Exhaust opacity measuring device

• US 7,016,789 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2004
• Issued: 03/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Envirotest Corp. (Opus Group AB)
• Original Assignee: Environmental Systems Products Incorporated
• Inventors: Stedman, Donald H., Full, Gary, Bishop, Gary A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoff, Marc S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): O MALLEY, MARY CATHERINE
• Application Number:
  US10/769,902
• Publication Number:
  US 20040155191A1
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 702/1, 702 22- 24, 702/28, 702 30- 32, 702/66, 702/183, 702/189, 73/232, 73/232.2, 73/233.5, 73/233.6, 73/233.7, 250372-373, 250/338.1, 250/338.5, 250/339.12, 250/339.13, 250/343, 250/345, 250/339.05, 250573-574
• US Class Current: 702/24
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 15/108 using optical methods
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/1793 Remote sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/31 Investigating relative effect of material at wavelengths characteristic of specific elements or molecules, e.g. atomic absorption spectrometry G01N21/72 takes precedence

Abstract

A remote emissions sensing system and method for sensing exhaust emissions from motor vehicles is provided where the system determines the opacity of an exhaust plume. The system comprises a radiation source that emits radiation which is passed through the exhaust plume of a motor vehicle to one or more detectors arranged to receive the radiation. Multiple wavelength opacity measuring embodiments and monochromatic wavelength opacity measuring embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A system for measuring an opacity value for an exhaust emission plume, the system comprising:

a source of electromagnetic radiation that emits electromagnetic radiation in a first wavelength region, a second wavelength region, and a third wavelength region, and that is directed through an exhaust emission plume, wherein the first wavelength region is substantially in the infrared region, the second wavelength region is substantially in the visible region, and the third wavelength region is substantially in the ultra-violet region;

a detector that detects the electromagnetic radiation in each of the first, second, and third wavelength regions and outputs a signal proportional to a detected intensity at each of the first, second, and third wavelength regions; and

a processor that receives signals from the detector and determines an opacity value proportional to the change in intensity for the detected intensity of each of the first, second and third wavelength regions.

2. A method for calculating an opacity value for an exhaust emission plume, the method comprising:

obtaining an measurement of an exhaust constituent amount (n) in a spatial volume of an exhaust emission plume;

directing a beam of substantially monochromatic electromagnetic radiation substantially through the spatial volume of an exhaust emission plume, wherein the beam of substantially monochromatic electromagnetic radiation comprises a beam of substantially ultra-violet radiation;

measuring a transmittance (T) of the beam of substantially monochromatic electromagnetic radiation;

calculating an opacity value (Ks) proportional to the relation $K_s=\frac{\ln <br><br>\left(\frac{1}{T}\right)}{n}.$

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the measurement of an exhaust constituent amount comprises a measurement of an amount of carbon dioxide (n_CO2).

4. A system for determining an opacity value for an exhaust emission plume, the system comprising:

an exhaust constituent amount measuring system that measures an exhaust constituent amount (n) in a spatial volume of an exhaust emission plume;

a source of substantially monochromatic radiation capable of forming a beam of radiation, wherein the source of substantially monochromatic radiation produces ultra-violet radiation;

a transmittance measuring system that measures a transmittance (T) of the beam of radiation; and

a processor further comprising an opacity calculation module that calculates an opacity value (K_s) according to the relation $K_s=\frac{\ln <br><br>\left(\frac{1}{T}\right)}{n}.$

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the exhaust constituent amount measuring system measures an amount of carbon dioxide (n_CO2).

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the exhaust constituent amount measuring system measures an amount proportional to the sum carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide (n_CO+n_CO2).