Emissions monitoring and tracking system

• US 5,225,996 A
• Filed: 03/23/1992
• Issued: 07/06/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Q Capital Corporation
• Original Assignee: Fugitive Emissions Control Inc.
• Inventors: Weber, Eugene H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cosimano, Edward R.
• Application Number:
  US07/854,729
• Time in Patent Office: 470 Days
• Field of Search: 364/464.04, 364/506, 364/550
• US Class Current: 702/187
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/04 by detecting the presence of fluid at the leakage point
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/20 using special tracer materials, e.g. dye, fluorescent material, radioactive material
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/00 Methods or arrangements for effecting co-operative working between equipments covered by two or more of main groups G06K1/00 - G06K15/00, e.g. automatic card files incorporating conveying and reading operations

Abstract

A portable subsystem carried by the inspector includes an identification scanner, an emissions sensor and a portable data collector. An inspector identifies the release point by use of a portable scanner and then tests the release point for leaks. The portable data collector stores the identification along with the emissions test data. At periodic intervals the portable data collector is connected to a main computer and the stored data is uploaded. The main computer analyzes the uploaded data for a pass or fail of the release point of the emissions test and issues the appropriate comparison results. Additionally, the severity of the leak is determined and remedial action is specified. This remedial action includes issuance of a repair report and updating the repair schedule, updating the inspection schedule for reinspection after repairs are completed and updating the inspection history. The computer maintains data sufficient to generate reports tailored to the requirements of government agencies.

Claims

1. An apparatus for monitoring hydrocarbon emissions from an emissions release point, comparing the monitored emissions to a threshold, and reporting the comparison results, the apparatus comprising:

an identification code disposed at the emissions release point to identify the release point;

a portable data entry device into which the identification code is entered, the data entry device providing an identification signal representative of the identification code;

a portable sensor which senses the hydrocarbon emissions from the release point and provides a sense signal representative of those sensed emissions;

a portable data collector coupled to the data entry device and to the sensor to receive the identification signal and the sense signal and to record the identification and sense signals as data; and

a main computer which receives the recorded data from the portable data collector and compares the sense data to a predetermined threshold to determine if the sense data exceeds the threshold and reports the result of the comparison and the identification code of the emissions release point.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the identification code is carried on a label attached at the release point.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the main computer further issues a repair report when the sense signal data exceeds the threshold.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the main computer generates a history of the release point comprising each date that the portable sensor sensed the emissions and the results of each comparison and updates that history for each comparison.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the portable data collector also records the date and time when it records the identification and sense signals, and the main computer receives the date and time and updates the history of the release point.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the identification code is unique to the release point.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the portable data collector opens a record upon receiving a first identification signal of the emissions point, records the identification signal and the sense signal as data and closes and stores the record upon receipt of a second identification signal;

and

the main computer receives the record, stores the record, and compares the sense data of the record to the predetermined threshold.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the portable data collector closes and stores the record only if it receives the second identification signal within a predetermined time after receiving the first identification signal.

9. Apparatus for monitoring hydrocarbon emissions from an emissions release point, comparing the monitored emissions to a threshold, and reporting the comparison results, the apparatus comprising:

an identification code disposed at the emissions release point to identify the release point;

a portable data entry device into which the identification code is entered, the data entry device providing an identification signal representative of the identification code;

a portable sensor which senses the hydrocarbon emissions from the release point and provides a sense signal representative of those sensed emissions;

a portable data collector coupled to the data entry device and to the sensor to receive the identification signal and the sense signal and to record the identification and sense signals as data in a record initiated by the identification signal wherein the portable data collector also records the date when it records the data; and

a main computer selectively coupled to the portable data collector which receives the recorded data when coupled to the portable data collector, compares the received sense data to a predetermined threshold to determine if the sense data exceeds the threshold, reports the result of the comparison, maintains an emissions history of the release point and updates the history of the release point, and issues a repair report in the event that the sense signal data exceeds the threshold.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the history of the release point comprises each date that the portable sensor sensed the emissions and the results of each comparison.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the identification code is unique to the emissions release point.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the portable data collector opens a record upon receiving a first identification signal of the emissions release point, records the identification signal and the sense signal as data, and closes and stores the record upon receipt of a second identification signal;

and

the main computer receives the record, stores the record, and compares the sense data of the record to the predetermined threshold.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the portable data collector will not close and store the record if the second identification signal is not received within a predetermined time after receiving the first identification signal.

14. A method for monitoring hydrocarbon emissions from an emissions release point, comparing the monitored emissions to a threshold, and reporting the comparison results, the method comprising the steps of:

assigning an identification code to the release point;

entering the assigned identification code into a portable data entry device at the release point and providing an identification signal representative of the identification code entered;

sensing hydrocarbon emissions from the release point with a portable emissions sensor and providing an emissions signal representative of the sensed emissions;

receiving the identification signal and the emissions signal and recording the signals as data;

transferring the recorded identification and emissions data to a main computer;

comparing the sensed emissions data of the received record to a predetermined threshold in the main computer to determine if the threshold has been exceeded, and reporting the result of the comparison; and

storing the result of the comparison with the identification data.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of issuing a repair report when the sensed emissions data exceeds the predetermined limit.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of generating a history of the release point comprising each date that the portable sensor sensed the emissions and the results of each comparison.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising the steps of:

recording the date when the identification and sense signals are recorded as data;

transferring the recorded date, identification, and emissions data to the main computer; and

storing the result of the comparison, the identification data and the date.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the step of assigning an identification code comprises assigning a unique identification code to the emissions release point.

19. The method of claim 14 further comprising the steps of:

opening a record upon receiving a first identification signal of the emissions point;

recording the identification signal and the sense signal as data; and

closing and storing the record upon receipt of a second identification signal.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of closing and storing the record occurs only when a second identification signal is received within a predetermined time after receiving the first identification signal.