SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR ASSISTING BUSINESSES IN COMPLIANCE WITH GAS EMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS

• US 20070224085A1
• Filed: 12/04/2006
• Published: 09/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ECOTEC Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Jamie Tooley
• Inventors: Tooley, Jamie
• Granted Patent: US 8,021,612 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 422/68.100
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/22 in the gaseous state specially adapted for biological material G01N33/497; measuring breath flow A61B5/087
• CPC Class Codes: Y02C 20/20 of methane

Abstract

A system and method for calculating a value indicative of the amount of an undesirable constituent of a volatile gas stream that is removed from the atmosphere. Data received at a higher sampling rate is subjected to a plurality of validation processes and data that is determined to be faulty is then quarantined. Quarantined data can be replaced, however, an audit trail is generated to indicate what data has been replaced and the underlying rationale for the replacement data.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring and recording the removal by a removal device of undesired constituents of a gas produced by a variable gas source, the system comprising:

at least one gas sensor that senses characteristics of the gas and provides gas signals indicative thereof;

at least one removal device sensor that senses characteristics indicative of the operation of the removal device and provides removal signals indicative thereof;

a recording system that receives the gas signals and the removal signals wherein the recording system uses the gas signals and the removal signals to develop a first record that corresponds to the quantity of undesired constituents removed from the gas wherein the recording system verifies data developed from the gas and removal signals and, upon determining that the data is faulty permits replacement of the faulty data with replacement data and wherein the recording system, when replacing faulty data with replacement data develops a second record indicative of the replacement data as well as the rationale for the replacement data selection.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the gas sensor is a gas analyzer that is adapted to sense the characteristics of a volatile carbon containing gas and wherein the recording system develops the first record which is indicative of the amount of carbon that has been removed from the atmosphere by the destruction device after processing the volatile carbon containing gas.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the characteristics of the volatile carbon containing gas include characteristics indicative of the flow rate of the gas and composition of the gas.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the gas sensor provides signals indicative of the gas at a high frequency sampling rate.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the high frequency sampling rate comprises a sampling rate of once every approximately 2 minutes.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the removal device sensor senses heat energy of the removal device and the residual constituent components of the gas remaining after the gas has been introduced to the removal device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the recording system performs a plurality of validity checks on the gas signals and the removal signals to determine whether the signals being received are indicative of valid data.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the plurality of validity checks include comparing the data developed from the gas and removal signals to pre-selected minimum and maximum values for the particular data.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the plurality of validity checks include comparing the data developed from the gas and removal signals to corresponding average values calculated from previously received corresponding data.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the average is a historical average over the operation of the recording system.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the average is a determined from a previously occurring recent period of time.

12. The system of claim 7, further comprising a plurality of sensors that sense the flow of gas at a plurality of distributed locations at a second sampling rate that is less than the first sampling rate and wherein the plurality of validity checks include developing data from the plurality of sensors that correlates to the data developed from the gas signal and comparing the data to determine if the data corresponds.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the recording system verifies the data by performing at least one validity check and if the at least one validity check indicates that the data is potentially faulty, the data is then quarantined for review by a human operator who can then replace the faulty data.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the recording system calculates potential replacement data for the quarantined data based upon previously received data.

15. A system for determining the amount of carbon that has been removed from a carbon containing gas produced by a landfill by a destruction device, the system comprising:

a gas analyzer positioned at the destruction device that analyzes the gas produced by the land fill and provides signals indicative of the characteristics of the gas;

a monitor that monitors the destruction device and provides signals indicative thereof;

a recording system that receives the signals from the gas analyzer and the monitor and develops data indicative thereof, wherein the recording system analyzes the data to determine if any of the data is potentially faulty and when the data is potentially faulty, the recording system quarantines the data for subsequent review and permits replacement of the potentially faulty data with replacement wherein the recording system maintains a develops a record of the faulty data that has been replaced and wherein the recording system further calculates a value indicative of the amount of carbon that has been removed from the gas based upon the data developed from the gas analyzer signal and the monitor signal and the replacement data.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the gas analyzer provides signals indicative of the gas at a high frequency sampling rate.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the high frequency sampling rate comprises a sampling rate of once every approximately 2 minutes.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the monitor senses heat energy of the removal device and the residual constituent components of the gas remaining after the gas has been introduced to the removal device.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the recording system performs a plurality of validity checks on the gas signals and the removal signals to determine whether the signals being received are indicative of valid data.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the plurality of validity checks include comparing the data developed from the gas and removal signals to pre-selected minimum and maximum values for the particular data.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the plurality of validity checks include comparing the data developed from the gas and removal signals to corresponding average values calculated from previously received corresponding data.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the average is a historical average over the operation of the recording system.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the average is a determined from a previously occurring recent period of time.

24. The system of claim 19, further comprising a plurality of sensors that sense the flow of gas at a plurality of distributed locations at a second sampling rate that is less than the first sampling rate and wherein the plurality of validity checks include developing data from the plurality of sensors that correlates to the data developed from the gas signal and comparing the data to determine if the data corresponds.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the plurality of sensor record accumulated data over an extended period of time and wherein the recording system processes the accumulated data into average data that correlates to the signals provided to the gas analyzer.

26. The system of claim 15, wherein the recording system verifies the data by performing at least one validity check and if the at least one validity check indicates that the data is potentially faulty, the data is then quarantined for review by a human operator who can then replace the faulty data.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the recording system calculates potential replacement data for the quarantined data based upon previously received data.

28. A method of calculating values indicative of the amount of carbon that has been removed from a gas stream and thereby inhibited from entering the atmosphere, the method comprising:

gathering data indicative of the characteristics of the gas at a location adjacent a carbon removal device;

gathering data indicative of the characteristic of the removal device'"'"'s performance in removing the carbon from the gas;

verifying that the gathered data to determine if at least some of the gathered data is potentially faulty;

quarantining the potentially faulty data to permit human operator review of the quarantined data;

allowing replacement of the faulty data following human operator review by replacement data while requiring that a record of the faulty data and reasons for replacement be developed; and

calculating a quantitative value indicative of the amount of carbon removed by the removal device using the gathered data and the replacement data.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein verifying the gathered data comprises comparing the gathered data to pre-selected minimum and maximum values for the particular data.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein verifying the gathered data comprises comparing the gathered data corresponding average values calculated from previously received corresponding data.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the average is a historical average over the operation of the recording system.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein the average is a determined from a previously occurring recent period of time.

33. The system of claim 28, further comprising gathering data from a plurality of sensors that sense the flow of gas at a plurality of distributed locations and wherein verifying the gathered data comprises comparing the data gathered from the plurality of sensors to the data gathered at the location adjacent the carbon removal device.