Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N33/00—Investigating or analysing materials by specific methods not covered by groups G01N1/00 - G01N31/00
  • G01N33/0004—Gaseous mixtures, e.g. polluted air
  • G01N33/0009—General constructional details of gas analysers, e.g. portable test equipment
  • G01N33/0073—Control unit therefor
  • G01N33/0075—Control unit therefor for multiple spatially distributed sensors, e.g. for environmental monitoring

Definitions

• the invention relates to the determination of air quality maps in outdoor areas.
• Some information servers provide mappings indicating air quality (such as the level of pollution or the concentration of at least one chemical species (usually pollutants in gaseous or solid form)) in outdoor areas. These mappings are constructed with estimated values of air quality at locations of known positions of an outdoor area. These estimated values come from both a simulation using numerical tools, which take into account physical and chemical equations representative of the atmosphere (deterministic modeling) and capable of modeling the spatial and temporal distribution of the pollution, and measurements of air quality. These measurements are carried out by sensors which are fixedly installed in places of known positions of the outer zone considered. These fixed sensors are usually part of test stations that are usually located near traffic lanes, industrial areas, and in public squares or buildings.
• the use of the aforementioned digital tools results from the fact that it is impossible to install analysis stations everywhere, in particular for a question of cost and management.
• the digital tools provide a global cartography with a mesh of the order of one kilometer, and one comes to build a local cartography (constituted by estimated values) starting from this global cartography taking into account measurements made locally. by fixed sensors.
• mapping is fairly accurate in the areas where implanted analysis stations, but often inaccurate or even erroneous in other areas. As a result, it is difficult to inform people who use such maps, for example to offer them routes where they will be certain to have an air quality higher than a chosen threshold.
• the invention is therefore particularly intended to improve the situation.
• mapping is also constructed as a function also of complementary air quality measurements made by second sensors equipping systems that move in the outer zone and transmitted at least with the associated positions. by wave, these complementary measurements being used to modify determined estimated values in places corresponding to their associated positions when they differ from these estimated values.
• the method according to the invention may comprise other characteristics that can be taken separately or in combination, and in particular:
• this complementary measure when a complementary measure associated with a first position differs from a percentage higher than a chosen threshold by an estimated value corresponding to this first position, this complementary measure can be attributed to a first weight chosen and this value estimated a second chosen weight, less than this first weight, then we can perform a weighted average of these complementary measure and estimated value with respectively their first and second weight attributed, then we can replace in the map this value estimated by this average weighted;
• the complementary measurements can be carried out by second sensors that equip systems selected from (at least) mobile communication vehicles and equipment;
• the measurements may be representative of the concentration of at least one chemical species.
• the invention also proposes a device, intended to determine a map of the quality of the air in an external zone, and comprising processing means arranged to determine estimated values of the air quality at locations of known positions. of this external zone from a numerical simulation of air quality and air quality measurements carried out by first fixed sensors in positions of known positions of the outer zone, then to build a cartography of air quality with these estimated values.
• This device is characterized by the fact that its processing means are arranged to build the map as a function also of complementary air quality measurements made by second sensors fitted to systems that move in the outer zone and transmitted at least with the associated positions by waves, these complementary measurements being used to modify determined estimated values in locations corresponding to their associated positions when they differ from those estimated values.
• the processing means may be arranged to integrate in the mapping a complementary measurement associated with a first position when the estimated value corresponding to this first position has been determined with measurements made at a distance from this first position greater than a threshold. selected.
• the processing means can be arranged, when a complementary measurement associated with a first position differs from a percentage greater than a chosen threshold by an estimated value corresponding to this first position, to attribute to this complementary measure a first weight chosen and at this estimated value a second weight chosen, less than the first weight, then to perform a weighted average of these complementary measure and estimated value with respectively their first and second weight attributed, then to replace in the map this estimated value by this weighted average.
• the invention also proposes an information server comprising first communication means capable of receiving measurements of air quality via at least one communication network, and a device for determining the type of that presented above.
• this information server may also include second communication means adapted to provide on request to a remote communication equipment, via a communication network, at least a portion of the map determined by its determination device.
• FIG. 1 schematically and functionally illustrates an outer zone of a part of a city, including traffic lanes on which circulate vehicles and bordered by analysis stations, and an information server comprising an exemplary embodiment of a determination device according to the invention, and
• FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary algorithm implementing a method for determining an air quality map according to the invention
• the object of the invention is in particular to propose a method for enabling the determination of a map of the quality of the air in an outside zone Z.
• FIG. 1 schematically and functionally shows an outer zone Z of a part of a city.
• SAj 1 to 5
• each measurement may be representative of the concentration of at least one chemical species in the outdoor air.
• each first sensor C1 may comprise at least one means of analysis of nitrogen oxides (for example by chemiluminescence of nitric oxide with ozone, where the emission of light is proportional to the concentration of carbon monoxide. nitrogen) and / or means for ozone analysis (for example by ultraviolet (UV) absorption) - the UV radiation at the output of the absorption cell being converted into an electrical signal correlated with the ozone concentration ) and / or a sulfur dioxide analysis means (for example by measuring the intensity of the UV fluorescence of the excited molecules, which is directly proportional to the concentration of SO 2 ) and / or a means for analyzing the particles by metric gravity weighing.
• nitrogen oxides for example by chemiluminescence of nitric oxide with ozone, where the emission of light is proportional to the concentration of carbon monoxide. nitrogen
• ozone analysis for example by ultraviolet (UV) absorption
• UV radiation at the output of the absorption cell being converted into an electrical signal correlated with the ozone concentration
• Each analysis station SAj is arranged to transmit the measurements made by its first sensor (s) C1 to an information server S1. This transmission is via at least one RC communication network to which the information server SI is connected. It should be noted that this transmission can be done by wire or by wave.
• the invention proposes in particular a method for enabling the determination of a map of the quality of the air in the outer zone Z.
• This method comprises a step that can be implemented by a determination device. DD.
• the determination device DD is installed in the information server S1.
• This arrangement is advantageous because it is considered here that it is the information server SI that receives the measurements made by the analysis stations SAj and therefore that it can supply them to the determination device DD without having to retransmit them via a communication network, which would delay their processing.
• this determination device DD could be remote from the information server SI, but coupled to the latter (SI) either directly via a connection (wired or non-wired), or indirectly via a communication network.
• the determination device DD can either be part of an electronic equipment provided with communication means or constitute electronic equipment provided with communication means.
• the determination device DD can be realized either in the form of software modules (or computer (or “software”)); it is then in the presence of a computer program product comprising a set of instructions which, when executed by processing means such as electronic circuits (or “hardware”), is adapted to implement a part of the supply method, either in the form of a combination of software modules and electronic circuits.
• processing means MT of the determination device DD start (s) by determining estimated values of the air quality at locations of known positions of the zone external Z from a numerical simulation of air quality and air quality measurements performed by first sensors C1 fixedly installed in positions of known positions of the outer zone Z.
• first sensors C1 are installed in stationary analysis stations SAj, the latter (SAj) being responsible for transmitting their measurements to the information server SI which then communicates them to the means MT processing of the DD determination device.
• the information server S1 thus comprises first communication means MC1 connected to the communication network RC and allowing it to receive, in particular, the measurements of the analysis stations SAj.
• the measurements from the first sensors C1 are preferably stored in correspondence of a schedule (for obtaining or receiving) and a measurement position in storage means, by the determination device DD, at least for a predefined time , so you can be reused at any time.
• These storage means are part of the determination device DD or the information server SI. They may, for example, be in the form of a memory, possibly of the software type.
• Simulation using numerical tools takes into account physical and chemical equations representative of the atmosphere (deterministic modeling) and capable of modeling the spatial and temporal distribution of pollution.
• the result of such a numerical simulation is provided to the information server S1 and thus to the determination device DD which is then responsible for determining a map of the outer zone Z (consisting of estimated values) from this result and the measurements of the first sensors C1.
• the estimated values are determined for given instants and for positions, which are situated between the positions of at least two analysis stations SAj, from at least the measurements provided by the latter (SAj) for these given instants. It will be understood that the value estimated at a given instant for a position located right next to an analysis station SAj will be substantially equal to the last measurement provided by the latter (SAj) at this given moment, or, if it has not been received for some time (eg because of a failure), at a reestimated value determined for the same position from (the result) of a digital simulation and at least one measurement of at least one other station (preferably the closest).
• the estimated values are preferably stored in correspondence of a determination time and a measurement position in storage means, by the determination device DD, so that they can be reused at any time.
• These storage means are part of the determination device DD or the information server SI. They may, for example, be in the form of a memory, possibly of the software type.
• the MT processing means construct (sen) t a mapping of the air quality with the estimated values they have determined and also as a function of complementary air quality measurements made by second C2 sensors that equip systems that move in the outer zone Z and are transmitted at least with the associated positions by wave. These complementary measurements are used by the processing means MT to modify determined estimated values in places corresponding to their associated positions when they differ from these estimated values.
• Each second sensor C2 is responsible for performing additional measurements that are representative of the air quality at the location where the system that it equips is temporarily located.
• each complementary measure may be representative of the concentration of at least one chemical species in the outdoor air.
• each second sensor C2 may, for example, comprise at least one miniaturized analyzer providing the value of the concentration (preferably absolute and not relative) in N0 2 and / or 0 3 and / or in volatile organic compounds (or VOCs) and / or S0 2 and / or CO and / or particles.
• these Vk land vehicles may be cars, commercial vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles, buses (or coaches), trams, road vehicles, construction machinery, or trucks.
• these systems could also be mobile communication equipment carried by pedestrians, such as smart phones (or “smartphones") or electronic tablets or dedicated and communicating analysis devices.
• some systems could be boats, planes, balloons probes, or airships, for example.
• the complementary measurements from the second sensors C2 are preferably stored in correspondence with a schedule (for obtaining or receiving) and a measurement position in storage means, by the determination device DD, at least for a period of time. predefined, so that you can be reused at any time.
• These storage means are part of the determination device DD or the information server SI. They may, for example, be in the form of a memory, possibly of the software type.
• the processing means MT not only have many more air quality measurements, but also measures which for some are very much more accurate than the values estimated until now in places without first C1 sensors, to build a map of this outer zone Z.
• Measurements of different origins and estimated values may be aggregated or combined and / or measurements may be used to modify estimated values.
• the processing means (MT) may, for example, integrate in the mapping a complementary measurement associated with a first position when the estimated value corresponding to this first position has been determined with measurements that have been made at a distance from this first position greater than a chosen threshold.
• a chosen threshold For example, the value of this threshold may be a function of the type of the outer zone considered.
• the threshold associated with an area of a city may be smaller than the threshold associated with a campaign area.
• the first vehicle V1 is remote from the analysis stations SA2, SA3 and SA4 by a distance greater than the threshold chosen when it transmits its complementary measurement with its position. and thus the processing means MT can integrate in the mapping this complementary measurement for the transmitted position of the first vehicle V1.
• the fourth vehicle V4 is away from the analysis station SA5 by a distance greater than the threshold chosen when it transmits its complementary measurement with its position, and therefore the processing means MT can integrate in the cartography this complementary measurement for the transmitted position of the fourth vehicle V4.
• the second vehicle V2 is away from the third analysis station SA3 by a distance much less than the threshold chosen when it transmits its complementary measurement with its position, and therefore the means of MT processing may not take into account in the mapping this complementary measure for the transmitted position of the second vehicle V2. For example, they can simply check that the estimated value for a position substantially identical to the transmitted position of the second vehicle V2 is substantially identical to the measurement complementary transmitted by the latter (V2).
• processing means MT may also be arranged to maintain a complementary measurement, provided by a second movable sensor C2 and associated with a distance much smaller than the aforementioned threshold, when this complementary measurement makes it possible to have a more precise mapping at the scale considered (for example a street and / or at the heart of a traffic).
• mapping may comprise estimated values equal to actual and recent complementary measurements provided by systems Vk moving in the outside zone Z considered.
• the processing means MT when a complementary measurement associated with a first position differs from a percentage greater than a chosen threshold by an estimated value corresponding to this first position, it is possible (the MT processing means) (Fri) t, for example, assign to this complementary measure a first weight chosen and at this estimated value a second chosen weight, lower than the first weight. Then, (the processing means MT) may, for example, perform a weighted average of this complementary measure and this estimated value with their first and second assigned weights, respectively. Finally, it is possible (the processing means MT), for example, to replace in the cartography this value estimated by this weighted average.
• the assigned weights may, for example, depend on the exceeding of the threshold by the complementary measure considered. But as a variant, the weights assigned can be predefined (and therefore independent of the threshold being exceeded).
• This option also improves the accuracy of the information contained in the map. It will be understood that the smaller the value of the threshold, the more the map will include estimated values replaced by recent weighted averages, and therefore the greater the number of precise information it contains.
• this simplified mathematical model minimizes the errors between the results of the numerical simulation and the complementary measurements of the second sensors C2 at the places where these complementary measurements are made.
• this simplified mathematical model can be of the "production, convection, diffusion" type.
• the minimization of errors at the measurement locations can, for example, be done using an optimization algorithm to determine the numerical parameters in front of the terms of production, convection, and diffusion. Once the errors have been minimized, a second fine mapping is available on the entire outside zone Z considered.
• FIG. 2 schematically illustrates an example of an algorithm implementing a method for determining a map of the quality of the air according to the invention.
• first sensors C1 fixedly installed in locations of known positions of the outer zone Z (for example in analysis stations SAj), begin to carry out measurements of the quality of the air which are transmitted to an information server SI.
• the determination device DD determines estimated values of the air quality at locations of known positions of this outer zone Z from a numerical simulation of the air quality and air quality measurements made by the first C1 sensors. In a substep 30, the determination device DD constructs a mapping of the air quality of the outer zone Z with the estimated values.
• systems Vk transmit to the information server SI complementary measurements made by their second sensors C2 with their respective current positions.
• the determination device DD continues to construct the air quality mapping of the outer zone Z as a function also of complementary measurements made by the second sensors C2. More specifically, these complementary measurements are used by the determination device DD to modify estimated values, determined in places corresponding to their associated positions, when they differ from these estimated values.
• the determination device DD prefferably, for the determination device DD to start by constructing a map with results of a numerical simulation and measurements made by the first sensors C1, and then that it modifies this map, for example periodically, with the complementary measurements provided by the second sensors C2 during the last calculation period and with the new recent (and thus updated) measurements made by the first sensors C1 during this same last calculation period.
• each map which is made available to users of the information server SI, may correspond to a time interval that is in progress. Consequently, the map can evolve from one time interval to another, and from one day to the next, so as to be as representative as possible of the quality of the current air at the moment considered.
• the information server SI may also comprise, as shown in non-limiting manner in FIG. 1, second communication means MC2 capable, on request, of providing a remote communication device EC via a communication network (possibly RC). ), at least part of the mapping determined by its determination device DD.
• This communication equipment EC can, for example, be a smartphone or tablet or computer (fixed or portable) or a communication module fitted to a vehicle.
• the first MC1 and second MC2 communication means are dissociated. But they could be one.

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• 2015
  • 2015-11-12 FR FR1560800A patent/FR3043777B1/fr active Active
• 2016
  • 2016-11-09 WO PCT/FR2016/052909 patent/WO2017081408A1/fr active Application Filing
  • 2016-11-09 EP EP16809973.7A patent/EP3374767A1/fr not_active Withdrawn
  • 2016-11-09 CN CN201680065991.9A patent/CN108351336B/zh active Active

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