With Means To Analyze Uncontained Fluent Material Patents (Class 250/338.5)
  • Publication number: 20030057373
    Abstract: An optical system for a gas component analysis includes an emitter for emitting first light beam having a first spectrum, a second emitter for emitting a second light beam at a second spectrum, a first receiver for receiving the first light beam, and a second receiver for receiving the second light beam.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2001
    Publication date: March 27, 2003
    Applicant: SPX Corporation
    Inventors: John DiDomenico, Robert A. Gentala, Graig S. Rendahl
  • Publication number: 20030030001
    Abstract: This specification discloses a method and apparatus for the mobile and remote detection of a gas, such as methane, in the atmosphere. The apparatus includes a TDL based Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) driven at carrier frequency lying within the absorption line of the gas. The apparatus also drives the TDL with a modulation frequency to generate upper and lower sidebands in the output of the TDL and with a low ramp frequency to sweep the output of the TDL across twice the width of the pressure-broadened absorption line of the gas, preferably the first overtone absorption line in the case of methane detection. Suitable power for remote detection through use of the TDL is provided by a master oscillator/fiber amplifier transmitter has no moving or adjustable parts at all. An all-solid-state monolithic and integrated amplifier is achieved, which leads to a compact and virtually maintenance-free LIDAR system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2001
    Publication date: February 13, 2003
    Inventors: David E. Cooper, Pajo Vujkovic-Cvijin
  • Patent number: 6509566
    Abstract: An oil and gas exploration system and method for land and airborne operations, the system and method used for locating subsurface hydrocarbon deposits based upon a remote detection of trace amounts of gases in the atmosphere. The detection of one or more target gases in the atmosphere is used to indicate a possible subsurface oil and gas deposit. By mapping a plurality of gas targets over a selected survey area, the survey area can be analyzed for measurable concentration anomalies. The anomalies are interpreted along with other exploration data to evaluate the value of an underground deposit. The system includes a differential absorption lidar (DIAL) system with a spectroscopic grade laser light and a light detector. The laser light is continuously tunable in a mid-infrared range, 2 to 5 micrometers, for choosing appropriate wavelengths to measure different gases and avoid absorption bands of interference gases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2000
    Date of Patent: January 21, 2003
    Assignee: Ophir Corporation
    Inventors: Paula R. Wamsley, Carl S. Weimer, Loren D. Nelson, Martin J. O'Brien
  • Patent number: 6455851
    Abstract: A spectroscopic IR and UV-vis absorption remote exhaust emission monitoring system and sensing instrument for non-invasive, multicomponent analysis of the exhaust plume emitted by in-use vehicles. The concentration of CO, CO2, HC, NO, N2O, C2H2, NH3, SO2, Aromatic hydrocarbons, aldehydes, HONO, NO2, and dust, among others and in any combination there-of, in such a mixture can be determined in real-time, or via post-processing of stored spectral data. The sensor employs an IR and a UV-vis sources, and the physically offset, collimated beams traverse the probed air column, typically a roadway, a plurality of times, before returning to the instrument. Although the IR and UV-vis beams converge at the optics opposite the instrument, they are not coaxial and, thus, do not require an optical device (i.e., dichroic beam splitter) to separate them. The separate IR and UV-vis beams are focused on the slits of rapid spectrometers, where they are analyzed to yield wavelength-resolved spectra (i.e.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2002
    Assignee: Air Instruments and Measurement, Inc.
    Inventors: Harry C. Lord, Marc M. Baum
  • Publication number: 20020100874
    Abstract: A turbulent fluid, such as a flame, is examined using an array of infrared detector elements. The relationship between the thermal emissions received by different elements at different times is analysed, for example using correlation functions. This enables existence of a flame to be verified and the nature of the flame to be identified.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2001
    Publication date: August 1, 2002
    Inventors: Edwin Christopher Carter, Christopher Frederick Carter, Nicholas Frederick Stogdale, Bryan Lorrain Humphreys Wilson
  • Publication number: 20020092988
    Abstract: A remote sensing device is provided to detect the emissions of passing vehicles. Preferably, the device detects the emissions of individual vehicles traveling on a roadway of more than one traffic lane. The remote sensing device may preferably detect the emissions due to an individual vehicle in situations where more than one vehicle is present. The device is capable of determining which sensed emission data corresponds to which vehicle exhaust plume.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2001
    Publication date: July 18, 2002
    Inventors: John Didomenico, James H. Johnson, Donald H. Stedman, Gary A. Bishop, W. John Williams
  • Patent number: 6417513
    Abstract: An apparatus detects changes in water vapor above a cooktop surface and includes a radiation source that is positioned below the cooktop surface. The radiation source emits radiation having a predetermined water vapor absorption wavelength. A beam splitter splits the emitted radiation into a first radiation beam and a second radiation beam. The first radiation beam is directed through and above the cooktop surface. A reflective surface positioned above the cooktop surface reflects the first radiation beam. A radiation sensor detects the reflected first radiation beam and generates a sensor output. A reference radiation sensor receives the second radiation beam from the beam splitter and generates a reference output. A processor is connected to the radiation sensor and the reference radiation sensor and receives the sensor output and the reference output. Changes in water vapor above the cooktop surface are determined by analyzing the sensor output and the reference output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2002
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: John Erik Hershey, Ertugrul Berkcan
  • Patent number: 6396056
    Abstract: Instrumentation to detect the presence of, or to measure the concentration of, a gas or pollutant in a gaseous environment. With the use of spectroscopic techniques and energy beams having suitable wavelengths, the presence and concentrations of these can be detected and measured, not only in flowing streams such as in process streams or exhaust stacks, but above a ground area, around its perimeter, or across the road. A calibration means including an internal audit cell and a retrodirective reflector is also shown.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2002
    Assignee: Air Instruments and Measurements, Inc.
    Inventors: Harry C. Lord, Marc M. Baum
  • Patent number: 6320190
    Abstract: A shield for a detector or prism of a particle detection system has a body mountable on the detector or prism, divided into first and second compartments by an intermediate wall with a hole therethrough. Air diffuser units In the first compartment (adjacent the detector or prism) generate a stable column of air which prevents the particles contacting the beam window of the detector or prism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2001
    Inventor: Trevor Richard Voevodin
  • Patent number: 6317212
    Abstract: The present gas analyzer allows for the effective measurement of the concentration of one or more gases or vapors within a sample. The gas analyzer utilizes a plurality of reference filters that are located between the source and the sample region to enhance the measurements associated with the sample filters. The gas analyzer also utilizes a gas channel to facilitate the circulation of scrubbed gas between two separate housing sections.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: Li-Cor, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert D. Eckles
  • Patent number: 6307201
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and method for selecting a detection bandwidth centered about a characteristic wavelength of the species to be detected and such that the detection of contaminants is greatly reduced. Contaminants such as pollutants, dust and water are some of the examples of undesirable substances which may be detected by RSD. By selecting the appropriate bandwidth in accordance with this invention, the detection of a desired substance can be separated from the undesirable detection of contaminants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 1998
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2001
    Assignee: Envirotest Systems Corp.
    Inventors: John D. Didomenico, Craig S. Rendahl
  • Publication number: 20010025927
    Abstract: An optical gas-measuring system and process identifies especially infrared-active individual gases over a measuring path of about 100 m and to determine their concentration averaged over the measuring path swept. The laser source (11) emits a divergent ray beam, from which both the measuring beam and the reference beam are formed after a single-time reflection of the emitted ray beam. A first radiation reflector (14) is designed in the form of a first hollow mirror for the reflection of a first part of the ray beam emitted from the laser source (11) as a measuring beam into the open optical measuring path. A second radiation reflector (16) is designed in the form of a second hollow mirror for the reflection of a second part of the ray beam emitted from the laser source (11) as a reference beam into a reference gas cuvette (17) containing the reference gas sample for the gas to be measured.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2001
    Publication date: October 4, 2001
    Inventor: Georg Ankerhold
  • Publication number: 20010015408
    Abstract: An improved gas-measuring device and a gas-measuring process is provided for determining the concentration of a gas by infrared absorption. The improvement is the compact design of the gas-measuring device and the higher reliability of the measurement results furnished by the gas-measuring device and the gas-measuring process. The gas-measuring device has an infrared radiation source (1), a pyramid-like beam splitter (7), and a quadrant detector, which has two measuring detectors (3, 4) and two reference detectors (5, 6). This guarantees a compact design of the gas-measuring device and, as a consequence, low fault liability of the measurement. The gas-measuring process includes an advantageous evaluation of the measuring signals (M1, M2) received by the two measuring detectors (3, 4) and of the measuring signals (R1, R2) received by the two reference detectors (5, 6).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2001
    Publication date: August 23, 2001
    Inventor: Burkhard Stock
  • Patent number: 6271522
    Abstract: For quantitative analysis of gas volumes, specifically combustion exhaust gases, by means of emission or absorption spectrometry in the ultraviolet, visible and infrared spectral range, geometrically defined and reproducibly adjustable observation planes are oriented perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of an exhaust stream. In a first series of measurements a number of m spectral measurements is performed, in such a way that the optical axis of a spectrometer is always located in the respective observation level but is shifted in a parallel direction by a first distance from one measurement to the next. In a second series of measurements n measurements are performed, in such a way that the optical axis is again located in the observation plane and is shifted in a parallel direction by a second distance from each measurement to the next. The (m+n) measurements produce two orthogonal sets of line of sights, which form a grid with (m·n) intersecting volumes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2001
    Assignee: Deutsches Zentrum fur Luft-und Raumfahrt E.V.
    Inventors: Erwin Lindermeir, Peter Haschberger, Birger Schimpp, Franz Schreier, Volker Tank
  • Patent number: 6255653
    Abstract: A diffusion-type NDIR gas analyzer with an improved response time due to convection flow created by a temperature gradient between gas located within a waveguide and gas located within a diffusion pocket of space created between the waveguide and a semi-permeable membrane which surrounds the waveguide. The temperature gradient may be created by a thermally resistive radiation source that is not thermally isolated from the waveguide. The semi-permeable membrane is made of a hydrophobic material and has a thickness sufficient to provide its own structural integrity. The semi-permeable membrane can have a porosity less than approximately 50 microns and be comprised of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene or Teflon®.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 3, 2001
    Assignee: Engelhard Sensor Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Andrian Kouznetsov
  • Patent number: 6232614
    Abstract: A blackbody radiation source includes an insulated enclosure having a viewing aperture defining a line of sight through the wall of the enclosure. A heat sink, preferably a pool of liquid nitrogen, is located within the insulated enclosure. There is a viewing surface in thermal contact with the heat sink but having an unobstructed view through the viewing aperture. The viewing surface is inclined to the line of sight through the viewing aperture. A sensor is calibrated by placing the sensor in facing relation to the aperture and measuring an output black body signal of the sensor. The viewing surface may be radiatively heated concurrently with the measuring to produce a higher equivalent radiometric temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 1998
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2001
    Inventors: James W. Christy, James R. Rochester
  • Patent number: 6177672
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an improved gas sampling device comprising a pair of hollow rectangular chambers having diffusion apertures, a heat insulating plate, a reflecting element, a light source and a light detector; wherein the pair of rectangular chambers are arranged one over the other, with the heat insulating element being placed therebetween, the reflecting element having two reflecting surfaces at right angle with respect to each other, one end of the rectangular chambers being secured to the reflecting element with each end thereof being aligned with a reflecting surface, the light source and the light detector being placed at the other end respectively of the rectangular chambers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1998
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2001
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Yao Min Lin, Yung Hsin Chen, Jack Chen