Hydrogen fire detection system & method
First Claim
1. Apparatus for detecting infrared emissions of hot water vapor comprising:
- a first sensor sensitive to a first region of a characteristic infrared water emission band extending from 2.427 μ
m to 3.120 μ
m, said first sensor generating a first signal representative of infrared radiation in said first region;
a second sensor sensitive to a second region of said characteristic infrared water emission band extending from 2.618 μ
m to 3.120 μ
m, said second sensor generating a second signal representative of infrared radiation in said second region;
a third sensor sensitive to a third region of said characteristic infrared water emission hand extending from 2.618 μ
m to 3.442 μ
m, said third sensor generating a third signal representative of infrared radiation in said third region;
a processor in communication with said first, second, and third sensors so as to receive said first, second and third signals;
said processor generating an alarm signal when said first, second, and third signals indicate presence of water vapor emissions.
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Accused Products
Abstract
To detect flames burning carbon-free hydrogen-bearing fuels, first, second, and third sensors sense first, second and third regions of an infrared water emission band, and generate first, second, and third signals. A processor generates an alarm when the sensors indicate flame. The first region low cut-off wavelength may be lower than the second region low cut-off wavelength. The third region high cut-off wavelength may be higher than the second region high cut-off wavelength. The combined regions may include nearly the entire water emission band. The processor may discriminate distances to flames using the sensor signals. A fourth sensor may sense moisture concentration, and the processor may discriminate distances based thereon. The regions may be defined such that for a fire, all three regions receive substantial energy, with second region to first region energy ratio less than 1:1 and a second region to third region energy ratio less than 1:1.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. Apparatus for detecting infrared emissions of hot water vapor comprising:
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a first sensor sensitive to a first region of a characteristic infrared water emission band extending from 2.427 μ
m to 3.120 μ
m, said first sensor generating a first signal representative of infrared radiation in said first region;a second sensor sensitive to a second region of said characteristic infrared water emission band extending from 2.618 μ
m to 3.120 μ
m, said second sensor generating a second signal representative of infrared radiation in said second region;a third sensor sensitive to a third region of said characteristic infrared water emission hand extending from 2.618 μ
m to 3.442 μ
m, said third sensor generating a third signal representative of infrared radiation in said third region;a processor in communication with said first, second, and third sensors so as to receive said first, second and third signals; said processor generating an alarm signal when said first, second, and third signals indicate presence of water vapor emissions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An apparatus for detecting flame, comprising:
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a first sensor sensitive to a first region of a characteristic infrared water emission band, said first sensor generating a first signal representative of infrared radiation in said first region; a second sensor sensitive to a second region of said characteristic infrared water emission band, said second sensor generating a second signal representative of infrared radiation in said second region; a third sensor sensitive to a third region of said characteristic infrared water emission band, said third sensor generating a third signal representative of infrared radiation in said third region; a processor in communication with said first, second, and third sensors so as to receive said first, second and third signals; said processor generating an alarm signal when said first, second, and third signals are indicative of flame; said processor discriminates a distance to said flame based on said first, second, and third signals. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. An apparatus for detecting flame, comprising:
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a first sensor sensitive to a first region of a characteristic infrared water emission band, said first sensor generating a first signal representative of infrared radiation in said first region; a second sensor sensitive to a second region of said characteristic infrared water emission band, said second sensor generating a second signal representative of infrared radiation in said second region; a third sensor sensitive to a third region of said characteristic infrared water emission band, said third sensor generating a third signal representative of infrared radiation in said third region; a processor in communication with said first, second, and third sensors so as to receive said first, second and third signals; said processor generating an alarm signal when said first, second, and third signals are indicative of flame; said first, second, and third regions are defined such that for a fire, a ratio of energy in said second region to energy in said first region is less than 1;
1, and a ratio of energy in said second region to energy in said third region is less than 1;
1.
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18. Method of detecting flame, comprising:
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detecting infrared radiation in a first region of an emission band including infrared emissions characteristic of hot water vapor and extending between 2.427 μ
m and 3.120 μ
m;detecting infrared radiation in a second region of said emission band extending between 2.618 μ
m and 3.120 μ
m;detecting infrared radiation in a third region of said emission band extending between 2.618 μ
m and 3.442 μ
m;determining a presence of water vapor when significant amounts of infrared radiation are detected in said first second, and third regions. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method of detecting flame, comprising:
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detecting infrared radiation in a first region of a characteristic infrared water emission band; detecting infrared radiation in a second region of said characteristic infrared water emission band; detecting infrared radiation in a third region of said characteristic infrared water emission band; determining a presence of flame from relative intensities of said infrared radiation in said first, second, and third regions; discriminating a distance to said flame using said infrared radiation in said first, second, and third regions. - View Dependent Claims (29)
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30. A method of detecting flame, comprising:
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detecting infrared radiation in a first region of a characteristic infrared water emission band; detecting infrared radiation in a second region of said characteristic infrared water emission band; detecting infrared radiation in a third region of said characteristic infrared water emission band; determining a presence of flame from relative intensities of said infrared radiation in said first, second, and third regions; said first, second, and third regions are defined such that for a fire, a ratio of energy in said second region to energy in said first region is less than 1;
1, and a ratio of energy in said second region to energy in said third region is less than 1;
1.
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31. Method of discriminating distance to a flame, comprising:
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detecting infrared radiation in a first region of a characteristic infrared water emission band; detecting infrared radiation in a second region of said characteristic infrared water emission band; detecting infrared radiation in a third region of said characteristic infrared water emission band; discriminating a distance to said flame from relative intensities of infrared radiation in said first, second, and third regions. - View Dependent Claims (32)
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Specification