Apparatus for remote analysis of vehicle emissions

• US 5,498,872 A
• Filed: 04/21/1995
• Issued: 03/12/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Colorado Seminary
• Original Assignee: Colorado Seminary
• Inventors: McLaren, Scott, Stedman, Donald H., Bishop, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): Fields, Carolyn E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Glick, Edward J.
• Application Number:
  US08/426,910
• Time in Patent Office: 326 Days
• Field of Search: 250/338.5, 250/339.13, 250/339.12, 356/438
• US Class Current: 250/338.5
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/1793 Remote sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/1795 Atmospheric mapping of gases
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/33 using ultraviolet light G01N21/39 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3504 for analysing gases, e.g. multi-gas analysis

Abstract

A gas analysis device for the remote detecting, measuring and recording of NO, CO, CO₂, HC, and H₂ O levels from the exhaust (30) of moving motor vehicles (28) utilizes a source (11) of collimated infrared and ultraviolet radiation (15) and includes a detector unit (16) positioned on the opposite side of the roadway for receiving and measuring the infrared and ultraviolet radiation from the source (11) tranmitted through the vehicle exhaust. The detector unit splits the combined infrared and ultraviolet radiation into separate infrared and ultraviolet beams (42) and (40). The ultraviolet beam is diffracted onto a photodiode array in a spectrometer that generates a signal indicative of NO in the vehicle exhaust. A rotating reflector (27) time-multiplexes the infrared beam to a plurality of infrared sensors that generate electrical signals indicative of, for example, CO, CO₂, HC, and H₂ O in the vehicle exhaust. A computer (17) then computes the relative concentrations of CO, CO₂, HC, NO, and H₂ O in the path of the infrared and ultraviolet radiation from the source, thereby measuring vehicle emissions.

Claims

1. A gas analysis system for detecting and measuring concentrations of gases in the exhaust of a moving motor vehicle comprising:

a source for producing and transmitting a beam of infrared radiation through at least a portion of said exhaust;

a detector having a plurality of infrared sensors for receiving at least a portion of said beam, each infrared sensor generating a signal indicative of the absorption of said infrared beam by said exhaust in a corresponding wavelength band;

said infrared sensors including at least a first sensor for carbon monoxide, a second sensor for carbon dioxide, and a third sensor for hydrocarbons; and

means responsive to said signals from said infrared sensors for;

(a) computing the ratio of carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide (Q_CO) and the ratio of hydrocarbons to carbon dioxide (Q_HC) from said infrared sensor signals; and

(b) computing the concentrations of said carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrocarbons in the path of said beam through said exhaust from Q_CO and Q_HC based on the chemical composition of fuel for said motor vehicle.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said detector further comprises means for time-multiplexing said infrared beam to each of said infrared sensors.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said time-multiplexing means comprises a rotating reflector directing said infrared beam to each of said sensors in sequence.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein said time-multiplexing means comprises a rotating polygonal structure having reflective surfaces along the edges of said polygon to direct said infrared beam to each of said sensors in sequence.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said infrared sensors comprises a photodetector with a filter passing a wavelength indicative of the gas to be detected by said sensor.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising visual recording means aligned to record the end portion of said vehicle, including any vehicle identification material displayed on said vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said computing means samples said signals from said infrared sensors for a predetermined period following resumption of beam reception by said detector after a moving vehicle interrupts said beam.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said source and said detector are located on one side of a roadway, and said system further comprises at least one reflector located on the opposite side of said roadway to reflect said infrared and ultraviolet beam from said source to said detector.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising an infrared sensor generating a signal indicative of the absorption of said infrared beam by water in said exhaust.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising an infrared sensor generating a signal indicative of the total absorption of said infrared beam in said exhaust.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising a calibration cell containing a known mixture of at least two of said exhaust gases, said calibration cell being removably insertable across the path of said beam between said source and said infrared sensors with the optical depth of said beam path through said gases in said calibration cell varying as said calibration cell is inserted across said beam path.

12. A gas analysis system for detecting and measuring concentrations of gases in the exhaust of a moving motor vehicle comprising:

a source for producing and transmitting a beam of infrared radiation through at least a portion of said exhaust;

a detector having a plurality of infrared sensors for receiving at least a portion of said beam, each infrared sensor generating a signal indicative of the absorption of said infrared beam by said exhaust in a corresponding wavelength band;

said infrared sensors including at least a first sensor for carbon monoxide, a second sensor for carbon dioxide, a third sensor for hydrocarbons, and a reference sensor indicative of total absorption of said infrared beam by said exhaust; and

means responsive to said signals from said infrared sensors for;

(a) computing the ratio of carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide (Q_CO) and the ratio of hydrocarbons to carbon dioxide (Q_HC) from said infrared sensor signals for a predetermined period following resumption of beam reception by said detector after said moving vehicle interrupts said beam; and

(b) computing the concentrations of said carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and hydrocarbons in the path of said beam through said exhaust from Q_CO and Q_HC based on the chemical composition of fuel for said motor vehicle.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said detector further comprises a rotating reflector directing said infrared beam to each of said infrared sensors in sequence.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein at least one of said infrared sensors comprises a photodetector with a filter passing a wavelength indicative of the gas to be detected by said sensor.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein said source and said detector are located on one side of a roadway, and said system further comprises at least one reflector located on the opposite side of said roadway to reflect said infrared beam from said source to said detector.

16. The system of claim 12, further comprising visual recording means aligned to record the end portion of said vehicle, including any vehicle identification material displayed on said vehicle.

17. The system of claim 12, further comprising an infrared sensor generating a signal indicative of the absorption of said infrared beam by water in said exhaust.

18. The system of claim 12, further comprising a calibration cell containing a known mixture of at least two of said exhaust gases, said calibration cell being removably insertable across the path of said beam between said source and said infrared sensors with the optical depth of said beam through said gases in said calibration cell varying as said calibration cell is inserted across said beam path.