Monitor and a method for measuring oxygen concentration
AssigneeAirbus Operations GmbH
InventorsJoseph K-W Lam, David Osborne, Norman Mark Ratcliffe
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A monitor for monitoring the concentration of oxygen in a fuel or in an ullage over a fuel comprises (i) a sensing element comprising a luminescent substance comprising a luminophore and a support in which the luminophore is covalently bound to the support, (ii) a light source arranged to irradiate the sensing element with light, and (iii) a photosensor arranged to detect light emitted from the luminescent substance. The luminescent substance may be, for example, a platinum porphyrin covalently bound to silica.
Claims12
A monitor for monitoring the concentration of oxygen in a fuel or in an ullage over a fuel, comprising:
- a sensing element comprising a luminescent substance comprising a luminophore and a support in which the luminophore is covalently bound to the support by a bridging group, and wherein the support is a high surface area material having a surface area equal to or greater than 50 m2 per gram of the support;
- in which the sensing element further comprises a polymeric matrix material surrounding the luminescent substance, wherein the polymeric matrix material comprises a polysiloxane;
- a light source arranged to irradiate the sensing element with light;
- and
- a photosensor arranged to detect light emitted from the luminescent substance.
A method of detecting oxygen in a fuel or in an ullage space above the fuel, comprising:
- irradiating with light a sensing element comprising a luminescent substance comprising a luminophore and a support in which the luminophore is covalently bound to the support by a bridging group, and wherein the support is a high surface area material having a surface area equal to or greater than 50 m2 per gram of the support;
- in which the sensing element further comprises a polymeric matrix material surrounding the luminescent substance, wherein the polymeric matrix material comprises a polysiloxane, thereby exciting luminescence in the luminescent substance;
- and
- detecting light emitted from the luminescent substance.
A method of controlling oxygen concentration in a fuel or in an ullage space above the fuel, comprising:
- providing a sensing element comprising a luminescent substance comprising a luminophore and a support in which the luminophore is covalently bound to the support by a bridging group, and wherein the support is a high surface area material having a surface area equal to or greater than 50 m2 per gram of the support;
- in which the sensing element further comprises a polymeric matrix material surrounding the luminescent substance, wherein the polymeric matrix material comprises a polysiloxane, the sensing element being in contact with the fuel or in the ullage space above the fuel;
- irradiating with light the sensing element thereby exciting luminescence in the luminescent substance;
- detecting light emitted from the luminescent substance;
- estimating the oxygen concentration in the fuel or the ullage space based on the detected light;
- and
- treating the fuel with a diluent gas in dependence upon the estimated level of oxygen concentration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.