Method of and apparatus for the measurement of subterranean atmospheric parameters
First Claim
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1. A method of measuring and evaluating a parameter of an atmosphere at least at a site at which a dangerous environmental condition can arise which comprises the steps of:
- measuring said parameter to obtain a measured value thereof;
normalizing said measured value by modifying said measured value in accordance with a predetermined amount corresponding to said measured value to produce a normalized value of said parameter;
storing at least one of said measured and normalized values; and
displaying at least one of said normalized and measured values, with said normalized value being displayed at least part of the time, said measured value being normalized in accordance with a corresponding predetermined normalization function, said normalization function being an approximating polygon trace.
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Abstract
A measuring and evaluating device and method for mine galleries and the like can monitor the various parameters of the atmosphere and normalize the parameters for display and storage in the device. In an emergency the danger-posing operations of the device are shut down although the memory is maintained and, for further safety, a detector which may pose a danger may be inactivated and replaced by a less precise detector for the same parameter but which poses no danger.
42 Citations
50 Claims
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1. A method of measuring and evaluating a parameter of an atmosphere at least at a site at which a dangerous environmental condition can arise which comprises the steps of:
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measuring said parameter to obtain a measured value thereof; normalizing said measured value by modifying said measured value in accordance with a predetermined amount corresponding to said measured value to produce a normalized value of said parameter; storing at least one of said measured and normalized values; and displaying at least one of said normalized and measured values, with said normalized value being displayed at least part of the time, said measured value being normalized in accordance with a corresponding predetermined normalization function, said normalization function being an approximating polygon trace. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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- 17. In a method of measuring and evaluating parameters of an environmental atmosphere, especially the concentrations of various gases in a ventilating stream of a mine, gallery or tunnel, in which a measuring device measures the respective parameter and the measured values of the respective parameters can be remotely transmitted, displayed, processed and stored, and upon the development of a danger condition upon the magnitude of said one of said parameters exceeding a limit, the process is interrupted, the improvement in which the interruption of the process during the occurrence of said dangerous condition is periodically terminated for at least one of the process steps for a period so brief that no danger ensues or the interruption is limited so as not to affect process steps which can continue to be effective without danger, the measurement of one of said parameters being effected with a measuring element of high precision and sensitivity but which poses a danger during said condition and by a second measuring element of reduced precision and sensitivity but which can be safely operated during said condition, further comprising cutting off the operation of said first element while continuing to derive measured values from said second element upon the development of said condition.
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20. An apparatus for the measurement and evaluation of parameters of a mine atmosphere, comprising:
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a housing; at least one internal power source in said housing; at least one measuring element on said housing responsive to at least one parameter of said mine atmosphere for generating a measured value thereof; a memory in said housing for storing said measured value; a display on said housing for displaying at least a characteristic of said measured value; and a normalization stage between said element and said display for normalizing said measured value and displaying a normalized value corresponding to said measured value, said stage being constructed and arranged to utilize a polygonal trace as an approximation for a normalization function and can generate said polygonal trace which is thereafter stored in said memory. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. An apparatus for the measurement and evaluation of parameters of a mine atmosphere, comprising:
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a housing; at least one internal power source in said housing; at least one measuring element on said housing responsive to at least one parameter of said mine atmosphere for generating a measuried value thereof; a memory in said housing for storing said measured value; a display on said housing for displaying at least a characteristic of said measured value; and a cutoff means for cutting off only a limited operational function of the apparatus upon the development of a danger condition in the form of an increase in the magnitude of one of said parameters beyond a predetermined level, said element having a first measuring sensor with high precision and high sensitivity and a second measuring element with lower precision and sensitivity, said cutoff means terminating the operation of said first sensor and activating said second sensor upon the development of said condition. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46)
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- 47. In a mesuring device for measuring and monitoring the concentration of a gas in an atmosphere which comprises a measuring unit and an evaluating unit connected to said measuring unit, said measuring unit having a diffusion head and a gas concentration indicator covered by a diffusion cap, the evaluating unit comprising a set point generator, an actual value/set point value comparator and an alarm connected to said comparator, said measuring unit having an air inlet, the improvement wherein said measuring unit includes a pump having a suction side connected to said inlet and a pressure side connected to said head and wherein parallel to said pump a bypass valve is provided between the pressure and intake sides thereof and is opened upon the development of a predetermined pressure drop across the pump.
Specification