Inboard chemical contamination detector system

Abstract

A gas inlet 8 is connected in parallel to a sensor assembly 3 and, via a flow damper 2, an ion mobility spectrometer 1. Another circulation inhibitor 2 is placed downstream of the IMS 1, linking with the outlet of the sensor array. An air pump 4 channels the stream to outlet 9. A pressure compensator 6 is attached to the spectrometer 1. The pump 4 acts to ensure that a high flow of vapour passes through the system, while the dampers 2 take a small sample to avoid overloading the spectrometer 1. The sensor assembly 3 might include detectors for substances such as ammonia or chlorine, or sensors for measuring atmospheric characteristics such as temperature, airflow, or pressure, or any combination thereof. The apparatus is suited for use in the air intake of a military combat vehicle.

Description

The subject of the invention is an inboard chemical contamination detector system used in military combat vehicles. In combat vehicles, such as tanks or armoured personnel carriers, inboard chemical contamination detectors are used. The air inlet to the detector is positioned outside the vehicle. Therefore, the air intake system must transport the air sample to the detector inlet within just a few seconds. Given that the air tubes are approximately 40 cm long, the airflow through these tubes should be at least 2 l / min. The inboard detector operates on a voltage ranging from 18 to 32 V and has strong interference suppression capabilities, handling disruptions from the inboard electrical network up to 70V. Individual chemical contamination detectors are also known, which are designed for analysing air in the immediate vicinity of the instrument’s inlet port. They are characterized by a very low intake airflow, ranging from 50 to 200 ml / min, and only detect contamination within the measurement head. When airflow is increased through the use of an additional air pump to values many times higher than the intake airflow for this detector, the measurement capabilities are typically stopped, usually without an error being indicated by the signal device / detector. Additionally, it often results in a peak shift caused by a sudden spike or drop in air pressure in the measuring chamber (IMS - Ion Mobility Spectrometer). These instruments can be disrupted by pressure surges, prolonged overpressure, or vacuum conditions, and they generally do not include built-in electrochemical sensors. Using an individual contamination detector in a vehicle entails significant risk because the insufficient air intake and low airflow, along with the low vacuum produced by this detector, can lead to: • A significant delay in response time to contamination, increasing from a few seconds to even several minutes; • For certain substances, low airflow can cause them to settle on the walls of the inlet tubes, leading to a loss of detection capability. Another aspect is power supply compatibility. Individual detectors are typically powered by batteries or accumulators and are not designed to be powered by the inboard electrical network. The goal of the invention was to develop a solution that eliminates these issues. The inboard chemical contamination detector system, according to the invention, is characterized by an air inlet to the inboard detector connected in parallel through two branches: one leading to a sensor assembly with a gas flow of 1 to 8 l / min, and the other leading to an individual detector through flow dampers. The individual detector is connected to a pressure compensator, and the outlet of the sensor assembly is connected in parallel with the air outlet from the inboard detector via an air pump and, through a flow damper, to the pressure compensator. The proposed solution offers several advantages, including: • Very rapid sample delivery to the detector (a few seconds) by using an additional air pump; • The use of a system with flow dampers (the gas line near the detector) significantly reduces pressure pulsations and stabilizes the pressure in the measurement chamber at a level acceptable for the detector. An additional gas tube from the outlet system to the interior of the detector serves to provide the instrument with a reference pressure. The subject of the invention is illustrated by an embodiment in Figure 1, showing the system layout. The air inlet (8) to the inboard chemical contamination detector (7) is connected in parallel via two branches: one to a sensor assembly (3) with a gas flow in this branch of 1 to 8 l / min, and the other branch to the individual contamination detector (1) (LCD-4) through a flow damper (2a) (we use the RVMW-5300-10-W / K miniature relief valve, 0-10 PSI). The individual detector is connected to a pressure compensator (6), and the outlet of the sensor assembly is connected in parallel with the air outlet (9) from the inboard detector via an air pump (4) (we use the THOMAS G 12 / 04-4 EB pump) and, through a flow damper (2b) (we use the RVMW-5300-10-W / K miniature relief valve, 0-10 PSI), to the pressure compensator (6). The individual detector used is the LCD-4 device. The sensor assembly includes electrochemical sensors for detecting substances such as chlorine and ammonia, as well as sensors for temperature, airflow, and pressure.

Claims

1. An inboard chemical contamination detector system, characterized in that the air inlet (8) to the inboard detector (7) is connected in parallel with a sensor assembly (3), 5 with a gas flow ranging from 1 to 8 l / min, and with an individual contamination detector (1) through flow dampers (2a, 2b), with a gas flow ranging from 50 to 100 cm3 / min, wherein the individual detector is connected to a pressure compensator (6), and the outlet of the sensor assembly is connected in parallel with the air outlet (9) of the inboard detector via an air pump (4) and, through the flow damper (2b), to the pressure compensator.

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