Automated soil gas monitoring chamber
AssigneeUT-Battelle, LLC
InventorsNelson T. Edwards, Jeffery S. Riggs
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A chamber for trapping soil gases as they evolve from the soil without disturbance to the soil and to the natural microclimate within the chamber has been invented. The chamber opens between measurements and therefore does not alter the metabolic processes that influence soil gas efflux rates. A multiple chamber system provides for repetitive multi-point sampling, undisturbed metabolic soil processes between sampling, and an essentially airtight sampling chamber operating at ambient pressure.
Claims20
A soil gas monitoring device comprising;
- a) a chamber having an elongated chamber housing with an upper open end and a lower open end;
- said lower open end removably coupled essentially airtight to the soil,
- b) a cover removably coupled using an essentially airtight elastic seal to said upper open end thereby forming a closed chamber,
- c) an intake port in said chamber housing,
- d) an exhaust port in said chamber housing,
- e) an exhaust manifold disposed in said chamber and removably connected to said exhaust port,
- f) a means for open circuit sampling said closed chamber for efflux gases during a selectable monitoring time via said exhaust manifold, said selectable monitoring time having a selectable recording time,
- g) a means for periodically removing said essentially airtight cover thereby exposing said chamber to ambient conditions, and
- h) a heat shield removably disposed on said cover.
A soil gas monitoring system comprising;
- a) at least one soil gas monitoring device further comprising;
- 1) a chamber having an elongated chamber housing with an upper open end and a lower open end;
- said lower open end removably coupled essentially airtight to the soil,
- 2) a cover removably coupled using an essentially airtight elastic seal to said upper open end thereby forming a closed chamber,
- 3) an intake port in said chamber housing,
- 4) an exhaust port in said chamber housing,
- 5) an exhaust manifold disposed in said chamber and removably connected to said exhaust port,
- 6) a means for open circuit sampling said closed chamber for efflux gases during a selectable monitoring time via said exhaust manifold, said selectable monitoring time having a selectable recording time,
- 7) a means for periodically removing said essentially airtight cover thereby exposing said chamber to ambient conditions,
- 8) a heat shield removably disposed on said cover, and
- b) a means for controlling said at least one soil gas monitoring device for repetitive multi-point sampling.
A method for monitoring soil gas efflux comprising;
- a) stationing at least one open soil gas monitoring device onto soil in a sampling area, said monitoring device having a removably disposed heat shield,
- b) closing said at least one gas monitoring device periodically,
- c) pulling an air sample from the closed chamber of said soil gas monitoring device,
- d) analyzing said air sample for efflux gases,
- e) repeating steps b) through d) for each soil gas monitoring device using a computer controlled automated switching system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.