Refuge Oxygen Control Using Sensor-Triggered Valve Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Human refuges require human interaction to maintain oxygen levels, leading to excess oxygen being vented out through pressure relief valves, resulting in inefficient oxygen delivery and waste.
Innovation Solution
An automated system using an oxygen sensor to control a valve, releasing oxygen from an oxygen supply when levels drop below a predetermined threshold and stopping when levels exceed another threshold, without human intervention, utilizing relays and a proportional valve.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If human interaction is used to control oxygen delivery to a refuge, then oxygen levels can be manually adjusted, but excess oxygen is wasted through pressure relief valves and human monitoring is required
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables self-service by implementing an automated feedback control mechanism where the oxygen controller continuously monitors oxygen levels in the refuge and automatically adjusts the oxygen supply valve accordingly. This eliminates the need for human interaction while maintaining optimal oxygen levels, thereby preventing oxygen wastage through pressure relief valves and removing the requirement for human monitoring.
2Productivity
If automated oxygen control is implemented, then oxygen wastage is reduced, but system complexity increases with sensors and control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback control by using an oxygen sensor to continuously monitor the oxygen level in the refuge and feeding this information back to the oxygen controller. The controller then automatically adjusts the oxygen supply valve based on the monitored levels, ensuring efficient oxygen delivery while maintaining a relatively simple system architecture through the use of standard control components.
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
Maintains optimal oxygen levels within a closed environment, reducing oxygen wastage and ensuring consistent delivery without human monitoring or adjustment.
Implementation Method 1
an oxygen sensor for detecting the level of oxygen in the closed environment
Implementation Method 2
a plurality of relays whose operations is controlled by the level of oxygen detected by the sensor
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for controlling a level of oxygen in a closed environment from an oxygen supply having an oxygen sensor for detecting the level of oxygen in the closed environment. The apparatus has a plurality of relays in communication with the sensor. The apparatus has a valve in communication with the relays and the oxygen supply which is automatically opened with the relays without human interaction, monitoring and adjustment to release oxygen from the oxygen supply into the environment when the level of oxygen in the environment goes below a first predetermined level and which is automatically closed with the relays without human interaction, monitoring and adjustment to stop oxygen from being released from the oxygen supply into the environment when the level of oxygen in the environment goes above a second predetermined level. A method for controlling a level of oxygen in a closed environment from an oxygen supply. A refuge chamber.