Sensing system and method

• US 10,060,872 B1
• Filed: 02/13/2017
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GE Global Sourcing LLC (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corporation)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Potyrailo, Radislav Alexandrovich, Ottikkutti, Pradheepram, Kuzhiyil, Najeeb
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo, Hieu T
• Application Number:
  US15/431,382
• Publication Number:
  US 20180231485A1
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 19/029 Determining density, viscosity, concentration or composition
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2200/0611 Fuel type, fuel composition or fuel quality
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 41/0027 the fuel being gaseous non-electrical control F02D19/02
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 21/0212 comprising at least 3 C-Atoms, e.g. liquefied petroleum gas [LPG], propane or butane
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/026 Dielectric impedance spectroscopy electrochemical impedance spectroscopy for measuring corrosion G01N17/02
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/125 Composition of the body, e.g. the composition of its sensitive layer
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0047 Organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/30 Use of alternative fuels, e.g. biofuels

Abstract

A system includes an impedance gas sensor configured to be in contact with one or more hydrocarbons. The impedance sensor includes electrodes and a sensing region circuit that is configured to have a sensing material and to generate electrical stimuli to the sensing material upon exposure to one or more hydrocarbons at one or more of a reduced heater voltage or a reduced sensing region temperature as compared to a prescribed heater voltage or a prescribed sensing region temperature. The system also includes one or more processors configured to receive electrical signals from the sensor, where the electrical signals are representative of impedance responses of the sensing material to one or more hydrocarbons. The one or more processors also are configured to analyze the impedance responses and determine an amount of at least one hydrocarbon of interest in the one or more hydrocarbons.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an impedance sensor having a sensing film configured to be in contact with a fuel flowing to a dual fuel engine, the impedance sensor including electrodes and a sensing region circuit that is configured to generate electrical stimuli across the sensing film; and

one or more processors configured to receive electrical signals from the impedance sensor, the electrical signals representative of impedance responses of the sensing film to the electrical stimuli, the one or more processors configured to analyze the impedance response and determine an amount of one or more of methane or ethane in the fuel based on the impedance responses.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to control the impedance sensor to generate the electrical stimuli at a heater voltage reduced by at least approximately 20% from a nominal prescribed voltage.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to control the impedance sensor to generate the electrical stimuli to heat the sensing material at a temperature reduced by at least approximately 20% from a nominal prescribed temperature.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured to change the fuel flowing to the dual fuel engine from natural gas to diesel fuel responsive to the amount of ethane in the fuel increasing above a designated threshold.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the impedance sensor is resonant impedance sensor.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the impedance sensor is non-resonant impedance sensor.

7. A system comprising:

an impedance gas sensor configured to be in contact with one or more hydrocarbons, the impedance sensor including electrodes and a sensing region circuit that is configured to have a sensing material and to generate electrical stimuli to the sensing material upon exposure to one or more hydrocarbons at one or more of a reduced heater voltage or a reduced sensing region temperature as compared to a prescribed heater voltage or a prescribed sensing region temperature; and

one or more processors configured to receive electrical signals from the sensor, the electrical signals representative of impedance responses of the sensing material to one or more hydrocarbons, the one or more processors configured to analyze the impedance responses and determine an amount of at least one hydrocarbon of interest in the one or more hydrocarbons.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the sensing material is metal oxide.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the sensing material is a semiconducting material.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the impedance sensor is resonant impedance sensor.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the impedance sensor is non-resonant impedance sensor.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the impedance sensor is configured to generate the electrical stimuli to the sensing material upon exposure to one or more hydrocarbons at the reduced temperature of less than three hundred degrees Celsius.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein the impedance sensor is configured to generate the electrical stimuli to the sensing material upon exposure to one or more hydrocarbons at a temperature reduced by at least approximately 20% from a nominal prescribed temperature.

14. The system of claim 7, wherein the impedance sensor is configured to generate the electrical stimuli to the sensing material upon exposure to one or more hydrocarbons at a temperature different by at least approximately 20% from a nominal prescribed temperature.

15. The system of claim 7, wherein the impedance sensor is configured to apply the electrical stimuli to the sensing material upon exposure to one or more hydrocarbons at the reduced temperature that is maintained at a constant temperature.

16. The system of claim 7, wherein the impedance sensor is configured to generate the electrical generate the electrical stimuli to the sensing material upon exposure to one or more hydrocarbons at an excitation frequency greater than 10,000 hertz.

17. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more processors are configured to change a substitution rate of a first fuel for a different, second fuel supplied to an engine based on the impedance responses of the gas sensor.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors are configured to change the substitution rate by controlling a flow of the natural gas to the engine.

19. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more processors are configured to discriminate between biogenic and thermogenic emissions of methane based on the ratio of measured methane concentration to measured ethane concentration.

20. A method comprising:

placing an impedance gas sensor in contact with one or more hydrocarbons;

applying, using a sensing region circuit and across electrodes of the impedance sensor, electrical stimuli to the sensing material upon exposure to one or more hydrocarbons at a reduced heater temperature; and

analyzing electrical signals from the impedance sensor that are representative of impedance responses of the sensor to the electrical stimuli, the impedance responses analyzed to determine an amount of a hydrocarbon of interest in the one or more hydrocarbons.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the electrical stimuli are applied to the sensing material at the reduced temperature of less than three hundred degrees Celsius.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the electrical stimuli are applied to the sensing material at the reduced temperature that is maintained at a constant temperature.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the electrical stimuli are applied to the sensing material at an excitation frequency greater than 10,000 hertz.

24. The method of claim 20, wherein the electrical stimuli are applied to the sensing material upon exposure to one or more hydrocarbons with a temperature of the sensing material that is different by at least approximately 20% from a nominal prescribed temperature.

25. The method of claim 20, further comprising changing a substitution rate of a first fuel for a different, second fuel supplied to an engine based on the impedance responses.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the substitution rate by controlling a flow of the natural gas to the engine.

27. The method of claim 20, further comprising discriminating between biogenic and thermogenic emissions of methane for the safe and environmentally clean operation of gas-production facilities based on the ratio of measured methane concentration to measured ethane concentration.