Method for measuring atmospheric gas and system for measuring atmospheric gas

• US 5,983,705 A
• Filed: 09/11/1997
• Issued: 11/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited, Software Limited (I-Net Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited, Software Limited (I-Net Corporation)
• Inventors: Kitaoka, Tatsumi, Matsuura, Toshihiko, Hasegawa, Mitsunori, Tanahashi, Shuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Brock, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Politzer, Jay L.
• Application Number:
  US08/927,814
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: 73/31.01, 73/31.06, 250/339.13, 356/437, 374/128, 422/98
• US Class Current: 73/31.01
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2001/2279 high altitude, e.g. rockets, balloons
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0004 Gaseous mixtures, e.g. polluted air gaseous biological material G01N33/497; exhaust gas of internal combustion engines G01M15/102

Abstract

A method is disclosed for measuring at least one atmospheric gas in an upper-air region using a plurality of sensors. The step of the method include measuring a temperature of the air using one of a plurality of sensors, which is not affected by gases contained in the air; measuring a temperature of the air using some of the plurality of sensors, each of the sensors being affected by at least one gas contained in the air; and calculating an amount of that atmospheric gas based on measured values obtained from each of the plurality of sensors.

Claims

1. A method for measuring at least one atmospheric gas in an upper-air region using a plurality of sensors comprising:

measuring a temperature of the air using one of said plurality of sensors, which is unaffected by gases contained in the air;

measuring a temperature of the air using some of said plurality of sensors, each of said some of said plurality of sensors being affected by at least one gas contained in the air; and

calculating an amount of said at least one atmospheric gas based on measured values obtained from each of said plurality of sensors,

wherein at least one of said plurality of sensors is coated with a first member so as to eliminate an effect of sun light, and with a second member so as to eliminate an effect of infrared radiation in the atmosphere.

2. The method for measuring at least one atmospheric gas in an upper-air region as claimed in claim 1,

wherein a surface of said at least one of said plurality of sensors is processed to have a sensitivity to infrared radiation from infrared radiative gases, and is further coated with a water repellent agent.

3. The method for measuring at least one atmospheric gas in an upper-air region as claimed in claim 1,

wherein said at least one of said plurality of sensors is an ozone/carbonic acid gas sensor for measuring mainly ozone and carbonic acid gas in the air, an upper surface of said ozone/carbonic acid gas sensor being further coated with a SiO layer which is covered by a water repellent layer.

4. The method for measuring at least one atmospheric gas in an upper-air region as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one atmospheric gas is ozone.

13. The method for measuring at least one atmospheric gas in an upper-air region as claimed in claim 1, wherein said first member is a white paint composition and said second member is gold.

5. A system for measuring at least one atmospheric gas in an upper-air region using a plurality of sensors comprising:

a sensor which measures air temperature and is unaffected by gases contained in the air;

other sensors, each of which measures air temperature and is affected by at least one atmospheric gas contained in the air; and

calculation means which calculates an amount of said at least one atmospheric gas based on measured values obtained from each of said plurality of sensors,

wherein at least one of said plurality of sensors is coated with a first member so as to eliminate an effect of sun light, and with a second member so as to eliminate an effect of infrared radiation in the atmosphere.

6. The system for measuring at least one atmospheric gas in an upper-air region as claimed in claim 5, wherein said first member is a white paint composition and said second member is gold.

7. The system for measuring at least one atmospheric gas in an upper-air region as claimed in claim 5, wherein a surface of said at least one of said plurality of sensors is further coated with a material sensitive to ozone.

8. The system for measuring at least one atmospheric gas in an upper-air region as claimed in claim 7,

wherein said at least one of said plurality of sensors is an ozone/carbonic acid gas sensor for measuring mainly ozone and carbonic acid gas in the air, an upper surface of said ozone/carbonic acid gas sensor being further coated with a SiO layer which is covered by a water repellent layer.

9. A system for measuring at least one atmospheric gas in an upper-air region using a plurality of sensors comprising:

a sensor which measures air temperature and is unaffected by gases contained in the air;

other sensors, each of which measures air temperature and is affected by at least one atmospheric gas contained in the air; and

calculation means which calculates an amount of said at least one atmospheric gas based on measured values obtained from each of said plurality of sensors,

wherein said sensor which measures a temperature of the air and is unaffected by gases contained in the air is an air temperature sensor, and said other sensors, each of which measures a temperature of the air and is affected by at least one gas contained in the air, include an ozone/carbonic acid gas sensor and a carbonic acid gas sensor, and are coated so as to eliminate an effect of sun light and an effect of infrared radiation.

10. The system for measuring at least one atmospheric gas in an upper-air region as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a transmission means for transmitting calculated values calculated by said calculation means to the ground.

11. The system for measuring at least one atmospheric gas in an upper-air region as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

a component ratio calculating means which calculates a component ratio of ozone for each air layer using measured values obtained from said air temperature sensor, said ozone/carbonic acid gas sensor and said carbonic acid gas sensor, and

an estimation means which controls said component ratio calculating means so that said component ratio calculating means repeats calculation, until no change is observed in an amount of ozone, of carbonic acid gas and of water vapor, respectively, for all air layers and estimates a constant amount of ozone, carbonic acid gas and water vapor.

12. The system for measuring at least one atmospheric gas in an upper-air region as claimed in claim 11,

wherein said air temperature sensor, said ozone/carbonic acid gas sensor and said carbonic acid gas sensor are positioned in a horizontal state on a radio sonde, and

said calculation means is located at ground level.

14. A method for measuring at least one atmospheric gas in an upper-air region using a plurality of sensors, comprising:

measuring a temperature of the air using one of said plurality of sensors, which is unaffected by gases contained in the air;

measuring a temperature of the air using some of said plurality of sensors, each of said some of said plurality of sensors being affected by at least one gas contained in the air; and

calculating an amount of said at least one atmospheric gas based on measured values obtained from each of said plurality of sensors,

wherein

at least one of said plurality of sensors is a carbonic acid gas sensor for measuring mainly carbonic acid gas in the air, said carbonic acid gas sensor being coated with a first member so as to eliminate an effect of sun light, a lower half of said first member being covered by a second member so as to eliminate an effect of infrared radiation and an upper half of said first member being covered by a water repellent agent.

15. system for measuring at least one atmospheric gas in an upper-air region using a plurality of sensors comprising:

a sensor which measures air temperature and is unaffected by gases contained in the air;

other sensors, each of which measures air temperature and is affected by at least one atmospheric gas contained in the air; and

calculation means which calculates an amount of said at least one atmospheric gas based on measured values obtained from each of said plurality of sensors,

wherein at least one of said plurality of sensors is a carbonic acid gas sensor for measuring mainly carbonic acid gas in the air and is coated so as to eliminate an effect of sun light and an effect of infrared radiation.

16. A system for measuring at least one atmospheric gas in an upper-air region using a plurality of sensors comprising:

a sensor which measures air temperature and is unaffected by gases contained in the air;

other sensors, each of which measures air temperature and is affected by at least one atmospheric gas contained in the air; and

calculation means which calculates an amount of said at least one atmospheric gas based on measured values obtained from each of said plurality of sensors,

wherein at least one of said plurality of sensors is a carbonic acid gas sensor for measuring mainly carbonic acid gas in the air and the carbonic acid gas sensor is coated with a first member so as to eliminate an effect of sun light, a lower half of said first member being covered by a second member so as to eliminate an effect of infrared radiation and an upper half of said first member being covered by a water repellent agent.

17. A method for measuring at least one atmospheric gas, comprising:

measuring a first air temperature irrespective of an effect of gases contained in the air;

measuring a second air temperature considering an effect of at least one gas one gas contained in the air; and

calculating an amount of said at least one gas based on measured values obtained from measuring the first air temperature and the second air temperature,

wherein at least one of the air temperature measurements is taken irrespective of an effect of sun light or an effect of infrared radiation.

18. An apparatus measuring at least one atmospheric gas in an upper-air region using a plurality of sensors, comprising:

a plurality of sensors, wherein at least one of said plurality of sensors, which is unaffected by gases contained in the air, measures a temperature of the air and some of the plurality of sensors, which are affected by at least one gas contained in the air, measure a temperature of the air; and

a calculation device calculating an amount of said at least one gas based on measured values obtained from each of said plurality of sensors,

wherein at least one of said plurality of sensors is coated so as to eliminate an effect of sun light and an effect of infrared radiation.