Centralized Multi-Sensor Calibration Manifold
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air quality monitoring systems in buildings require complex and costly processes for testing, calibrating, and maintaining multiple air quality sensors, which increases operational costs and complexity.
Innovation Solution
A centralized system and method for simultaneously examining, calibrating, and maintaining multiple air quality sensor units, which includes a computer, manifold, tubes, and cables, and uses test gases to analyze and calibrate sensors, flagging units for maintenance or replacement as needed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple air quality sensors are tested and calibrated using traditional individual methods, then each sensor can be properly maintained, but the process becomes complex and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple sensor testing and calibration operations into a single centralized station where multiple sensors can be examined simultaneously. The system integrates multiple sensor types (CO2, temperature, humidity, particulate matter sensors) into one unified testing environment with common calibration equipment, eliminating the need for separate testing procedures for each sensor.
Solution Approach 2:
The centralized station is designed as a universal platform that can test and calibrate various types of air quality sensors using a single set of equipment. The system uses a common test gas supply, shared calibration standards, and integrated software to manage multiple sensor types, making the maintenance process applicable to diverse sensor configurations.
2Measurement precision
If traditional separate calibration methods are used for each sensor, then individual sensor accuracy is maintained, but operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges multiple calibration operations into a single process by simultaneously testing and calibrating multiple sensors in one session. This reduces the total amount of test gas consumed, minimizes the time required for calibration operations, and lowers the overall cost of maintaining sensor accuracy across the building.
3Reliability
If individual sensor testing is performed sequentially, then each sensor receives adequate attention, but time consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The centralized station enables parallel processing of multiple sensors by simultaneously conducting testing and calibration operations on several sensors at once. This dramatically reduces the total time required for maintenance operations compared to sequential individual testing while ensuring each sensor receives complete calibration attention.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for simultaneously running a plurality of air quality sensor units using a centralized station and software to test for field performance upon factory return from field installations, automatically identify preventative maintenance requirements, and automatically calibrate the sensor units and generate quality metric reporting. The centralized station and software include a computer, a manifold, tubes, and cables. A test gas is supplied, wherein the manifold distributes the test gas. Once powered and supplied with test gas, the sensor units are tested simultaneously. The computer runs software that compares the test data collected from the sensor units to determine if any of the sensor units fail standards or produce data that deviates from a mean average range. Sensor units that do not require maintenance are calibrated using test gasses to generate calibration coefficients which are stored within the sensors' firmware.