Portable gas monitor

• US 8,163,242 B2
• Filed: 04/13/2010
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Elkins Earthworks, LLC
• Original Assignee: Elkins Earthworks, LLC
• Inventors: Elkins, Charles D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Warden, Jill
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sasaki, Shogo
• Application Number:
  US12/759,232
• Publication Number:
  US 20100192683A1
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 422/83, 702/2, 702/6, 702/23, 702/24, 700/266, 4051291-12995, 731/520.1, 731/521.8, 731/524.2
• US Class Current: 422/83
• CPC Class Codes: B09B 1/00 Dumping solid waste
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 47/10 Locating fluid leaks, intrusions or movements

Abstract

A portable monitor used to measure landfill gas and landfill well parameters. The portable monitor includes a control unit and a measuring unit that can communication wirelessly with one another. The control unit and/or measuring unit can includes a heating arrangement to increase the temperature of one or more components in the control unit and/or measuring unit in cold environments.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring a landfill well comprising:

a. providing a handheld portable monitor for periodic well field testing of landfill wells, said handheld portable monitor used to measure one or more properties of gas flowing in a landfill well, said handheld portable monitor including a handheld portable control unit and a handheld portable measuring unit, said handheld portable control unit and said handheld portable measuring unit each having separate housings, said handheld portable measuring unit including at least one heating element designed to heat at least one internal component of said handheld portable measuring unit, said handheld portable control unit is designed to monitor and control at least one function of said handheld portable measuring unit, said handheld portable measuring unit including a plurality of pressure measurement components and at least one chemical analyzer, said at least one heating element is designed to maintain an operation temperature of said at least one pressure measurement component, said at least one chemical analyzer, or combinations thereof while said at least one pressure measurement component, said at least one chemical analyzer, or combinations is measuring one or more properties of said gas flowing though said landfill well;

b. connecting said handheld portable measuring unit to a plurality of ports on said landfill well, said handheld portable control unit not connected to said landfill well;

c. monitoring and controlling at least one function of said handheld portable measuring unit from a remote location by said handheld portable control unit;

d. measuring a plurality of properties of said gas flowing in said landfill well by said at least one pressure measurement component and said at least one chemical analyzer in said handheld portable measuring unit;

e. simultaneously detecting at least three pressures from said landfill well, said detected pressures including an applied vacuum on said landfill well, a differential vacuum on said landfill well, and an available vacuum, and,

f. disconnecting and removing said handheld portable measuring unit from said plurality of ports on said landfill well after field testing of said landfill well is completed.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said handheld portable control unit and said handheld portable measuring unit wirelessly communicate with one another.

3. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said handheld portable measuring unit includes at least three chemical analyzers, and further including the step of measuring the presence and concentrations of at least three gases by said at least three chemical analyzers, said at least three of said gases are selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide, methane, oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen sulfide.

4. The method as defined in claim 2, wherein said handheld portable measuring unit includes at least three chemical analyzers, and further including the step of measuring the presence and concentrations of at least three gases by said at least three chemical analyzers, said at least three of said gases are selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide. methane, oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen sulfide.

5. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said handheld portable control unit, said portable measuring unit, or combinations thereof includes G.P.S. software, and further including the step of obtaining G.P.S. coordinates for said landfill well prior to field testing, during field testing, after field testing, or combinations thereof of said landfill well.

6. The method as defined in claim 4, wherein said handheld portable control unit, said portable measuring unit, or combinations thereof includes G.P.S. software, and further including the step of obtaining G.P.S. coordinates for said landfill well prior to field testing, during field testing, after field testing, or combinations thereof of said landfill well.

7. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said handheld portable control unit is a handheld device selected from the group consisting of a tablet PC, a palm PC, a PDA and a smartphone device.

8. The method as defined in claim 6, wherein said handheld portable control unit is a handheld device selected from the group consisting of a tablet PC, a palm PC, a PDA and a smartphone device.

9. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein said handheld portable measuring unit has a size, shape and weight that enables a user to easily and conveniently carry said handheld portable measuring unit to said landfill well, said handheld portable measuring unit having a weight of less than about 20 lbs and a volume that is less than about 500 cubic inches.

10. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein said handheld portable measuring unit has a size, shape and weight that enables a user to easily and conveniently carry said handheld portable measuring unit to said landfill well, said handheld portable measuring unit having a weight of less than about 20 lbs and a volume that is less than about 500 cubic inches.

21. The method as defined in claim 10, further including the step of obtaining information for a LEL measurement of said landfill gas and calculating and providing an LEL value for one or more components in said landfill gas based at least partially on said LEL measurement.

11. A method of monitoring a plurality of landfill wells comprising:

a. providing a handheld portable monitor for periodic well field testing of landfill wells, said handheld portable monitor used to measure one or more properties of gas flowing in a well, said handheld portable monitor including a handheld portable control unit and a handheld portable measuring unit, said handheld portable control unit and said handheld portable measuring unit each having separate housings, said handheld portable control unit having a weight of less than about 5 lbs and a volume that is less than about 100 cubic inches, said handheld portable control unit being a handheld device selected from the group consisting of a tablet PC, a palm PC, a PDA and a smartphone device, said handheld portable measuring unit having a size, shape and weight that enables a user to easily and conveniently carry said handheld portable measuring unit to said landfill well, said handheld portable measuring unit having a weight of less than about 20 lbs and a volume that is less than about 500 cubic inches, said handheld portable measuring unit including at least one pressure measurement component, a plurality of chemical analyzers, and a plurality of fluid coupling devices, said plurality of chemical analyzers in said handheld portable measuring unit is designed to measure the presence and concentration of at least three gases in a landfill gas, at least three of said gases that can be measured by said chemical analyzers are selected from the group consisting of carbon dioxide, methane, oxygen, nitrogen, and hydrogen sulfide, said fluid coupling devices enabling flow of fluid from said landfill well to at least one of said chemical analyzers, to at least one of said pressure measurement component, or combinations thereof;

b. connecting said handheld portable measuring unit to a plurality of ports on a first landfill well to field test said first landfill well, said step of connecting includes connecting said fluid coupling devices to different locations on said first landfill well, said handheld portable control unit not connected to said first landfill well;

c. wirelessly monitoring and controlling by said handheld portable control unit at least one function of said handheld portable measuring unit from a location remote from said handheld portable measuring unit;

d. measuring at least one pressure in said first landfill well by said at least one pressure measurement component and the presence and concentration of said at least three gases in a landfill gas of said first landfill well by said plurality of chemical analyzers while said portable measuring unit is connected to said first landfill well;

e. wirelessly transmitting data from said handheld portable measuring unit to said handheld portable control unit regarding chemical analysis of said gas by said plurality of chemical analyzers, said measured pressure in said first landfill well by said at least one pressure measurement component, or combinations thereof;

f. disconnecting said handheld portable measuring unit from said plurality of ports on said first landfill well after field testing of said first landfill well is completed, said field testing of said first landfill no more than about 60 minutes;

g. moving said handheld portable measuring unit to a second landfill well to field test said second landfill well, said second landfill well remotely located from said first landfill well;

h. connecting said handheld portable measuring unit to a plurality of ports on said second landfill well, said step of connecting includes connecting said fluid coupling devices to different locations on said second landfill well, said handheld portable control unit not connected to said second landfill well;

i. measuring at least one pressure in said second landfill well by said at least one pressure measurement component and the presence and concentration of said at least three gases in a landfill gas of said first landfill well by said plurality of chemical analyzers while said portable measuring unit is connected to said second landfill well;

j. wirelessly transmitting data from said handheld portable measuring unit to said handheld portable control unit regarding chemical analysis of said gas by said plurality of chemical analyzers, said measured pressure in said second landfill well by said at least one pressure measurement component, or combinations thereof; and

,

k. disconnecting said handheld portable measuring unit from said plurality of ports on said second landfill well after field testing of said second landfill well is completed, said field testing of said second landfill no more than about 60 minutes.

12. The method as defined in claim 11, wherein said handheld portable measuring unit including a plurality of said pressure measurement components, and further including the step of simultaneously detecting at least three pressures from at least one of said first landfill well or second landfill well, said detected pressures including an applied vacuum on at least one of said first landfill well or second landfill well, a differential vacuum on at least one of said first landfill well or second landfill well, and an available vacuum on at least one of at least one of said first landfill well or second landfill well.

13. The method as defined in claim 11, further including the step of heating at least a component of said handheld portable measuring unit while said handheld portable measuring unit is connected to at least one of said first landfill well or said second landfill well and is field testing at least one of said first landfill well or said second landfill well, said step of heating including maintaining an operation temperature of said at least one pressure measurement component, at least one of said plurality of chemical analyzers, or combinations thereof while said at least one pressure measurement component, at least one of said plurality of chemical analyzers, or combinations is measuring one or more properties of said gas flowing though at least one of said first landfill well or said second landfill well, said operation temperature above 30°

F.

14. The method as defined in claim 12, further including the step of heating at least a component of said handheld portable measuring unit while said handheld portable measuring unit is connected to at least one of said first landfill well or said second landfill well and is field testing at least one of said first landfill well or said second landfill well, said step of heating including maintaining an operation temperature of said at least one pressure measurement component, at least one of said plurality of chemical analyzers, or combinations thereof while said at least one pressure measurement component, at least one of said plurality of chemical analyzers, or combinations is measuring one or more properties of said gas flowing though at least one of said first landfill well or said second landfill well, said operation temperature above 30°

F.

15. The method as defined in claim 11, wherein said handheld portable control unit, said handheld portable measuring unit, or combinations thereof includes G.P.S. software, and further including the step of obtaining G.P.S. coordinates for at least one of said first landfill well or said second landfill well prior to field testing, during field testing, after field testing, or combinations thereof of at least one of said first landfill well or second landfill well.

16. The method as defined in claim 14, wherein said handheld portable control unit, said handheld portable measuring unit, or combinations thereof includes G.P. S. software, and further including the step of obtaining G.P.S. coordinates for at least one of said first landfill well or said second landfill well prior to field testing, during field testing, after field testing, or combinations thereof of at least one of said first landfill well or second landfill well.

17. The method as defined in claim 14, further including the step of obtaining information for a LEL measurement of said landfill gas and calculating and providing an LEL value for one or more components in said landfill gas based at least partially on said LEL measurement.

18. The method as defined in claim 14, further including the step of packing said handheld portable control unit and said handheld portable measuring unit into a single carrying device selected from the group consisting of a backpack and a brief case.

19. The method as defined in claim 16, further including the step of obtaining information for a LEL measurement of said landfill gas and calculating and providing an LEL value for one or more components in said landfill gas based at least partially on said LEL measurement.

20. The method as defined in claim 19, further including the step of packing said handheld portable control unit and said handheld portable measuring unit into a single carrying device selected from the group consisting of a backpack and a brief case.