Passive Gas Sensor with Dummy Reference for Low Power Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for a cost-effective and reliable method to sense gases in various environments, as existing technologies often require expensive infrared radiation sources and sensitive sensors, making them large, power-intensive, and impractical for widespread use.
Innovation Solution
A gas sensing device comprising a passive gas sensor and a passive dummy sensor, which generates detection signals responsive and indifferent to specific spectral bands, respectively, allowing for the detection of gas presence or absence within a volume by comparing signals and accounting for optical length and ambient temperatures, using a smartphone or similar device for positioning and data processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional active NDIR gas sensing technology is used, then gas detection capability is achieved, but device size becomes large, power consumption increases, and cost increases due to requiring infrared radiation sources and sensitive sensors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the active infrared radiation source from the sensing system, transitioning from active to passive sensing. The passive gas sensor detects infrared radiation emitted naturally by gases in the field of view without requiring an external radiation source, thereby eliminating the bulky and power-intensive active components while maintaining gas detection capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a dummy sensor that copies the optical and electrical characteristics of the gas sensor but is blocked from viewing the target scene. This dummy sensor provides a reference signal that accounts for environmental variations, allowing the system to achieve accurate gas detection without requiring complex active radiation sources or highly sensitive expensive sensors
2Reliability
If traditional active NDIR gas sensing technology is used, then gas detection capability is achieved, but power consumption increases due to infrared radiation sources and sensitive sensors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the active infrared radiation source from the system, eliminating the continuous power requirement for generating infrared radiation. The passive gas sensor only requires minimal power for detecting naturally emitted infrared radiation from gases, dramatically reducing power consumption while maintaining gas detection functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes naturally emitted infrared radiation from gases and ambient thermal radiation from surfaces as free energy sources for sensing. The passive sensors and dummy sensors automatically detect these natural radiation sources without requiring external power input for radiation generation, making the system self-sufficient in terms of energy
3Reliability
If traditional active NDIR gas sensing technology is used, then gas detection capability is achieved, but manufacturing cost increases due to expensive infrared radiation sources and sensitive sensors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates expensive active infrared radiation sources and highly sensitive expensive sensors from the system. The passive sensing approach uses lower-cost passive infrared detectors that detect naturally emitted radiation, significantly reducing component costs while maintaining adequate gas detection capability for the application
Solution Approach 2:
The dummy sensor provides a low-cost reference measurement that compensates for environmental variations, eliminating the need for expensive complex calibration systems or highly sensitive sensors. This copying approach enables accurate gas detection using simpler, more affordable sensor technology
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 solution enables accurate and cost-effective gas detection in various volumes, independent of sensor optical length, with low power consumption and small size, suitable for indoor and outdoor applications, including monitoring air quality and gas concentrations.
Implementation Method 1
a passive gas sensor that may be configured to generate passive gas sensor detection signals that may be responsive to the certain spectral band
Implementation Method 2
a passive dummy sensor that may be configured to generate passive dummy sensor detection signals that may be indifferent to the certain spectral band
Implementation Method 3
at least one circuit that may be configured to detect a presence or absence of the certain gas within a certain volume that may be located within the fields of view of the passive gas sensor and the passive dummy sensor based on a comparison between the passive gas sensor detection signals and the passive dummy sensor detection signals
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a gas sensing device for sensing a certain gas that is associated with a certain spectral band, the gas sensing device may include a passive gas sensor that is configured to generate passive gas sensor detection signals that are responsive to the certain spectral band; a passive dummy sensor that is configured to generate passive dummy sensor detection signals that are indifferent to the certain spectral hand; and at least one circuit that is configured to detect a presence or absence of the certain gas within a certain volume that is located within the fields of view of the passive gas sensor and the passive dummy sensor based on a comparison between the passive gas sensor detection signals and the passive dummy sensor detection signals.