured air contaminants;

(g) receiving the desorbed air contaminants on each gravimetric sensor arranged to generate a proportionate resonant frequency response when air contaminant mass is added to or removed from the gravimetric sensor;

(h) measuring proportionate resonant frequency response generated by each gravimetric sensor as the air contaminant is added to and removed from each gravimetric sensor, determining the signal magnitude from the proportionate resonant frequency response, determining the air contaminant concentration, classifying the air contaminant type, and outputting the determined air contaminant concentrations and classified air contaminant types;

(i) executing an air contaminant recognition program stored upon a computer readable medium, including calculating air contaminant concentrations using the measured signal magnitudes and the first sample flow rates and the first sample flow duration along the first sample flow path;

(j) opening the first valve, the second valve, and the third valve;

(k) determining a target level for the signal magnitude, and continuously repeating (d)-(j) and measuring response signal magnitudes and adjusting the first sample portion flow rate and/or the first sample portion flow duration such that

the first sample portion flow rate and/or the first sample portion flow duration is increased when the signal magnitude of either

(iv) an average of the previously measured signal magnitudes by the gravimetric sensors near the first aircraft contaminant collector and near second aircraft contaminant collector;

or

(v) the previously measured signal magnitude by the gravimetric sensor near the first aircraft contaminant collector;

or

(vi) the previously measured signal magnitude by the gravimetric sensor near the second aircraft contaminant collector is lower than a target level, by an amount proportionate to how much lower the measured signal magnitude is below the target level, to maintain the signal magnitude at the target level, and

the first sample flow rate and/or the first sample flow duration is decreased when the measured signal magnitude of either

(vii) the average of the previously measured signal magnitudes by the gravimetric sensors near the first aircraft contaminant collector and near the second aircraft contaminant collector;

or

(viii) the previously measured signal magnitude by the gravimetric sensor near the first aircraft contaminant collector;

or

(ix) the previously measured signal magnitude by the gravimetric sensor near the second aircraft contaminant collector

is higher than the target level, by an amount proportionate to how much higher the signal magnitude is above the target level, to maintain the signal magnitude at the target level.

Aircraft air contaminant analyzer and method of use

Life of this patent

Aircraft air contaminant analyzer and method of use

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims26