System and method for remote analysis of small engine vehicle emissions
First Claim
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1. A system for detecting components of the exhaust of a moving vehicle, comprising:
- a radiation source for producing radiation;
a detector for receiving said radiation and generating at least one signal responsive to said radiation indicative of the radiation absorption of first and second vehicle exhaust components in first and second wavelength bands;
optics for guiding said radiation through more than two passes through a detection space from said source to said detector, whereby said radiation passes through an exhaust plume of a moving vehicle in said detection space, and wherein a vertical height of the detection space is defined as the vertical distance between a horizontal surface and the location of an uppermost path of said radiation over said horizontal surface, and said optics are configured such that the radiation makes at least two passes through the detection space per foot of said vertical height; and
a processor responsive to the at least one signal, said processor calculating a ratio of the radiation absorption of the first vehicle exhaust component to the radiation absorption of the second vehicle exhaust component to compensate for at least some dispersion of the exhaust plume.
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Abstract
A system and method of detecting gases in the exhaust of a moving vehicle with a small engine, such as a motorcycle or moped. The system employs a gas analyzer with a beam which makes more than two passes through a detection space. Through multiple passes through the detection space, the gas analyzer generates a signal indicative of the concentrations of one or more components of interest in the exhaust plume. The system also includes a processor for obtaining information about one or more vehicle exhaust components from the generated signal.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A system for detecting components of the exhaust of a moving vehicle, comprising:
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a radiation source for producing radiation;
a detector for receiving said radiation and generating at least one signal responsive to said radiation indicative of the radiation absorption of first and second vehicle exhaust components in first and second wavelength bands;
optics for guiding said radiation through more than two passes through a detection space from said source to said detector, whereby said radiation passes through an exhaust plume of a moving vehicle in said detection space, and wherein a vertical height of the detection space is defined as the vertical distance between a horizontal surface and the location of an uppermost path of said radiation over said horizontal surface, and said optics are configured such that the radiation makes at least two passes through the detection space per foot of said vertical height; and
a processor responsive to the at least one signal, said processor calculating a ratio of the radiation absorption of the first vehicle exhaust component to the radiation absorption of the second vehicle exhaust component to compensate for at least some dispersion of the exhaust plume. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A system for detecting components of the exhaust of a moving vehicle comprising:
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a radiation source for producing radiation;
a detector for receiving said radiation and generating at least one signal responsive to said radiation indicative of the radiation absorption of first and second vehicle exhaust components in first and second wavelength bands;
optics for guiding said radiation through more than two passes through a detection space from said source to said detector, whereby said radiation passes through an exhaust plume of a moving vehicle in said detection space, and wherein a vertical height of the detection space is defined as the vertical distance between a horizontal surface and the location of an uppermost path of said radiation over said horizontal surface, and said optics are configured such that the radiation makes at least two passes through the detection space per foot of said vertical height; and
a processor responsive information about the concentration of the second vehicle exhaust component using said at least one signal from the detector without calculating a volume of the exhaust plume.
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12. A method of detecting gases in the exhaust of a moving vehicle comprising the steps of:
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directing radiation through more than two passes through a detection space to a detector through the use of optics, whereby the radiation passes through an exhaust plume of a vehicle located in said detection space, and wherein a vertical height of the detection space is defined as the vertical distance between a horizontal surface and the location of an uppermost path of said radiation over said horizontal surface, and said optics are configured such that the radiation makes at least two passes through the detection space per foot of said vertical height;
generating at least one signal responsive to the radiation which has passed through the vehicle exhaust plume which is indicative of the radiation absorption of first and second vehicle exhaust components in first and second wavelength bands; and
obtaining information about the ratio of the second vehicle exhaust component to the first vehicle exhaust component using said at least one generated signal in order to correct for dispersion of the vehicle exhaust plume. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification