DE112019007990T5 - Sensor device and method for measuring a gaseous fluid - Google Patents

Abstract

One aspect relates to a sensor device for measuring a property of a gaseous fluid comprising multiple components including the size and concentration of particulate matter and/or gases. The sensor device may include a fluid channel configured to allow gaseous fluid flow, which fluid channel may include a first sensor for measuring the property of one component of the plurality of components. The sensor means may include a duct branch in fluid communication with the fluid duct and adapted to allow branch flow, which duct branch may include a filter for modifying the concentration of the component, thereby providing a concentration-modified gaseous fluid. Another aspect relates to a method for monitoring the properties of the gaseous fluid, including determining whether a first measurement is saturated and modifying the branch flow to modify the concentration of the component to provide a modified gaseous fluid flow.

Description

area of invention

The present disclosure relates to a gaseous fluid sensor device and method for monitoring the properties of a gaseous fluid.

General state of the art

Currently, smoke detectors are used for fire detection because they detect smoke, which is an indicator of a fire. However, known smoke detectors are bulky, expensive and often involve the use of radioactive sources. For example, ionizing smoke detectors use the radioisotope americium-241 to ionize air, and a current differential due to the presence of smoke indicates the presence of a fire. To improve the performance of such smoke detectors, a carbon monoxide (CO) sensor is integrated with the smoke detector, but not often because of the cost of the CO sensor and its relatively large size.

There is a general need to provide improved fire detectors.

Brief presentation

The present disclosure relates to a gaseous fluid sensor device and a method for monitoring the properties of a gaseous fluid. In some embodiments, the gaseous fluid sensing device is a fire detector.

Various embodiments relate to a gaseous fluid sensor device for measuring a property of a gaseous fluid, comprising several components. A property of the gaseous fluid may include particle size and concentration of particulate matter, type of gas, and/or concentration of gas. The gaseous fluid sensor device may include a fluid channel configured to allow gaseous fluid flow. The gaseous fluid sensing device may also include a channel branch in fluid communication with the fluid channel and configured to allow branch flow from the fluid channel at the branch port. The fluid channel may further include a first sensor configured to measure a property of one of the multiple components of the gaseous fluid. The channel branch may further include a filter for modifying the concentration of the one component of the plurality of components, thereby providing a concentration-modified gaseous fluid to the first sensor.

Various embodiments relate to a method for monitoring a property of a gaseous fluid, where the gaseous fluid includes multiple components. A property of the gaseous fluid may include particle size and concentration of particulate matter, type of gas, and/or concentration of gas. The method can include obtaining a first measurement of the property of a component of the plurality of components with the first sensor and determining whether the first measurement is saturated. The method may further include, when the first measurement is determined to be saturated, modifying the branch flow to modify the concentration of the one component, thereby providing a concentration-modified gaseous fluid to the first sensor and/or the second sensor. Modifying the branch flow may include reducing the concentration of one of the multiple components.

character list

• - 1 eine schematische Darstellung eines Vergleichsbeispiels eines Sensors für partikelförmige Materie;
• - 2 eine schematische Darstellung einer Sensoreinrichtung 10 für ein gasförmiges Fluid gemäß verschiedenen Ausführungsformen;
• - 3 eine schematische Darstellung einer Sensoreinrichtung 10 für ein gasförmiges Fluid einschließlich einem ersten Sensor 18 und einem Kanalzweig 16 zum Liefern eines konzentrationsmodifizierten gasförmiges Fluids 38 an den ersten Sensor 18 gemäß verschiedenen Ausführungsformen;
• - 4A und 4B schematische Darstellungen einer Sensoreinrichtung 10 für ein gasförmiges Fluid einschließlich einem ersten Sensor 18 und einem zweiten Sensor 19 und einem Kanalzweig 16, um ein konzentrationsmodifiziertes gasförmiges Fluid 38 an den zweiten Sensor 19 zu liefern, gemäß verschiedenen Ausführungsformen;
• - 5 einen Kurvenvergleich der durch eine Sensoreinrichtung 10 für ein gasförmiges Fluid erzeugten Signale und einen Vergleichsreferenzsensor während eines Brandes gemäß verschiedenen Ausführungsformen;
• - 6 eine grafische Darstellung, die die Desorptionskinetik verschiedener Gase auf einer Sensoreinrichtung 10 für ein gasförmiges Fluid gemäß verschiedenen Ausführungsformen darstellt.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the following drawings. Show it:

• - 1 Fig. 12 is a schematic representation of a comparative example of a particulate matter sensor;
• - 2 a schematic representation of a sensor device 10 for a gaseous fluid according to various embodiments;
• - 3 a schematic representation of a sensor device 10 for a gaseous fluid including a first sensor 18 and a channel branch 16 for supplying a concentration-modified gaseous fluid 38 to the first sensor 18 according to various embodiments;
• - 4A and 4B schematic representations of a gaseous fluid sensor device 10 including a first sensor 18 and a second sensor 19 and a channel branch 16 for supplying a concentration-modified gaseous fluid 38 to the second sensor 19 according to various embodiments;
• - 5 a curve comparison of the signals generated by a gaseous fluid sensor device 10 and a comparison reference sensor during a fire according to various embodiments;
• - 6 14 is a graph showing the desorption kinetics of various gases on a gaseous fluid sensor device 10 according to various embodiments.

The figures are schematic in nature and elements therein may be of different scale or positioned differently to improve readability. Particles in the drawings are shown with geometric shapes for easy visualization only, and particles are not limited thereto.

Detailed description

In the description that follows, the drawing figures are not necessarily to scale and certain features may be shown in generalized or schematic form in the interest of clarity and conciseness or for informational purposes. Additionally, while the making and using of various embodiments are discussed in detail below, it should be understood that as described herein, many inventive concepts are provided that can be embodied in a wide variety of contexts. Embodiments discussed herein are merely representative and not limiting.

Various embodiments disclosed herein relate to various aspects of the disclosure such as a sensor device and a method of operating the sensor device. Embodiments and explanations thereof disclosed in connection with one embodiment may be applicable to other embodiments. For example, embodiments and explanations of the system may be applicable to the method.

According to various embodiments, the property of the gaseous fluid may include a type of gas, a particle size, a particle size distribution, or a concentration of particle sizes. For example, the gaseous fluid may include particulate matter having a particle size concentration, and the concentration of one or more particle sizes may be selected as a property of the gaseous fluid. The gaseous fluid may include a gas or a composition of gases. For example, the gaseous fluid may include air. The properties of the gaseous fluid may include the concentration of a gas component, such as the concentration of carbon monoxide. As used in the present disclosure and according to various embodiments, the term "concentration" used in connection with particles may mean counts of particles per second for a predetermined flow rate. The gaseous fluid property may also include a type of gas. For example, gas components within the gaseous fluid may include carbon monoxide.

As used herein, the term "size" as used in connection with a particle or particulate matter (singular or plural) may include the meaning of particle size distribution. For example, the measurement of a particle size can be the measurement of a size distribution, for example PM 2.5.

According to various embodiments, the multiple components may include at least a first component and a second component within the gaseous fluid. The first component can contain particulate matter. The second component can include a gas. The multiple components can further include an aerosol, where the aerosol can be a mixture of the first component and the second component, among other components. For example, the aerosol can include a suspension of particulate matter in air or a gas. In one example, the first component may be particulate matter of a first particle size and the second component may be particulate matter of a second size different from the first size.

According to various embodiments, the first component may include particulate matter, where the particulate matter may be atmospheric or organic particulate matter. The particulate matter can further include different size distributions. For example, the size distributions of the particulate matter may be one or more size distributions selected from: greater than or equal to 0.5 µm (≥ PM 0.5), greater than or equal to 1 µm (≥ PM 1.0), greater than or equal to 2.5 µm (≥ PM 2.5), greater than or equal to 5 µm (≥ PM 5.0).

According to various embodiments, the second component can include a gas. The second component may include an ambient gas. For example, the ambient gas can include gases such as oxygen and carbon dioxide. The second component may include a gas released during a fire. For example, gases released during a fire may include hydrogen cyanide, hydrogen sulfide, hydrogen, or carbon monoxide. According to various embodiments, the second component can be a gas used for fire identification, for example carbon monoxide. According to various embodiments, the second component can also be volatile organic compounds (VOCs - Volatile Organic Compounds). For example, the volatile organic compounds may include one or more of benzenes emitted from exhaled cigarette smoke, formaldehyde from dyes, or gasoline emitted as products or by-products of fossil fuel use.

According to various embodiments, the sensor device can contain a fluid channel and a channel branch. According to various embodiments, the fluid channel can contain a first sensor. The first sensor can be designed to detect the property of one component of the plurality of components, for example the first sensor can be designed to detect the properties of the first component and/or the second component. The first sensor may further include a particulate matter sensor. According to various embodiments, the channel branch may include a filter. The filter may be configured to modify one or more of the plurality of components, for example the filter may include a particulate filter and/or a chemical filter.

According to various embodiments, the fluid channel may include a channel to allow flow of a gaseous fluid. The fluid channel may include a tube, tube, or trench in a substrate (e.g., by silicon etching during a MEMS process). For example, the pipe, hose, or trench may include a circular cross-section hollow cylinder, or may include a hollow square or rectangular tubing. The fluid channel may include an entrance to the fluid channel. For example, the entrance to the fluid channel may include an inlet, where the inlet may be a tube or a hole or a section thereof to allow the gaseous fluid to enter the fluid channel. The fluid channel may include an outlet, which outlet may be a tube or a hole or section thereof through which the gaseous fluid can escape. For example, the outlet of the fluid conduit may include an orifice to allow the gaseous fluid to be expelled or released to the outside environment. The channel branch may be a partition extending from the fluid channel that may be in fluid communication with the fluid channel. For example, the channel branch can be a bifurcation of the fluid channel. The channel branch may include a branch port, the branch port connecting the fluid channel to the channel branch. For example, the branch connector may include a junction in the shape of a "T" and where the fluid channel joins the channel branch at right angles without crossing it. Variations with angles other than right angles can also be implemented. The channel branch can be further designed to allow branch flow. For example, the branch flow can be the flow of gaseous fluid from the fluid channel to the channel branch. The channel branch may be further configured to allow branch flow via the branch port. For example, the branch flow can be the flow of gaseous fluid from the fluid channel to the channel branch at the branch port.

According to various embodiments, the sensor device can contain an air flow producer, which is designed to produce a gaseous fluid flow, for example a fan. According to various embodiments, the airflow producer may be configured to produce the flow of gaseous fluid. In other words, the air flow producer can be designed to generate a flow of a gaseous fluid. According to some embodiments, the air flow producer can be arranged in the fluid channel or optionally at the entrance of the fluid channel. For example, the air flow producer can be located between the inlet of the fluid channel and the outlet or at the inlet of the fluid channel. In some embodiments, the airflow producer may be external to the fluid channel. For example, the sensor device can be arranged in a flow system that supplies an air flow to the sensor device. However, the disclosure is not limited to this. The air flow producer may include a device used to produce the flow of gaseous fluid. For example, the air flow producer may include a fan, where the fan creates a flow of air to direct the flow of the gaseous fluid through the duct. For example, the air flow producer may include a fan used to direct the flow of gaseous fluid from an inlet of the fluid duct to the outlet and/or to the duct branch.

According to various embodiments, the first sensor can be configured to measure the property of one component of the plurality of components. The first sensor can be arranged within the fluid channel, for example behind the entrance of the fluid channel. For example, the first sensor can be arranged after the entrance of the fluid channel and before the exit. In some embodiments, the first sensor can be arranged between the inlet of the fluid channel and the channel branch. In some embodiments, the first sensor can be arranged between the entrance of the fluid channel and the air flow producer. The first sensor can be used to measure the property of the first component, wherein the first sensor may be a particulate matter sensor used to measure the concentration of particulate matter of different size distributions. For example, the first sensor may include a particle counter, where the particle counter may be based on at least one of light scattering, light obscuration, or direct imaging. For example, the particle counter can be an aerosol particle counter for counting and dimensioning the number of particles in the gaseous fluid. Accordingly, the first sensor can provide a first measurement. For example, the first measurement may include the concentration of particulate matter within the gaseous fluid. As used herein, "behind" may mean behind a particular position in the direction of flow. For example behind the inlet of the fluid channel.

According to various embodiments, the filter may be configured to deliver a concentration-modified gaseous fluid. The filter may be located in the duct branch and may be located after the branch port. The filter can be used to modify the concentration of a component within the gaseous fluid to provide the concentration-modified gaseous fluid flow. For example, the filter can be a device for removing contaminants from the gaseous fluid. According to various embodiments, the filter may include a particle filter. For example, a particulate filter can be used to provide a concentration-modified gaseous fluid by removing particulate matter of various size distributions from the gaseous fluid. For example, the particulate filter may remove particulates having a size greater than a certain range to produce a concentration-modified gaseous fluid. For example, the particulate filter may remove particles greater than or equal to 2.5 µm (≥ PM 2.5) such that only particles smaller than 2.5 µm are delivered within the concentration-modified gaseous fluid. According to various embodiments, the filter may include a chemical filter, which may be alternative to or in addition to a particulate filter or particulate filter function. For example, the chemical filter can be used to provide a concentration-modified gaseous fluid by removing chemicals from the gaseous fluid. In another example, the filter may contain sorbent materials to control the type of gases in the concentration-modified gaseous fluid. For example, the filter may contain charcoal or silica gel to remove components of the gaseous fluid other than carbon monoxide. Alternatively or additionally, the filter may contain a material for removing VOCs. For example, the filter can contain a wide range of polymers such as poly(p-2,6-diphenylphenylene oxide), poly(ethylene) glycol, or silicon-based sorbents that can be used to filter VOCs such that the concentration-modified gaseous fluid has a reduced concentration Contains VOCs. In some embodiments, the filter may be further configured to remove particulate matter and/or gases within the gaseous fluid, thereby protecting the sensor. In other words, the filter can function both as a particle filter and as a chemical filter. For example, the filter can be used to remove some or all of the particulate matter and/or gases from cigarette smoke, thereby protecting the sensor from damage. For example, the filter can include a HEPA filter. In addition, the filter can be further used to transmit information about the amount of chemicals in the ambient air or during a fire. For example, the filter can provide information on the kinetics of desorption of an incendiary marker (e.g., carbon monoxide or particulate matter). For example, the rate of desorption of the burn marker (e.g. particulate matter or carbon monoxide) can be used in quantifying chemicals during the fire.

According to various embodiments, the second sensor can be configured to measure the property of a component within the concentration-modified gaseous fluid. The second sensor can be arranged in the duct branch and after the filter. The second sensor can be used to measure the property of the second component, where the second sensor can be a gas sensor used to measure the concentration of a gas. For example, the second sensor may include an electrochemical cell for carbon monoxide monitoring. Accordingly, the second sensor can provide a second measurement. For example, the second measurement may include the concentration of a gas within the concentration-modified gaseous fluid. In another example, the second measurement may include the concentration of carbon monoxide within the concentration-modified gaseous fluid.

According to various embodiments, the fluid channel valve may include a device for controlling the passage of the gaseous fluid flow through the fluid channel. The fluid channel valve can be arranged in the fluid channel between the channel branch and the outlet. In some embodiments, the fluid channel valve may be located between the air flow producer and the outlet. For example, if the fluid channel valve is open, the gaseous fluid flow can be from the entrance of the fluid channel to the exit so that the gaseous fluid can be released to the outside environment. Alternatively, when the fluid channel valve is closed, the gaseous fluid flow can be from the entrance of the fluid channel to the branch port, so that the gaseous fluid can flow into the channel branch to pass through the filter (included in the channel branch), thereby delivering the concentration-modified gaseous fluid becomes.

According to various embodiments, the branch port valve may include means for controlling passage of the branch flow through the port branch. The branch channel valve can be arranged in the channel branch between the branch connection and the filter. For example, when the branch port valve is open, the gaseous fluid flow may be from the branch port to the filter such that when the branch flow bypasses the filter, the concentration-modified gaseous fluid is produced. Alternatively, when the branch duct valve is closed, the gaseous fluid may not be able to enter the duct branch and may therefore flow to the outlet and be released to the outside environment.

According to various embodiments, the branch passage may further include a lower branch passage valve, wherein the lower branch passage valve may include means to control passage of the branch flow from the filter to the second sensor. The lower branch channel valve may be arranged in the channel branch on the filter side further from the branch port. For example, the lower branch port valve may be located between the filter and the second sensor. The lower branch port valve can be used to control the concentration modified gaseous fluid to the second sensor. For example, when the lower branch passage valve is open, the concentration-modified gaseous fluid can flow to the second sensor. Alternatively, if the lower branch passage valve is closed, the branch flow may not flow to the second sensor. Both the branch port valve and the lower branch port valve, if provided, must be open to allow branch flow.

According to various embodiments, the sensor device may further include other types of sensors, such as a standard environmental sensor, for example temperature, pressure, humidity, sound, that may be relevant for fire detection. However, the disclosure is not limited to this.

According to various embodiments, the sensor device can be implemented as a fire detector. According to various embodiments, the sensor device can be implemented as a fire detection and monitoring system.

Various embodiments also relate to a method for monitoring the property of a gaseous fluid comprising multiple components. According to various embodiments, the method may include obtaining the first measurement of the property of a component of the plurality of components with the first sensor. For example, the first measurement may be the concentration of particulate matter within the gaseous fluid. The method may further include determining whether the first measurement is saturated. For example, the first measurement may be saturated when the first measurement may be above a predetermined threshold. If the first measurement is determined to be saturated, the method may further include modifying the branch flow to modify the concentration of a component within the gaseous fluid, thereby providing a concentration-modified gaseous fluid to either the first sensor or the second sensor, as described herein according to various embodiments.

According to various embodiments, modifying the branch flow may include reducing the concentration of one component of the plurality of components, thereby increasing the concentration of the other component(s) of the plurality of components. For example, the filter can be used to filter particulate matter and/or the gas from the gaseous fluid so that the concentration-modified gaseous fluid can be delivered to the first sensor or to the second sensor.

Exemplary embodiments of the concepts according to the invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying figures. The same reference numbers or the same reference designations can denote the same elements or components throughout the specification. Although the inventive concepts are described with reference to the figures, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scopes of the inventive concepts. Therefore, it should be understood that the above embodiments are not restrictive, but merely illustrative.

1 3 shows a schematic representation of a comparative matter sensor for monitoring a property of a gaseous fluid 30. The same reference numerals are used for easier comparison with the embodiments of the disclosure. The gaseous fluid 30 is shown including the first component 32 and the second component 34 . The comparative particulate matter sensor includes a fluid channel 12 having an entrance of the channel for gaseous fluid entry 30. The comparative particulate matter sensor further includes the first sensor 18 which is a particulate matter sensor and an air flow producer 11 which is a fan. As gaseous fluid 30 passes through the fluid channel 12 , the air flow producer 11 directs the flow of the gaseous fluid 30 from the entrance of the channel to the outlet or exit 13 of the channel, thereby passing through the first sensor 18 . The first sensor 18 is used to provide the concentration of particulate matter within the gaseous fluid 30 . The gaseous fluid 30 is then released through the exit 13 of the fluid channel 12 to the outside environment. The particulate matter sensor of the comparative example of FIG 1 is an optical particulate matter sensor that measures low concentrations of particulate matter and therefore only operates in the linear sensitivity range.

However, during a fire, particulate matter of various concentrations and sizes and gases are released into the environment. In particular, the relative concentrations of the different particulate matter sizes and their variations over time are indicative of the stage of the fire or class of fire. PMs of smaller sizes (e.g. less than 1 µm) are emitted during the earlier stages of the fire and larger PM sizes (e.g. greater than 1 µm) are emitted during the later stages of the fire. This also applies to the release of gases emitted during the stage of a fire and/or the fire class. Therefore, particulate matter sensors work for early fire detection by only detecting the concentrations of the smaller particulate matter emitted in the early stages of the fire. Particulate matter sensors according to the comparative example of FIG 1 can be used for early detection of the fire when the sensors are still working in the linear range. However, at the later of stages of the fire, higher concentrations of particulate matter and larger sized particulate matter are released into the environment and, accordingly, a particulate matter sensor detects 1 a degree of saturation and operates outside of the range. In other words, particulate matter sensors can be used to monitor a fire 1 should not be used as they are operating outside of specifications and will indicate a saturated signal. Such particulate matter sensors therefore do not allow for the measurement of various sizes and concentration levels of particulate matter to provide meaningful information about the stage of the fire and/or class of fire. Furthermore, it is important to obtain additional information on the particulate matter concentration and sizes and on the concentration of gases emitted during the progress of the fire, since such information enables the identification of the fire stage and/or fire class. Such information is relevant and important as it would have an impact on the type of suppression or quenching materials that can be used.

Advantageously, the gaseous fluid sensor device 10 according to various embodiments of the present application enables detection of the concentration levels and sizes of particulate matter as well as the concentration of gases emitted during various stages of a fire.

2 FIG. 12 shows a schematic representation of a gaseous fluid sensor device 10 for monitoring a property of a gaseous fluid 30, according to various embodiments. The gaseous fluid 30 can include the first component 32, where the first component 32 can include a particle size, the distribution of particle sizes, or the concentration of particle sizes. The gaseous fluid 30 may further include a second component 34, where the second component 34 is the gas or composition of gases. The gaseous fluid 30 can contain the mixture of the first component 32 and the second component 34 . For example, the gaseous fluid 30 may contain an aerosol. The gaseous fluid sensor device 10 may include the fluid channel 12 . The fluid channel 12 may include a channel for the flow of the gaseous fluid 30 from the inlet of the channel to the outlet 13 of the channel. The fluid channel 12 may further include the air flow producer 11 that may be used to create the gaseous fluid flow 36 through the fluid channel 12 . As in 2 shown, the air flow producer 11 can be arranged between the inlet of the fluid channel 12 and the outlet 13 . In some embodiments (in 2 not shown), the air flow producer 11 may be located at the entrance of the fluid channel 12 or may be located external to the fluid channel 12 . The fluid channel may also contain the first sensor 18 configured to measure the property of a component of the gaseous fluid 30. The first sensor 18 may include a particle counter or particulate matter sensor configured to detect the first component 32 within the gaseous fluid 30 and therefore may provide the first measurement. For example, the first measurement may include the concentration of particulate matter within the gaseous fluid 30 . The fluid channel 12 of the gaseous fluid sensor device 10 may include the channel branch 16 in fluid communication with the fluid channel 12 . Channel branch 16 may connect to fluid channel 12 at branch port 14 and may be configured to permit branch flow 28 from fluid channel 12. For example, gaseous fluid 30 flowing through fluid channel 12 may be released through either outlet 13 to the external environment or can be channeled to channel branch 16 at branch port 14 . Channel branch 16 may further include filter 20, where filter 20 may be configured to modify the concentration of a component to provide concentration-modified gaseous fluid 38. For example, the filter 20 may be the particulate filter used to remove particulate matter of a size greater than or equal to 2.5 µm (≥ PM 2.5), and accordingly the concentration-modified gaseous fluid 38 may therefore contain particulate matter of a size smaller than 2.5 µm below the other component(s) of the gaseous fluid 30.

3 12 shows a schematic representation of a gaseous fluid sensor device 10 for monitoring a property of a gaseous fluid 30, including a first sensor 18 and a channel branch 16 for supplying a concentration-modified gaseous fluid 38 to the first sensor 18, according to various embodiments. For convenience of description, the following embodiments will be explained mainly focusing on a difference from that referred to above 2 described embodiment described. With reference to 2 For example, the gaseous fluid sensor device 10 according to the embodiments may contain the gaseous fluid 30 including the first component 32 and the second component 34, the fluid channel 12, the air flow producer 11, the outlet 13, the first sensor 18, the channel branch 16 and the filter 20 . The fluid channel 12 can be connected to the channel branch 16 at the branch connection 14 . As mentioned above, the air flow producer 11 can be located within the fluid channel 12, as in FIG 2 shown. Alternatively, the air flow producer 11 can be located at the entrance of the fluid channel 12 or outside of the fluid channel 12 . The air flow producer 11 can be configured to generate the gaseous fluid flow 36 within the fluid channel 12 so that the gaseous fluid 30 can be channeled to either the outlet 13 or the channel branch 16 to create the branch flow 28 . The filter 20 can be configured to modify the concentration of a component within the gaseous fluid 30 to produce the concentration-modified gaseous fluid 38 .

With reference to 3 For example, the gaseous fluid sensor assembly 10 may be modified to direct the concentration-modified gaseous fluid 38 to the first sensor 18 . The channel branch 16 may include an extension to provide a closed loop to the fluid channel 12 so that the concentration-modified gaseous fluid 38 can be channeled to the first sensor 18 . The duct branch 16 may further include a branch duct valve 22 for controlling branch flow 28 in the duct branch 16 . For example, for ambient air monitoring, branch port valve 22 may be closed and gaseous fluid 30 may not flow to filter 20. The property of a component of gaseous fluid 30 may be measured by first sensor 18 and then released through outlet 13 to the external environment . As mentioned above, the first sensor 18 can be configured to operate in the linear sensitivity range and can measure low particulate matter concentration levels or smaller particulate matter sizes. If an increased concentration of particulate matter or larger particulate matter may be released during a fire, the first sensor 18 may become saturated and operate out of range. According to various embodiments, for example during a fire, branch port valve 22 may be open and gaseous fluid 30 within fluid port 12 may flow to port branch 16 at branch port 14 to create branch flow 28 . The branch flow 28 may pass through the filter 20 which may be configured to modify the concentration of a component to provide the concentration-modified gaseous fluid 38 . For example, the filter 20 may include the particulate filter, which may be configured to remove all or part of the particulate matter such that the concentration-modified gaseous fluid 38 may contain the gaseous fluid having a lower particulate matter concentration. For example, the filter 20 may dilute the gaseous fluid 30, creating a dilute concentration of gaseous fluid that may be channeled to the first sensor 18 for further analysis.

Accordingly, the first sensor 18 may not be saturated since the first sensor 18 may only have low levels of particulate matter degrees of concentration or smaller particle matter sizes and can therefore operate in the linear region. Thus, the gaseous fluid sensor device 10 can enable the detection and measurement of concentration levels and sizes of particulate matter for early detection of the fire and can provide for continued monitoring as the fire progresses.

4A and 4B 12 shows a schematic representation of a gaseous fluid sensor device 10 including a first sensor 18 and a second sensor 19 and a channel branch 16 for supplying a concentration-modified gaseous fluid 38 to the second sensor 19 according to various embodiments. For ease of description, the following embodiments will be explained mainly focusing on the differences from those referred to above 2 and 3 described embodiments described.

With reference to 4A and 4B For example, the gaseous fluid sensor device 10 may be modified to include the first sensor 18 and the second sensor 19, wherein the second sensor 19 may be configured to measure the concentration of a component within the concentration-modified gaseous fluid 38. Alternatively, the second sensor 19 be designed to measure the concentration of a component within the ambient air (as in 4A shown). The second sensor 19 may be located in the duct branch 16 after the filter 20 and may be a gas sensor that can be used during a fire to detect ambient gases and VOCs, which may be flammable or toxic. The gaseous fluid sensor device 10 may further include a fluid passage valve 24 disposed in the fluid passage 12 between the inlet of the fluid passage 12 and the outlet 13 . For example, fluid channel 24 may be located between branch port 14 and outlet 13 and may be configured to control gaseous fluid flow 36 from the inlet of fluid channel 12 to outlet 13. Gaseous fluid sensor device 10 may also include a lower branch valve 26 that is arranged in the channel branch 16 on the filter 20 side further from the branch port 14, and may be adapted to control the concentration-modified gaseous fluid 38 from the filter 20 to the second sensor 19. Referring to FIG 4A For example, under ambient conditions, the first sensor 18 and the second sensor 19 can be used to monitor and measure the concentration of particulate matter and gases in the ambient air. Under such conditions, the branch port valve 22 and the lower branch valve 26 may be closed and gaseous fluid 30 may not be able to flow through the port branch 16 to the filter 20 . Further, the fluid channel valve 24 can be opened to allow gaseous fluid to flow through the fluid channel 12 and be released to the outside environment via the outlet 13 . For example, particulate matter and gases can move to the gaseous fluid sensor device 10 by the natural forces of convection and diffusion, so that the particulate matter and gases can be measured by the first sensor 18 and the second sensor 19, respectively. With reference to 4B For example, during a fire, the exact determination of the fire marker, e.g. B. carbon monoxide required. As described above, the first sensor 18 can be configured to provide the first measurement. Furthermore, the fluid channel valve 24 can be closed in such a way that the gaseous fluid flow 36 can be directed within the fluid channel 12 to the branch connection 14 and into the channel branch 16 . The branch port valve 22 may be open to allow the branch flow 28 to the filter 20 . For example, the filter 20 can be a chemical filter, where the chemical filter can include a charcoal or silica gel filter, and can be configured to deliver the concentration-modified gaseous fluid 38. For example, the filter 20 can remove all gases except carbon monoxide. The lower branch valve 26 may be open to direct the concentration modified gaseous fluid 38 to the second sensor 19 . Accordingly, the concentration of carbon monoxide can be precisely quantified by the second sensor 19 due to the absence of interfering components within the concentration-modified gaseous fluid 38 . Alternatively, the filter 20 can be designed to remove VOCs and the second sensor 19 can then measure the concentration of the remaining gases within the concentration-modified gaseous fluid 38 . Thus, the gaseous fluid sensor assembly 10 can enable both the measurement of concentration levels and sizes of particulate matter and gases for early fire detection and for continued monitoring as the fire progresses. Furthermore, since the filter 20 may only be used for short periods of time, such as for monitoring the progress of a fire, saturation or clogging of the filter 20 may not be a problem.

5 12 shows a curve comparison of the signals generated by a gaseous fluid sensor device 10 and a comparison reference sensor during a test fire, for example burning wood, according to various embodiments. The horizontal axis (x-axis) represents time and the vertical axis (y-axis) represents concentration of particle size or mit In other words, represents the particle size distribution during a test fire. The sensors can be designed to measure four different particle size distributions, selected from: greater than or equal to 0.5 µm (≥ PM 0.5), greater than or equal to 1 µm (≥ PM 1.0), greater than or equal to 2.5 µm (≥ PM 2.5), greater than or equal to 5 µm (≥ PM 5.0). With reference to 5 it can be seen that smaller particles of ≥ PM 0.5 and ≥ PM 1.0 can be released during the early or initial stages of the fire (less than 400 s of the test fire), and larger particles of ≥ PM 2.5 and ≥ PM 5 ,0 can be released in the later stages of the fire (after 400 s of the test fire). The comparison particle matter sensors (signal m and signal y) can measure the concentration of the smaller particles (ie particles of ≥ PM 0.5 and ≥ PM 1.0) in the early stages of the fire. On the other hand, the gaseous fluid sensor device 10 according to various embodiments can be configured to provide measurements of the smaller particulate matter and/or lower concentrations of particulate matter during the early or initial stages of the fire and further measurements of the larger particulate matter and/or higher concentrations of of particulate matter in the later stages of the fire. The gaseous fluid sensor device 10 may further include the second sensor 19, which may include the gas sensor, for measuring the profile of gases in ambient air and the profile of gases released during the fire.

6 FIG. 12 shows a graph illustrating the different desorption kinetics for different gases on the gaseous fluid sensor device 10. FIG. According to various embodiments, the gaseous fluid sensor device 10 may include a metal oxide sensor used to convey information about the kinetics of desorption of the incendiary marker within the gaseous fluid 30 (eg, particulate matter or carbon monoxide). The kinetics of desorption of various gases can be recognized by measuring a change in the resistance of the sensor when exposed to the gas. For example, three gases, namely water (H2O), acetone (CH3-CO-CH3), and ethanol (CH3-CH2OH), can be applied to the gaseous fluid sensor device 10 for a period of 60 seconds. The rate of desorption of the gases can be seen in the sharp decrease and subsequent return of the resistance signal to a baseline value. As in 6 As shown, the resistance signal can return to the baseline value at a faster rate for water and acetone. On the other hand, ethanol's resistance value signal may require a longer duration. Accordingly, the gaseous fluid sensor device 10 can be used in the quantification of gases during a fire.

There are several key advantages to using the gaseous fluid sensing device for fire detection and fire monitoring. First, it enables early fire detection, particularly in the case of smoldering fires where gas is released before smoke develops. Second, it may allow identification of the fire class and/or stage of the fire based on the various concentration profiles of particulate matter and gases. Such information can be useful as it can affect the type of suppression or extinguishing materials that can be used by firefighters. Third, the cost of fire detectors can be significantly reduced due to the wide availability of such particulate matter sensors and gas sensors for consumer electronics. Fourth, it may be possible to use the gaseous fluid sensor device for environmental purposes such as measuring VOCs and particulate matter for indoor air quality monitoring. Finally, it may also be possible to use the gaseous fluid sensor device for air quality monitoring in industrial or polluted environments that may have higher concentrations of VOCs and particulates.

Claims (15)

Sensor device (10) for measuring a property of a gaseous fluid (30), comprising a plurality of components (32, 34), the sensor device (10) comprising: a fluid channel (12) configured to permit gaseous fluid flow (36); a channel branch (16) in fluid communication with the fluid channel (12) at a branch port (14) and configured to permit branch flow (28) from the fluid channel (12) at the branch port (14); a first sensor (18) located after an entrance of the fluid passage for measuring the property of one of the plurality of components (32, 34), and a filter (20) disposed in a channel branch (16) for modifying a concentration of the one component, thereby providing a concentration-modified gaseous fluid (38). Sensor device (10) after claim 1 , further comprising: an air flow producer (11) adapted to produce the gaseous fluid flow (36). Sensor device (10) after claim 1 or claim 2 , wherein the fluid channel (12) further comprises an outlet (13) adapted to allow the gaseous fluid (30) to be released to an external environment, the outlet (13) being located downstream of the branch port (14). Sensor device (10) according to one of Claims 1 until 3 , wherein the first sensor (18) is arranged in the fluid channel (12), optionally between the inlet of the fluid channel and the air flow producer (11). Sensor device (10) according to one of Claims 1 until 4 , further comprising: a branch port valve (22) disposed in the channel branch (16) between the branch port (14) and the filter (20), the branch port valve (22) being adapted to control the branch flow (28) from the fluid channel (12) to the filter (20). Sensor device (10) according to one of Claims 1 until 5 , further comprising: a fluid channel valve (24) arranged in the fluid channel (12) between the outlet (13) and the branch connection (14), the fluid channel valve (24) being adapted for controlling the gaseous fluid flow (36) at the Outlet (13) so that the gaseous fluid flow (36) is directed to the branch port (14) or released to the outside environment. Sensor device (10) according to one of Claims 1 until 6 , further comprising: a second sensor (19) for measuring the concentration of the one component within the concentration-modified gaseous fluid (38), wherein the second sensor (19) is arranged in the channel branch (16) behind the filter (20). Sensor device (10) according to one of Claims 1 until 7 , further comprising: a lower branch valve (26) disposed in the channel branch (16) on the filter (20) side further from the branch port (14), the lower branch valve (26) being adapted to control the concentration-modified gaseous Fluid (38) from the filter (20) to the second sensor (19) so that the concentration-modified gaseous fluid (38) is directed to the second sensor (19). Sensor device (10) according to one of Claims 1 until 5 wherein the channel branch (16) is further connected to the fluid channel (12) between the inlet of the fluid channel and the first sensor (18) so that the branch flow (28) is fed back from the channel branch (16) into the fluid channel (12). , and wherein the first sensor (18) is adapted to measure the concentration of the one component within the concentration-modified gaseous fluid (38). Sensor device (10) after claim 8 , wherein the filter (20) is a chemical filter. Sensor device (10) after claim 9 , wherein the filter (20) is a particle filter. Sensor device (10) according to one of Claims 1 until 11 wherein a first component (32) of the plurality of components (32, 34) of the gaseous fluid (30) is particulate matter, and wherein the first component (32) can be measured using the first sensor (18). Sensor device (10) according to one of Claims 1 until 12 wherein a second component (34) of the plurality of components (32, 34) of the gaseous fluid (30) is a gas, and wherein the second component (34) can be measured using the second sensor (19). A method for monitoring a property of a gaseous fluid (30) comprising a plurality of components (32, 34) using a sensor device (10) according to any one of Claims 1 until 13 the method comprising: obtaining a first measurement of the property of a component of the plurality of components (32, 34) with the first sensor (18); determining whether the first measurement is saturated; if it is determined that the first measurement is saturated, modifying the branch flow (28) to modify the concentration of the one component, whereby a concentration-modified gaseous fluid (38) is applied to the first sensor (18) and/or the second sensor (19 ) is delivered. procedure after Claim 14 wherein modifying the branch flow (28) includes reducing the concentration of the one of the plurality of components (32, 34).

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