Gas sample analysis system

• US 8,038,948 B1
• Filed: 02/22/2007
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technologies and Services LLC (Ingersoll Rand, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Lawrence Factor, Inc. (Ingersoll Rand, Inc.)
• Inventors: Laughlin, Robert M.
• Primary Examiner(s): LUDLOW, JAN M
• Application Number:
  US11/677,676
• Time in Patent Office: 1,699 Days
• Field of Search: 422/83, 436/38, 436/60, 73/310.2, 702/24
• US Class Current: 422/83
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0073 Control unit therefor

Abstract

A gas analyzer system for analyzing samples of compressed or ambient gas such as breathing air within a scuba tank, SCBA or ambient air within an industrial plant and informing the user as to the results of the sample'"'"'s gas purity without the gas sample having to be physically transported to an accredited laboratory. The system comprises a gas analyzer situated at a user facility for receiving the contents of a gas sample and detecting gas purity characteristics, and a server situated at a remote certified testing site and electrically coupled to the gas analysis module via data transmission, such as a wireless or a computer network connection, wherein the server, maintained by a qualified third party receives and stores the gas purity characteristics in the form of computer-readable data signals. Computer instructions stored within the qualification server compares the computer-readable data signals representing gas purity characteristics with the contents of a database containing threshold gas purity parameters. After determining if the gas sample characteristics for that particular gas sample meet the required threshold limits, the user receives immediate notification, either by e-mail or by receipt of a fax at the user site, informing the user whether the given gas sample has achieved the required gas purity levels by a qualified third party.

Claims

1. A breathing air analysis system for use by compressed air providers that fill SCUBA tanks and emergency air tanks to ensure the compressed air is safe to breath, said system for analyzing samples of compressed breathing air substances and determining if said substances pass human breathing air purity standards for certification of gas sample quality by a qualified third party other than the compressed air provider, the system comprising:

a compressed air provider facility having at least one compressed breathing air source for generating compressed human breathing air for filling scuba tanks and emergency air tanks with compressed air;

scuba tanks and emergency air tanks at said compressed air provider facility filled with compressed air from said compressed air source;

at least one air collection tank at said compressed air provider facility for collecting an air sample from said compressed breathing air source at said compressed air provider facility to ascertain the purity of the compressed breathing air provided by said compressed breathing air source;

a compressed breathing air analysis module situated at said compressed air provider facility for receiving the contents of a compressed breathing air sample from said one or more air collection tanks at said compressed air provider facility, for detecting compressed breathing air purity characteristics and for converting said gas purity characteristics into computer-readable data;

a compressed air provider facility computer for receiving said computer-readable data connected to an online computer network and for data transmission on-line;

a qualified third party air purity certification site remote from said compressed air provider facility for certifying compressed breathing air purity;

a server accessible on-line by said compressed air provider facility computer maintained by said qualified third party certification site situated at said remote site and electrically coupled to said breathing air analysis module, said server including a data receiver of computer-readable data related to said gas purity characteristics;

said server including a means for storing said computer-readable data related to said compressed breathing air purity characteristics; and

means for determining if said compressed breathing air gas sample passes certain gas purity requirements for certification by said qualified third party at said remote certification site.

2. The compressed breathing air analysis system of claim 1, wherein said data transmission is via a wireless transmission.

3. The compressed breathing air analysis system of claim 1, including a means for informing said compressed air provider facility if said compressed breathing air sample has passed said compressed breathing air purity requirements comprising an electronic message from said qualified third party remote certification site.

4. The compressed breathing air analysis system of claim 1, including a means for informing said compressed air provider if said compressed breathing air sample has passed said gas purity requirements comprising a printed message from said qualified third party remote certification site.

5. The compressed breathing air analysis system of claim 1, further comprising means for storing and printing results of said compressed breathing air sample analysis.

6. The compressed breathing air analysis system of claim 1, wherein said compressed breathing air analysis module comprises:

collection tank for collecting and temporarily storing the compressed breathing air sample;

detector for detecting compressed breathing air impurities in said compressed breathing air sample; and

data processor for converting said detected compressed breathing air impurity data into computer readable data, said computer readable data representing compressed breathing air impurity characteristics of said compressed breathing air sample.

7. The compressed breathing air analysis system of claim 1, further comprising means for determining whether said compressed breathing air sample contains oil particle impurities.

8. The compressed breathing air analysis system of claim 1, wherein said means for determining if said compressed breathing air sample passes certain compressed breathing air purity requirements comprises means for comparing said computer-readable data related to said compressed breathing air purity characteristics to a stored set of pre-determined compressed breathing air breathing air purity standards.