Remove vehicle emission sensing device with single detector

• US 7,141,793 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2001
• Issued: 11/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Envirotest Corp. (Opus Group AB)
• Original Assignee: Environmental Systems Products Incorporated
• Inventors: Johnson, James H., DiDomenico, John
• Primary Examiner(s): GAGLIARDI, ALBERT J
• Application Number:
  US09/840,080
• Publication Number:
  US 20060064255A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,044 Days
• Field of Search: 250/339.13, 250/338.5, 250/351
• US Class Current: 250/338.5
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3504 for analysing gases, e.g. multi-gas analysis

Abstract

A remote sensing device for determining at least one characteristic of a vehicle emission plume includes a radiation source, a detector, and a plurality of filters. Either the filters or the detector are movable relative to the other such that different filters, each of which is capable of filtering out radiation except radiation of a predetermined wavelength band, can be used to filter the radiation directed to the detector. Also disclosed is a method for remotely determining at least one characteristic of a vehicle emission plume using a single detector and a plurality of filters wherein either the detector or the filters are positionable relative to one another.

Claims

1. A gas analysis device for remotely determining concentrations of at least two exhaust gas constituents in a vehicle emission plume, comprising:

a radiation source which directs radiation through an emission plume of a moving vehicle;

at least two filters, arranged on a rotatable filter wheel, that are sequentially positionable to receive the radiation from the radiation source after the radiation has passed through the emission plume of the vehicle, wherein each of the at least two filters is capable of filtering out radiation except for a predetermined wavelength band; and

a detector positioned such that radiation from the radiation source may be sequentially directed onto the detector via the at least two filters to thereby produce at least two detector responses proportional to the intensity of radiation directed onto the detector via the at least two filters.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the filter wheel and the detector are housed in a housing which is sealed to substantially prevent radiation from reaching the detector except via one of the at least two filters.

3. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a general filter that removes substantially all visible light from a radiation beam passed there-through, wherein the general filter is positioned such that a beam from the radiation source passes through the general filter after passing through the emission plume of the vehicle but before reaching the detector.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein one of the at least two filters comprises a reflective filter.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein one of the at least two filters comprises a pass through filter.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the radiation source projects a beam of infrared radiation across the path of the moving vehicle.

7. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a processor for processing the at least two detector responses to provide information about the composition of the emission plume of the moving vehicle.

8. The device according to claim 7, further comprising an indicator for informing the processor which of the at least two filters is optically aligned with the detector for a particular detector response.

9. A method for remotely determining concentrations of at least two exhaust gas constituents in a vehicle emission plume, comprising:

directing radiation from a radiation source through an emission plume of a moving vehicle to a first filter and then to a detector, wherein the first filter is arranged on a rotatable filter wheel and is capable of filtering out radiation except for a first predetermined wavelength band;

generating a first detector response indicative of the intensity of radiation received by the detector via the first filter;

rotating the filter wheel such that the radiation from the radiation source is directed through the emission plume of the moving vehicle to a second filter arranged on the filter wheel and then to the detector, wherein the second filter is capable of filtering out radiation except for a second predetermined wavelength band;

generating a second detector response indicative of the, intensity of radiation received by the detector via the second filter; and

processing the first and second detector responses to provide information about the composition of the emission plume of the vehicle.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

passing the radiation through a general filter, to remove substantially all light having a wavelength outside a predetermined broad detection band, after the radiation has passed through the emission plume of the vehicle, but before the radiation reaches the filter wheel.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the filter wheel and the detector are located within a housing which is sealed to substantially prevent radiation from reaching the detector except via one of the at least two filters.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein the radiation source projects a beam of infrared radiation across the path of the moving vehicle.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein one of the at least two filters comprises a pass through filter.

14. The method according to claim 9, wherein one of the at least two filters comprises a reflective filter.

15. A method for remotely determining concentrations of at least two exhaust gas constituents in a vehicle emission plume, comprising:

directing radiation from a radiation source through an emission plume of a moving vehicle to a first filter and then to a detector, wherein the first filter is capable of filtering out radiation except for a first predetermined wavelength band;

generating a first response indicative of the intensity of radiation received by the detector;

altering the position of the detector such that the radiation from the radiation source may be directed through the emission plume to a second filter and then to the detector, wherein the second filter is capable of filtering out radiation except for a second predetermined wavelength band;

generating a second response indicative of the intensity of radiation received by the detector via the second filter; and

processing the first and second responses to provide information about the composition of the emission plume of the vehicle.