Odorometer Air Density Correction for Accurate Gas Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for detecting combustible gas odor intensity and measuring odorant concentration in gas streams face challenges in accurately accounting for changes in air density due to varying atmospheric conditions, leading to inconsistent and potentially dangerous regulatory compliance.
Innovation Solution
A system that includes a metering valve, mass flow sensor, pressure sensor, temperature sensor, and a processor to apply corrections for air density changes, allowing concurrent measurement of odor intensity and odorant concentration using a fixed speed blower and odorant concentration sensor, with data recording and transmission capabilities for analysis and compliance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If volumetric flow sensors are used to measure air flow, then the device complexity is reduced, but measurement precision deteriorates due to sensitivity to changes in elevation, weather, and time of year affecting air density
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by measuring air density parameters (pressure, temperature, humidity) and using these to correct volumetric flow measurements. The system converts volumetric flow data into mass flow equivalents by applying density correction factors derived from atmospheric condition sensors, thereby maintaining measurement precision without requiring complex mass flow sensors.
2Measurement precision
If mass flow sensors are used to accurately quantify gas entering the apparatus, then measurement precision improves, but device complexity increases and cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses atmospheric condition sensors (pressure, temperature, humidity sensors) as intermediaries to indirectly determine air density. These sensor readings serve as mediators that allow the system to calculate correction factors for volumetric flow measurements without directly measuring mass flow, thus avoiding the complexity and cost of mass flow sensors while maintaining measurement accuracy.
3Measurement precision
If separate measurements are used for odor intensity and odorant concentration, then measurement precision for each individual parameter may be maintained, but loss of information increases due to lack of correlation between measurements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges separate odor intensity measurements and odorant concentration measurements into a single integrated system. By concurrently measuring both parameters using the same gas sample and correlating the data through atmospheric condition corrections, the system preserves the precision of individual measurements while eliminating information loss through cross-validation and correlated analysis of both parameters.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for concurrently measuring odorant concentration and also compensating for changes in relative air density when measuring odor intensity levels may be used to provide more accurate and reliable readings from an odorometer. Odorometers typically measure the concentration of a given target gas in a gas-air mixture. Because changes in air density make it difficult to accurately determine how much air is in the gas-air mixture sample, a method of compensating for changes in the air density is able to produce a more accurate concentration reading. By measuring the relative temperature and pressure of the air at calibration and when a particular reading is taken, the final reading can be corrected to account for changes in the air density. By correlating the odor intensity readings with odorant concentration readings a wide array of advantages may be realized.