Fluid sampling system

• US 6,241,950 B1
• Filed: 02/13/1998
• Issued: 06/05/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Airxpert Liquidating Trust
• Original Assignee: Airxpert Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: Veelenturf, Robert, Bearg, David W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden, Jill
• Assistant Examiner(s): WRIGHT, PATRICIA KATHRYN
• Application Number:
  US09/023,846
• Time in Patent Office: 1,208 Days
• Field of Search: 422/68.1, 422/82.13, 422/93, 422/83, 422/100, 436/171, 738/633.1, 738/633.3, 738/638.6, 738/637.1
• US Class Current: 422/537
• 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 2001/2223 aerosol sampling devices

Abstract

A fluid sampling device including a manifold having inputs, common purge and sampling pathways, valves disposed to couple and decouple a first set of the inputs to the common purge pathway and a second set of the inputs to the common sampling pathway, and a differential sensor coupled to the pathways. A controller connected to the valves produces control signals that enable the valves to couple and decouple the inputs to the common sensor and purge pathways. In addition, a method for operating a fluid sampling system that is connected to a set of sample zones that includes the steps of sampling fluid from first and second sample zones in respective first and second sample locations, isolating third and fourth sample zones from the first and second sample locations, and measuring a differential parameter across the sample locations.

Claims

1. A fluid sampling device comprising:

a manifold having a plurality of inputs, a common purge pathway and a common sampling pathway;

a plurality of valves disposed to couple and decouple all, a subset, or none of the inputs to the common purge pathway, and all, a subset, or none of the inputs to the common sampling pathway; and

a sensor coupled to the common purge or common sampling pathway, or a differential sensor coupled to the common purge and common sampling pathways.

2. The fluid sampling device of claim 1, further comprising a controller connected to the plurality of valves, the controller producing control signals that enable the valves to couple and decouple the inputs to the common sampling and purge pathways.

3. The fluid sampling device of claim 2, wherein the controller produces the control signals to configure the valves such that a first valve of the plurality couples a first input to the common sampling pathway, a second valve of the plurality couples a second input to the common purge pathway, and a set of valves decouples the common sampling and purge pathways from other inputs.

4. The fluid sampling device of claim 2, wherein the controller produces the control signals to cause the differential sensor to measure differential pressure across the common sampling pathway and the common purge pathway.

5. The fluid sampling device of claim 2, wherein the differential sensor comprises a first pressure sensor coupled to the common sampling pathway and a second pressure sensor coupled to the common purge pathway.

6. The fluid sampling device of claim 2, wherein the differential sensor comprises a plurality of differential pressure sensors.

7. The fluid sampling device of claim 6, wherein a first sensor of the plurality measures pressure within a different range than a second sensor of the plurality.

8. The fluid sampling device of claim 6, wherein the controller causes first and second differential pressure sensors to each measure differential pressure across the common sampling pathway and the common purge pathway to provide first and second indications of the differential pressure between the first and second input ports.

9. The fluid sampling device of claim 8, wherein the controller causes one of the first and second indications to provide a measurement from the sampling device based on the value of the first and second indications and pressure ranges for each of the first and the second sensors.

10. A fluid sampling device comprising:

a manifold having a plurality of input ports, a first common output port, and a second common output port;

a plurality of paired valves, each pair of valves of the plurality corresponding to an input port of the plurality of input ports, each first valve of each pair disposed to couple and decouple the input port to the first common output port, each second valve of the pair disposed to couple and decouple the input port to the second common output port; and

a differential pressure sensor coupled to the common output ports.

11. The fluid sampling device of claim 10, further comprising:

a controller connected to the plurality of paired valves, the controller producing control signals that actuate the first and second valves.

12. The fluid sampling device of claim 11, wherein the controller produces the control signals to configure the valves such that a first valve of the plurality couples a first input to the first common output port, a second valve of the plurality couples a second input to the second common output port, and a set of the valves decouples the first and second common output ports from other input ports.

13. The fluid sampling device of claim 12, wherein the controller produces the control signals to cause the differential pressure sensor to measure differential pressure across the first and second common output ports.

14. The fluid sampling device of claim 11, wherein the differential pressure sensor comprises a first pressure sensor coupled to the first common output port and a second pressure sensor coupled to the second common output port.

15. The fluid sampling device of claim 11, wherein the differential pressure sensor comprises a plurality of pressure sensors.

16. The fluid sampling device of claim 15, wherein a first pressure sensor of the plurality measures pressure within a different range than a second pressure sensor of the plurality.

17. The fluid sampling device of claim 14, wherein the controller causes the first and the second pressure sensors to each measure differential pressure across the first and second common output ports to provide first and second indications of the differential pressure between the first and second input ports.

18. The fluid sampling device of claim 17, wherein the controller causes one of the first and second indications to provide a measurement from the sampling device based on the value of the first and second indications and pressure ranges for each of the first and the second pressure sensors.

19. A fluid sampling device comprising:

a manifold comprising a first common pathway, a second common pathway, and a first input port, the manifold having a plurality of passages, the first input port being in fluid communication with the first common pathway through one of the plurality of passages;

a first valve disposed along the passage capable of blocking the flow of fluid between the input port and the first common pathway;

a second valve disposed along a second of the plurality of passages able to block the flow of fluid between the input pert and the second common pathway; and

a differential sensor disposed across the first common pathway and the second common pathway.

20. The fluid sampling device of claim 19, further comprising:

a second input port in fluid communication with the first common pathway through a third of the plurality of passages and in fluid communication with the second common pathway through a fourth of the plurality of passages;

a third valve disposed along the third passage; and

a fourth valve disposed along the fourth passage, wherein the third valve and the fourth valve are capable of blocking the flow of fluid between the second input port and the first and second common pathways, respectively.

21. The fluid sampling device of claim 19, further comprising a controller connected to the valve, wherein the controller is capable of producing control signals that enable the valve to couple and decouple the input port to the first common pathway.

22. The fluid sampling device of claim 20, further comprising a controller connected to the first, second, third and fourth valves, the controller producing control signals to configure the valves such that the first valve couples the first input port to the first common pathway, the fourth valve couples the second input port to the second common pathway, the second valve decouples the first input port from the second common pathway, and the third valve decouples the second input port from the first common pathway.

23. The fluid sampling device of claim 20, further comprising a controller connected to the first, second, third, and fourth valves, wherein the controller is capable of producing control signals to configure the valves such that the second valve couples the first input port to the second common pathway, the third valve couples the second input port to the first common pathway, the first valve decouples the first input port from the first common pathway, and the fourth valve decouples the second input port from the second common pathway.

24. The fluid sampling device of claim 23, wherein the controller produces the control signals to cause the differential sensor to measure differential pressure across the first and second common pathways.

25. The fluid sampling device of claim 20, wherein the differential sensor comprises a plurality of pressure sensors.

26. The fluid sampling device of claim 22, wherein the differential sensor comprises a first pressure sensor coupled to the first common pathway and a second pressure sensor coupled to the second common pathway.

27. The fluid sampling device of claim 26, wherein the controller causes the first and the second pressure sensors to each measure differential pressure across the first and second common pathways to provide first and second indications of the differential pressure between the first and second input ports.

28. The fluid sampling device of claim 27, wherein the controller causes one of the first and second indications to provide a measurement from the sampling device based on the value of the first and second indications and pressure ranges for each of the first and the second pressure sensors.

29. A fluid sampling device comprising:

a manifold comprising a first input port and a first output port, the first input port being in fluid communication with the first output port through a first passage;

a first valve disposed along the first passage, the first valve having a coupling and decoupling position;

a pressure sensor connected to the first output port; and

a controller producing control signals that enable the first valve to couple and decouple the first input and the first output port.

30. The fluid sampling device of claim 29, further comprising a second input port and a second output port, the second input port being in fluid communication with the second output port through a second passage, the controller producing control signals that enable a second valve to couple and decouple the second input port and the second output port, the pressure sensor further connected to the second output port.

31. The fluid sampling device of claim 30, wherein the controller produces the control signals to configure the valves such that the first valve couples the first input port to the first output port and the second valve couples the second input to the second output port.

32. The fluid sampling device of claim 31, wherein the controller produces the control signals to cause the pressure sensor to measure differential pressure across the first and second output ports.

33. The fluid sampling device of claim 31, wherein the pressure sensor is a plurality of pressure sensors.

34. The fluid sampling device of claim 33, wherein the controller causes a first and a second pressure sensors of the plurality to each measure differential pressure across the first and second output ports to provide first and second indications of the differential pressure between the first and second input ports.

35. The fluid sampling device of claim 34, wherein the controller causes one of the first and second indications to provide a measurement from the sampling device based on the value of the first and second indications and pressure ranges for each of the first and the second pressure sensors.

36. The fluid sampling device of claim 29, wherein the manifold comprises a plurality of input and output ports, a common purge pathway, a common sampling pathway, and a plurality of valves disposed to couple and decouple all, a subset, or none of the inputs to the common purge pathway, and all, a subset, or none of the inputs to the common sampling pathway.

37. A fluid sampling system comprising:

a manifold comprising first and second output pathways, first and second input ports, and a plurality of passages, wherein the first input port is in fluid communication with the first output pathway through a first of the plurality of passages, and the second input port is in fluid communication with the second output pathway through a second of the passages of the plurality of passages;

a plurality of valves having a coupled and a decoupled position, wherein one valve of the plurality of valves is disposed along the first passage;

a differential pressure sensor disposed across the first and second output pathways;

a sample zone,

a sample tube disposed to establish fluid communication between the sample zone and the first or second input port;

a sensor connected to the first or second output pathway; and

a system controller connected to the manifold.

38. The fluid sampling device of claim 37, wherein the system controller configures the valves such that the one valve couples the first input port to the first output pathway, and such that a second valve couples the second input port to the second output pathway.

39. The fluid sampling device of claim 38, wherein the controller produces control signals to cause the differential pressure sensor to measure differential pressure across the first and second output pathways.

40. The fluid sampling device of claim 38, wherein the differential pressure sensor comprises a plurality of pressure sensors.

41. The fluid sampling device of claim 40, wherein the controller causes first and second pressure sensors of the plurality of sensors to each measure differential pressure across the first and second output pathways to provide first and second indications of the differential pressure between the first and second input ports.

42. The fluid sampling device of claim 41, wherein the controller causes one of the first and second indications to provide a measurement from the sampling device based on the value of the first and second indications and pressure ranges for each of the first and the second pressure sensors.