System and method for detecting smoldering in processes with continuous air flow
First Claim
1. A system for detecting a smoldering of a material in a processing equipment, the processing equipment having a first air inlet and an air outlet, the system comprising:
- a plurality of sensors configured to measure concentrations of a trace gas, including a first sensor configured to measure a first concentration of the trace gas at the first air inlet, and a second sensor configured to measure a second concentration of the trace gas at the air outlet;
an electronic control element configured to receive the measurements of the trace gas simultaneously from the plurality of sensors, consider the first concentration of the trace gas and the second concentration of the trace gas simultaneously to determine an amount of the trace gas being produced in the processing equipment, wherein in considering the first and second concentrations of the trace gas simultaneously to determine the amount of the trace gas being produced in the processing equipment, the electronic control element takes into account a delay, a dilution, and a time spread of any of the trace gas moving through the processing equipment between the first sensor and the second sensor, determine whether the amount of the trace gas being produced in the processing equipment exceeds a threshold value indicative of smoldering, and activate an alarm if the amount of the trace gas being produced in the processing equipment exceeds the threshold value; and
a user interface configured to allow a user to interact with the electronic control element, including resetting the alarm.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system (20) and method (100) using decentralized trace gas sensors (44a, 44b, 44c) and a central control element (46) to detect smoldering material in particulate material processing equipment (26) with continuous air flow (22, 24, 34). First and second sensors (44a, 44c) measure gas concentrations at an air inlet (22) and an air outlet (34), respectively. The control element (46) receives the measurements from the sensors (44a, 44c) simultaneously, considers the first and second concentrations simultaneously to determine an amount of gas being produced in the processing equipment (26), determines whether the amount of gas being produced exceeds a threshold value indicative of smoldering, and if so, activates an alarm. A user interface (48) allows a user to interact with the control element (46), including resetting the alarm, viewing current and stored sensor and system information, and initiating a test of the system by exposing the sensors (44a, 44b, 44c) to gas released from a gas reservoir (50a, 50b, 50c).
14 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A system for detecting a smoldering of a material in a processing equipment, the processing equipment having a first air inlet and an air outlet, the system comprising:
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a plurality of sensors configured to measure concentrations of a trace gas, including a first sensor configured to measure a first concentration of the trace gas at the first air inlet, and a second sensor configured to measure a second concentration of the trace gas at the air outlet; an electronic control element configured to receive the measurements of the trace gas simultaneously from the plurality of sensors, consider the first concentration of the trace gas and the second concentration of the trace gas simultaneously to determine an amount of the trace gas being produced in the processing equipment, wherein in considering the first and second concentrations of the trace gas simultaneously to determine the amount of the trace gas being produced in the processing equipment, the electronic control element takes into account a delay, a dilution, and a time spread of any of the trace gas moving through the processing equipment between the first sensor and the second sensor, determine whether the amount of the trace gas being produced in the processing equipment exceeds a threshold value indicative of smoldering, and activate an alarm if the amount of the trace gas being produced in the processing equipment exceeds the threshold value; and a user interface configured to allow a user to interact with the electronic control element, including resetting the alarm. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A system for detecting a smoldering of a material in a processing equipment, the processing equipment having an air inlet and an air outlet, the system comprising:
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a plurality of electro-chemical sensors configured to measure concentrations of carbon monoxide, including a first electro-chemical sensor configured to measure a first concentration of carbon monoxide at the air inlet, and a second electro-chemical sensor configured to measure a second concentration of carbon monoxide at the air outlet; an electronic control element configured to— receive the measurements of carbon monoxide simultaneously from the plurality of electro-chemical sensors, consider the first concentration of carbon monoxide and the second concentration of carbon monoxide simultaneously to determine an amount of carbon monoxide being produced in the processing equipment, wherein the electronic control element takes into account a delay, a dilution, and a time spread of any carbon monoxide moving through the processing equipment between the first electro-chemical sensor and the second electro-chemical sensor, determine whether the amount of carbon monoxide being produced in the processing equipment exceeds a threshold value indicative of smoldering, activate an alarm if the amount of carbon monoxide being produced in the processing equipment exceeds the threshold value, and determine a rate of change of the concentration of carbon monoxide being produced in the processing equipment; and a user interface configured to allow a user to interact with the electronic control element, including resetting the alarm, viewing current and past measurements of carbon monoxide, and viewing information associated with the electronic control element activating the alarm.
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21. A method for detecting a smoldering of a material in a processing equipment, the processing equipment having a first air inlet and an air outlet, the system comprising:
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measuring with a plurality of electro-chemical sensors concentrations of carbon monoxide, including measuring a first concentration of carbon monoxide at the first air inlet, and measuring a second concentration of carbon monoxide at the air outlet; receiving at an electronic control element the measurements of carbon monoxide simultaneously from the plurality of electro-chemical sensors; considering by the electronic control element the first concentration of carbon monoxide and the second concentration of carbon monoxide simultaneously to determine an amount of carbon monoxide being produced in the processing equipment, including taking into account a delay, a dilution, and a time spread of any carbon monoxide moving through the processing equipment between the first air inlet and the air outlet; determining by the electronic control element whether the amount of carbon monoxide being produced in the processing equipment exceeds a threshold value indicative of smoldering; activating by the electronic control element an alarm if the amount of carbon monoxide being produced in the processing equipment exceeds the threshold value; and facilitating with a user interface a user interacting with the electronic control element, including allowing the user to reset the alarm, view current and past measurements of carbon monoxide, and view information associated with the electronic control element activating the alarm. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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25. A system for detecting a smoldering of a material in a processing equipment, the processing equipment having a first air inlet and an air outlet, the system comprising:
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a plurality of sensors configured to measure concentrations of a trace gas, including a first sensor configured to measure a first concentration of the trace gas at the first air inlet, and a second sensor configured to measure a second concentration of the trace gas at the air outlet; an electronic control element configured to receive the measurements of the trace gas simultaneously from the plurality of sensors, consider the first concentration of the trace gas and the second concentration of the trace gas simultaneously to determine an amount of the trace gas being produced in the processing equipment, differentiate between slow variations of the first and second concentrations of the trace gas due to sensor drift and rapid variations of the first and second concentrations of the trace gas due to smoldering, determine whether the amount of the trace gas being produced in the processing equipment exceeds a threshold value indicative of smoldering, and activate an alarm if the amount of the trace gas being produced in the processing equipment exceeds the threshold value; and a user interface configured to allow a user to interact with the electronic control element, including resetting the alarm.
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26. A system for detecting a smoldering of a material in a processing equipment, the processing equipment having a first air inlet and an air outlet, the system comprising:
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a plurality of sensors configured to measure concentrations of a trace gas, including a first sensor configured to measure a first concentration of the trace gas at the first air inlet, and a second sensor configured to measure a second concentration of the trace gas at the air outlet; an electronic control element configured to receive the measurements of the trace gas simultaneously from the plurality of sensors, consider the first concentration of the trace gas and the second concentration of the trace gas simultaneously to determine an amount of the trace gas being produced in the processing equipment, determine whether the amount of the trace gas being produced in the processing equipment exceeds a threshold value indicative of smoldering, wherein the electronic control element considers an equipment profile for the processing equipment, wherein the equipment profile relates the trace gas concentration to a plurality of different air flow rates for the processing equipment, and activate an alarm if the amount of the trace gas being produced in the processing equipment exceeds the threshold value; and a user interface configured to allow a user to interact with the electronic control element, including resetting the alarm.
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27. A system for detecting a smoldering of a material in a processing equipment, the processing equipment having a first air inlet and an air outlet, the system comprising:
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a plurality of sensors configured to measure concentrations of a trace gas, including a first sensor configured to measure a first concentration of the trace gas at the first air inlet, and a second sensor configured to measure a second concentration of the trace gas at the air outlet; an electronic control element configured to receive the measurements of the trace gas simultaneously from the plurality of sensors, consider the first concentration of the trace gas and the second concentration of the trace gas simultaneously to determine an amount of the trace gas being produced in the processing equipment, determine whether the amount of the trace gas being produced in the processing equipment exceeds a threshold value indicative of smoldering, wherein the electronic control element considers a smoldering profile for the material, wherein the smoldering profile relates trace gas concentration to time and temperature for the material, and activate an alarm if the amount of the trace gas being produced in the processing equipment exceeds the threshold value; and a user interface configured to allow a user to interact with the electronic control element, including resetting the alarm.
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Specification