Graphical Gas Concentration Display for Leak Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current portable gas leak detectors struggle to quickly and accurately locate the source of gas leaks due to issues like air movement affecting readings and contamination causing false responses.

Innovation Solution

A portable gas leak detector that displays gas concentration values graphically over time, allowing users to visualize changes in gas concentration as they sweep the area, thereby aiding in pinpointing the leak source.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If a portable gas leak detector uses a gas sensor to detect gas concentration, then the detector can identify the presence of gas, but the readings are affected by air movement and contamination causing false responses

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegas concentration reading accuracyVSAvoiddetector response reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by continuously monitoring gas concentration over time and establishing a baseline or expected pattern before a leak occurs. When the detector moves into an area with contamination, the system can distinguish between pre-existing conditions and actual leak events by comparing current readings against historical data, thereby reducing false responses.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback by continuously displaying gas concentration values over time and allowing the user to observe trends. The graphical display provides real-time feedback about gas concentration changes, enabling the user to identify when readings are influenced by air movement or contamination versus when they indicate a actual leak, thus improving measurement precision and response reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Ease of operation

If the detector displays gas concentration values numerically, then the reading is simple to read, but the user cannot easily identify leak sources in areas with continuous gas presence

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedisplay readabilityVSAvoidleak source identification

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The system transitions from a single-point numerical display to a two-dimensional graphical display that plots gas concentration against time. This dimensional change allows the user to visualize temporal patterns and trends in gas concentration, making it easier to distinguish between continuous background gas presence and sudden leak events, thereby improving leak source identification while maintaining ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The system maintains continuous monitoring and display of gas concentration values over time. This continuity allows the user to observe gradual changes and identify patterns that would be invisible in instantaneous numerical readings. The continuous graphical display helps the user determine when gas concentration changes are due to leak events versus normal variations, improving the ability to detect and measure leak sources.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

3Measurement precision

If the detector uses high sensitivity sensors to detect low gas concentrations, then the detector can respond to weak signals in windy environments, but the sensor signal is affected by contamination requiring frequent zeroing

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelow concentration detection capabilityVSAvoidsensor zeroing requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs self-service by automatically monitoring gas concentration over time and using the graphical display to help the user identify when zeroing is needed. Rather than requiring frequent manual zeroing operations, the system allows the user to visually assess whether contamination is affecting readings by observing temporal patterns, thereby maintaining high sensitivity detection capability while reducing the complexity of frequent zeroing requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The graphical display provides a real-time, high-resolution indication of gas concentration changes, enabling users to more easily detect leaks by identifying spikes in gas concentration, thus improving the accuracy and speed of leak location.

Implementation Method 1

detecting a presence of a gas using a gas sensor, generating a signal from the gas sensor

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGas detection:

Data Source

PatentUS12276649B2Method for displaying concentration data of a substance and an associated apparatus

Publication Date: 2025.04.15 INFICON INC

AI summary

A method for displaying gas concentration values on a graphical display of a leak detector comprises detecting a presence of a gas using a gas sensor. A signal is generated by the gas sensor and transmitted from the gas sensor to a processor. The received signal is processed to determine a gas concentration value and a corresponding time stamp. The gas concentration values and corresponding time stamps are displayed graphically as they are determined and newly determined gas concentration values and corresponding time stamps are displayed in relation to previously determined gas concentration values and time stamps in streaming manner.