System and method for air time remaining calculations in a self-contained breathing apparatus

Abstract

A method and apparatus for accurately determining air time remaining in a self-contained breathing apparatus quantifies the effects of various non-linearities in order to define an accurate estimate of air time remaining within a gas supply tank. An analytical expression relates a mass equivalent to measured tank pressure through a power function. The system determines the rate of change of pressure with respect to time in order to determine numerical values for a rate of change of mass equivalent with respect to time, as well as the values of a set of constants relating mass equivalent to the pressure power function. A range of pressure:mass equivalent data pairs are produced which express the pressure/mass equivalent relationship over a range of specified mass equivalents. A function is curve fit to the data points in order to develop an expression which relates mass as a function of pressure directly or various pressure:mass equivalent data points are stored in a look-up table and, for any given measured pressure, a corresponding mass can be determined by simply consulting the table.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.