Gas analyzer with real-time broadband monitoring and snapshot selective detection
AssigneeRAE Systems, Inc.
InventorsWenjun Yang, Peter C. Hsi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gas analysis system and method use foreground broadband gas monitoring and background selective gas analysis. The foreground broadband monitoring indicates concentrations of a class of chemicals or contaminants in a gas sample, provides real-time warnings of contaminants, and can activate the background selective analysis. Separate broadband detectors and gas analyzers can respectively perform broadband monitoring and selective analysis. To reduce system components, a broadband detector that performs broadband monitoring switches to measure concentrations of chemicals output from a separation device for the selective analysis.
Claims22
A gas analysis system comprising:
- a gas analyzer;
- and
- a broadband gas detector connected to activate the gas analyzer, wherein in response to the broadband gas detector detecting a concentration above a threshold level, the gas analyzer is activated, and in response to the broadband gas detector detecting that the concentration is below the threshold level, the gas analyzer is not activated.
A gas analysis system comprising:
- a broadband detector;
- a separation device;
- a gas flow system connected to the broadband detector, wherein the gas flow system is operable in a first mode that bypasses the separation device when directing gas to the broadband detector for measurement and a second mode that directs gas output from the separation device to the broadband detector for measurement.
A gas sensing process comprising:
- operating a broadband detector to perform real-time, broadband detection of a class of chemicals in a gas flow;
- and
- in response to the broadband detection indicating a concentration above a threshold level, activating a gas analyzer to perform selective detections of specific chemicals of a snapshot sample of gas that the broadband detection indicated had the concentration above the threshold level.
A gas analysis system comprising:
- a gas detector capable of real-time sensing of a concentration of a class of chemicals in a gas flow;
- a gas analyzer that when activated analyzes a gas sample to identify specific constituents that are in the class of chemicals;
- and
- a control circuit connected to the gas detector and the gas analyzer, wherein the control circuit determines whether or not to activate the gas analyzer based on whether or not the concentration that the gas detector senses is above or below a threshold level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.