System and method for quantifying the presence of components in the exhaust of commercial and/or heavy-duty vehicles

• US 8,266,952 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2011
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Envirotest Corp. (Opus Group AB)
• Original Assignee: Envirotest Corp. (Opus Group AB)
• Inventors: Stedman, Donald H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kirkland, III, Freddie
• Application Number:
  US13/052,815
• Publication Number:
  US 20110162435A1
• Time in Patent Office: 547 Days
• Field of Search: 731/147.1
• US Class Current: 73/114.71
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 1/2252 in a vehicle exhaust

Abstract

A system and/or method for quantifying the presence of one or more components in vehicle exhaust, and more particularly to a non-contact, extractive sampling system and method for quantifying the presence of one or more components in exhaust emissions of commercial and/or heavy-duty vehicles that emit exhaust at an elevated level, under actual operating conditions.

Claims

1. A system, positioned at a site along a roadway, for determining the concentration of one or more constituents present in a sample of exhaust emissions emitted by a vehicle traveling on the roadway, the system comprising:

a component detection system;

a collector operatively coupled to the component detection system, wherein the collector is positioned above the surface of the roadway and oriented in a direction parallel to a direction of travel of the roadway, and has one or more openings for receiving the exhaust emissions of the vehicle to be analyzed by the component detection system;

a gathering structure having one or more surfaces positioned to direct the exhaust emissions of the vehicle to be analyzed by the component detection system to the one or more openings of the collector prior to measurement by the component detection system; and

wherein the component detection system is configured to receive a sample of the exhaust emissions of the vehicle via the collector, and to determine the concentration of one or more constituents present in the sample of exhaust emissions.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the roadway comprises a test lane.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the gathering structure comprises a roof that is supported above the surface of the roadway by one or more supports such that the vehicle can pass under the roof while traveling along the roadway.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the roadway comprises a single vehicle travel lane, and wherein the roof of the gathering structure covers the single vehicle travel lane.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the roadway comprises multiple vehicle travel lanes, and wherein the roof of the gathering structure covers one of the multiple vehicle travel lanes.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the roadway comprises multiple vehicle travel lanes, and wherein the roof of the gathering structure covers the roadway.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the collector is fastened to an underside of the roof of the gathering structure such that the one or more openings of the collector face the surface of the roadway.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein the collector is integrally formed with the roof of the gathering structure such that the one or more openings of the collector comprise one or more openings in an underside of the roof of the gathering structure.

9. The system of claim 3, wherein the one or more supports of the gathering structure comprise at least one wall on a first side of the roadway and at least one wall on a second side of the roadway that is opposite the first side of the roadway.

10. The system of claim 3, wherein the roof comprises an A-frame roof defined by two planes oriented at an angle to one another, and wherein the collector is disposed on an underside of the roof at or near the intersection of the two planes.

11. The system of claim 3, wherein the roof is impermeable to the exhaust emissions.

12. The system of claim 3, wherein the roof is water-proof.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the collector comprises a perforated pipe.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a flow generator, in communication with the collector, that is configured to generate a flow of air that draws the sample of the exhaust emissions to the component detection system.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the component detection system is located remotely from the roadway.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the component detection system comprises a trace gas detection system.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the component detection system comprises a fine particle measurement system.

18. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a vehicle communication system including at least one display, wherein the at least one display communicates information to a driver of the vehicle as the vehicle is approaching the gathering structure.

19. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a vehicle identification system configured to capture an image of a license plate of the vehicle.

20. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a position tracking system for tracking one or more of the position, speed, or acceleration of the vehicle.

21. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a computer, operatively connected to the component detection system and to a network, wherein the computer is configured to;

receive, from the component detection system, information concerning the concentration of one or more constituents present in the sample of exhaust emissions; and

transmit the received information to a network location via the network.

22. A method of determining the concentration of one or more constituents present in a sample of exhaust emissions emitted by a vehicle traveling on a roadway, the method comprising:

positioning a collector above the surface of the roadway and oriented in a direction parallel to a direction of travel of the roadway, the collector having one or more openings for receiving vehicle exhaust emissions to be analyzed by a component detection system that is operatively connected to the collector;

directing the exhaust emissions of the vehicle to be analyzed by the component detection system to the one or more openings of the collector prior to measurement by the component detection system via one or more surfaces of a gathering structure;

drawing a sample of exhaust emissions received in the one or more openings of the collector to the component detection system via suction; and

determining the concentration of one or more constituents present in the sample of exhaust emissions of the vehicle via the component detection system.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the roadway comprises a test lane.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the gathering structure comprises a roof that is supported above the surface of the roadway by one or more supports such that the vehicle can pass under the roof while traveling along the roadway.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the roadway comprises a single vehicle travel lane, and wherein the roof of the gathering structure covers the single vehicle travel lane.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the roadway comprises multiple vehicle travel lanes, and wherein the roof of the gathering structure covers one of the multiple vehicle travel lanes.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the roadway comprises multiple vehicle travel lanes, and wherein the roof of the gathering structure covers the roadway.

28. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

fastening the collector to an underside of the roof of the gathering structure such that the one or more openings of the collector face the surface of the roadway.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein the collector is integrally formed with the roof of the gathering structure such that the one or more openings of the collector comprise one or more openings in an underside of the roof of the gathering structure.

30. The method of claim 24, wherein the one or more supports of the gathering structure comprise at least one wall on a first side of the roadway and at least one wall on a second side of the roadway that is opposite the first side of the roadway.

31. The method of claim 24, wherein the roof comprises an A-frame roof defined by two planes oriented at an angle to one another, and wherein the collector is disposed on an underside of the roof at or near the intersection of the two planes.

32. The method of claim 24, wherein the roof is impermeable to the exhaust emissions.

33. The method of claim 24, wherein the roof is water-proof.

34. The method of claim 22, wherein the collector comprises a perforated pipe.

35. The method of claim 22, wherein drawing a sample of exhaust emissions further comprises:

drawing a sample of exhaust emissions received in the one or more openings of the collector to the component detection system via suction provided by a flow generator.

36. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

positioning the component detection system remotely from the roadway.

37. The method of claim 22, wherein the component detection system comprises a trace gas detection system.

38. The method of claim 22, wherein the component detection system comprises a fine particle measurement system.

39. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

communicating information to a driver of the vehicle, as the vehicle is approaching the gathering structure, via at least one display of a vehicle communication system.

40. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

capturing an image of a license plate of the vehicle via a vehicle identification system.

41. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

tracking one or more of the position, speed, or acceleration of the vehicle via a position tracking system.

42. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

receiving from the component detection system, at a computer, information concerning the concentration of one or more constituents present in the sample of exhaust emissions; and

transmitting the received information from the computer to a network location via a network.