Method of locating emission sources

• US 5,604,299 A
• Filed: 05/26/1995
• Issued: 02/18/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SensAble Technologies, Inc. (3D Systems Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SensAble Technologies, Inc. (3D Systems Corporation)
• Inventors: Cobb, Ronald F.
• Primary Examiner(s): BROCK, MICHAEL J
• Application Number:
  US08/451,141
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 73/23.2, 73/31.01, 73/31.02, 73/31.03, 73/40
• US Class Current: 73/31.02
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/2273 Atmospheric sampling
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/26 with provision for intake from several spaces
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0075 for multiple spatially distributed sensors, e.g. for environmental monitoring transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 13/045 with speed indication
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 5/001 Full-field flow measurement, e.g. determining flow velocity and direction in a whole region at the same time, flow visualisation

Abstract

A method of locating the source of material emitted into a moving fluid by measuring the mass flux of the emitted material in each direction of fluid flux over a period of time at a plurality of sensing points; smoothing these directional mass flux values by including a component of mass flux values taken from the adjacent fluid direction and then preparing a map of potential emission values of the emitted material at each point in a plane reasonably adjacent to the sensing points.

Claims

1. A method of mapping the location of one or more sources of material emitted into a moving fluid comprising the steps of:

measuring reasonably simultaneously the concentration of the emitted material, the direction of movement of the fluid and the velocity of the fluid at a plurality of sensing points over a period of time;

calculating the directional mass flux of the material in each direction of fluid flux at each sensing point over the period of time;

calculating the relative emission value of emitted material at each point in a plane around the sensing points by summing contributions at each said point in said plain of the plurality of determined directional mass fluxes.

7. A method as in claims 1 wherein the measurements of concentration, direction and velocity are discarded from the sensing point nearest to a source of emitted materials.

2. A method as in claim one including smoothing the mass flux value for each direction by including a contribution from each of the adjacent mass flux values.

3. A method as in claim 2 wherein the smoothed mass flux is calculated by adding 25% of each of the adjacent mass fluxes to 50% of the directional mass flux for each wind direction angle.

4. A method as in claim two wherein the measurements of concentration, direction and velocity are discarded for low velocity values.

5. A method as in claim 2 wherein the measurements of concentration, direction and velocity are discarded from the sensing point nearest to a source of emitted materials.

6. A method as in claim one wherein the measurements of concentration, direction and velocity are discarded for low velocity values.