System and method for automatically adjusting gas sensor settings and parameters

• US 10,145,828 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2012
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teledyne Detcon, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Scott Technologies, Inc. (3M Company)
• Inventors: Mealy, Jr., Stephen Edwin, Adami, Fatos, DeBlasio, Nicholas Anthony, McLendon, Byron Eugene, Merkel, Keli Chalfant, Propst, Jr., Edward Russell
• Primary Examiner(s): Caputo, Lisa
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROY, PUNAM P
• Application Number:
  US14/006,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20140238101A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,499 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 18/002 Automatic recalibration G01D18/008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 4/004 Remote reading of utility meters to a fixed location
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0006 Calibrating gas analysers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0009 General constructional details of gas analysers, e.g. portable test equipment G01N1/22 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0031 comprising two or more sensors, e.g. a sensor array electrochemical electrode arrays G01N27/27
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/007 Arrangements to check the analyser calibrating G01N33/0006

Abstract

An automatic sensor excitation voltage adjustment feature, a multi-range concentration feature, a single calibration feature and a barrier circuit feature. The automatic sensor excitation voltage adjustment feature includes a transmitter having a transmitter microprocessor that provides an initial voltage to a sensor having a sensor microprocessor. As the voltage changes a correction signal is relayed from the sensor microprocessor to the transmitter microprocessor. The correction signal is used to adjust the voltage applied to the sensor. The multi-range concentration sensor feature includes an amplifier associated with the sensor/microprocessor to create gain settings used to optimize sensor resolution by changing a gain value for the sensor. This enables use of a single sensor for a variety of different concentration ranges. The single calibration feature enables a sensor to be calibrated at a single gas concentration value, and thereafter be used for a variety of different concentration range applications.

Claims

1. A system for configuring a sensor for detecting the presence of a gas, the system comprising:

a transmitter portion including a transmitter processor;

a sensor portion including a sensor processor, the sensor processor being in communication with the transmitter processor using digital communication; and

a variable voltage supply associated with the transmitter portion and the sensor portion, the variable voltage supply including a plurality of potentiometers, each of the plurality of potentiometers configured to adjust an operating voltage that is output to the sensor portion for operation of the sensor;

the sensor processor being configured to communicate a stored voltage value for operation of the sensor to the transmitter processor using the digital communication; and

the transmitter processor being configured to set at least one of the plurality of potentiometers to at least one value to provide, to the sensor portion, an operating voltage for operation of the sensor that corresponds to the the stored voltage value.

2. The system of claim 1, the variable voltage supply comprising the plurality of potentiometers to enable course and fine voltage adjustment.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter portion is further configured to transmit information received from the sensor portion to a wired or wireless network, the transmitted information including an identity of at least one sensed gas and a concentration of the at least one second gas.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter processor of the transmitter portion is further configured to:

obtain a zero offset for a first gain setting and a second gain setting; and

scale a calibration factor by a ratio of the first gain setting and the second gain setting to allow the sensor to operate in a plurality of ranges, each range corresponding to a different scaling of the calibration factor by the ratio.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter processor of the transmitter portion is configured to adjust a gain built into the transmitter processor to change a sensing range of the sensor.

6. A method for adjusting sensor excitation voltage, comprising:

receiving, at a transmitter portion including a transmitter processor, a stored voltage value for operation of the sensor from a sensor processor of a sensor portion of a gas sensing system that is in digital communication with the transmitter portion;

providing, at the transmitter portion, an operating voltage corresponding to the stored voltage value to the sensor portion;

receiving, at the transmitter portion, the stored voltage value indicating a voltage for operation of the sensor portion; and

automatically adjusting, at the transmitter portion, the operating voltage provided to the sensor portion using at least one of a first and second potentiometers of a plurality of potentiometers of a variable voltage supply.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

using the first potentiometer for coarse voltage adjustment and using the second potentiometer for fine voltage adjustment; and

transmitting information received from the sensor portion to a wired or wireless network, the transmitted information including an identity of at least one sensed gas and a concentration of the at least one sensed gas.

8. A universal gas sensor/transmitter unit, comprising:

a transmitter portion having a recess configured to engage a sensor portion configured to sense gas, the transmitter portion including a transmitter processor and at least one power supply circuit for providing adjustable power to the sensor portion when the sensor portion is engaged with the recess of the transmitter portion;

the sensor portion including a sensor processor configured to communicate a stored voltage value for operation of the sensor to the transmitter processor using digital communication; and

the power supply circuit including a plurality of potentiometers controllable by the transmitter processor to automatically adjust the power supplied to the sensor portion for operation of the sensor, the transmitter processor configured to set at least one of the plurality of potentiometers to a value to provide, to the sensor portion, an operating voltage for operation of the sensor that corresponds to the stored voltage value.

9. The universal gas sensor/transmitter unit of claim 8, wherein the sensor portion further includes an associated memory, the memory including a value representative of an excitation voltage of a sensor kernel of the sensor portion.

10. The universal gas sensor/transmitter of claim 8, an external surface geometry of the sensor portion having a recess for receiving a seal member to seal the external surface geometry of the sensor portion to the recess of the transmitter portion.