SYSTEM AND APPARATUS FOR MEASUREMENT AND MAPPING OF POLLUTANTS

• US 20110251800A1
• Filed: 12/21/2009
• Published: 10/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Duvas Technologies Limited
• Original Assignee: Duvas Technologies Limited
• Inventors: Wilkins, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 9,494,511 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/24
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0264 Electrical interface; User interface
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/1795 Atmospheric mapping of gases
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/031 Multipass arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/33 using ultraviolet light G01N21/39 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0216 Vehicle borne
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0221 Portable; cableless; compact; hand-held
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0004 Gaseous mixtures, e.g. polluted air gaseous biological material G01N33/497; exhaust gas of internal combustion engines G01M15/102
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0075 for multiple spatially distributed sensors, e.g. for environmental monitoring transmission systems for measured values G08C
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/14 specially adapted for specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 19/49 whereby the further system is an inertial position system, e.g. loosely-coupled

Abstract

Apparatus and systems, preferably using UV spectroscopy, for the dynamic and continuous detection and quantification of a range of chemicals, particularly pollutants, in the environment, and to the production of a real-time display or map to display chemical levels in the environment are provided. By providing data packets which combine details of pollutants in the atmosphere with very accurate position and temporal information, and real-time map of pollution is provided.

Claims

1. A system for mapping environmental factors in the atmosphere comprising one or a plurality of mobile detection apparatuses, wherein each detection apparatus comprises:

a sensor for detecting environmental factors in the atmosphere which provides data relating to an atmospheric sample;

a navigation system for tracking the geographic position of the sensor and time the sample is taken;

a processing unit capable of processing data;

the processing unit being coupled to said sensor and navigation system in order to provide the geographic position and time of each sample;

said system further comprising a server including a database where data from each apparatus is stored and processed, wherein said navigation system comprises a first navigation unit comprising a GPS system and a second navigation unit comprising an independently functioning positioning system, wherein said first and second navigation units are data-coupled and wherein each mutually informs the other and provides continuously refined and corrected position data.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first navigation unit comprises one or more GPS receivers and the second navigation unit comprises a positioning system other than GPS.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the second navigation unit comprises an IMU/INS system.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the coupled navigation system provides position, direction and velocity data in such a way that the sensor or data relating to the environmental factors can be dynamically manipulated in order to provide optimised data.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processing of the data is carried out immediately.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is selected from the group consisting of an ultraviolet spectrometer, an ultraviolet-light spectrometer, an infrared spectrometer or a combination thereof.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the spectrometer detects within the wavelength range of 160-500 nm.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the sensor data is collected over a dynamically-variable sample period.

16. The system according to claim 1 comprising a unit to collect wind velocity data wherein the wind velocity data is utilized in conjunction with the geographical location data to predict distribution of environmental factors.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein said first and second navigation units provide refined velocity data.

9. A device for use in the analysis of environmental factors comprising

a sensor for detecting environmental factors in the atmosphere which provides data relating to an atmospheric sample;

a navigation system for tracking the geographic position of the sensor and time the sample is taken;

a processing unit capable of processing data;

the processing unit being coupled to said sensor and navigation system in order to provide the geographic position and time of each sample.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein the sensor comprises a spectrometer.

11. The device according to claim 10, wherein the spectrometer detects the wavelength range of 160-500 nm.

12. The device according to claim 9, wherein the navigation system is a tightly coupled GPS-IMU/INS system.

17. The device according to claim 9 comprising a unit to collect wind velocity data wherein the wind velocity data is utilized in conjunction with the geographical location data to predict distribution of environmental factors.

13. A method for the production of real-time locational information of environmental factors which comprises:

taking an atmospheric sample and analyzing the sample in a spectrometer;

taking a geographical position of where the atmospheric sample was taken and coupling this geographic information with time information to provide a time and position of the sampling point;

combining the position, time and analysis results into a packet of data and transmitting the packet of data to a server;

analyzing the information of the atmospheric sample to provide data of the level of environmental factors;

integrating the data of the environmental factors with real-time position data to provide real time location of environmental factors,

wherein geographical information is produced from a navigation system comprising a first navigation unit comprising a GPS system and a second navigation unit comprising an independently functioning positioning system, wherein said first and second navigation units are data-coupled and wherein each mutually informs the other and provides continuously refined and corrected position data.

14. The method according to claim 13 wherein the coupled navigation system provides position, direction and velocity data in such a way that the sensor or data relating to the environmental factors can be dynamically manipulated in order to provide optimised data.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the packets of data are transmitted to the central server, for data storage, visualisation, and analysis, by wireless communication network.

19. The method of claim 13, comprising wherein said first and second navigation units provide continuously refined velocity data.