Patent classifications
G01J5/0066
A Fire Fighting System for Extinguishing a Fire in a Room of a Building, A Method Thereof and Use of an Array Sensor Therein
The invention relates to a fire fighting System (1) for extinguishing a fire in a room (101) of a building (100), comprising at least one stationary fire locator device (7) configured to locate a fire (F), a plurality of stationary fire fighting devices (3a, b), each associated with and configured to distribute fire extinguishing fluid within a respective zone (11a,b) of the room (101), and a Controller (9) that is in Signal communication with the at least one locator device (7) and with the extinguishing devices (3a, b). In a preferred embodiment the invention is configured to activate at least one of the extinguishing devices (3a, b) in reaction to identifying the fire (F); wherein the at least one locator device (7) comprises an array sensor (19), said array sensor (19) having a plurality of pixels that are sensitive to electromagnetic radiation, and arranged in a grid (17) of pixels, wherein each pixel is associated with a specific portion of the room, the Controller (9) is configured to locate the zone of the room (101) having the fire (F) by identifying hot spots formed by those pixels which sense electromagnetic radiation exceeding a predetermined threshold level (T.sub.1), and to activate the at least one fire fighting device (3a, b) associated with the located zone.
WASHROOM USE DETERMINATION SYSTEM
A system having a washroom controller configured to communicate with one or more hygiene dispensers in the washroom; a thermal sensor configured detect thermal events at the entrance and communicate data describing the thermal events to the washroom controller; and a data processing apparatus configured to access the data from the washroom controller and analyze the data to determine a number of thermal events over a given time period and a number of dispenses from the at least one of the one or more hygiene dispensers.
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MONITORING REMOTE INSTALLATIONS
A system for monitoring a petrochemical installation is disclosed. The system can include an optical imaging system comprising an array of optical detectors. The system can comprise processing electronics configured to process image data detected by the optical imaging system. The processing electronics can be configured to detect a target species based at least in part on the processed image data. The processing electronics can further be configured to, based on a detected amount of the target species, transmit an alarm notification to an external computing device over a communications network indicating that the target species has been detected at the petrochemical installation.
Methods and Devices for Standoff Differential Raman Spectroscopy with Increased Eye Safety and Decreased Risk of Explosion
A compact, portable Raman spectrometer makes fast, sensitive standoff measurements at little to no risk of eye injury or igniting the materials being probed. This spectrometer uses differential Raman spectroscopy and ambient light measurements to measure point-and-shoot Raman signatures of dark or highly fluorescent materials at distances of 1 cm to 10 m or more. It scans the Raman pump beam(s) across the sample to reduce the risk of unduly heating or igniting the sample. Beam scanning also transforms the spectrometer into an instrument with a lower effective safety classification, reducing the risk of eye injury. The spectrometer's long standoff range automatic focusing make it easier to identify chemicals through clear and translucent obstacles, such as flow tubes, windows, and containers. And the spectrometer's components are light and small enough to be packaged in a handheld housing or housing suitable for a small robot to carry.
Methods, systems, and enhanced shipping container apparatus assembly for monitoring for an environmental anomaly using a selectively assigned group of ID nodes in a wireless node network
Systems, apparatus, and methods detect and respond to environmental anomalies in a shipping container on a transit vehicle having an external transceiver. Systems generally have wireless ID nodes at different locations within the container and a command node mounted to the container. The command node is programmatically adapted to selectively assign a subset of the ID nodes as dedicated monitor beacons deployed within the container, identify an unresponsive group from the assigned subset of the ID nodes monitored to be in an unanticipated state of ceased broadcasting based upon the monitoring step. The command node detects the environmental anomaly when a size of the unresponsive group in the assigned subset of ID nodes exceeds a threshold setting maintained by the command node, automatically generates an alert notification related to the detected environmental anomaly, and initiates a mediation response for the anomaly by transmitting the alert notification to the vehicle's transceiver.
METHOD AND DEVICE FOR ESTIMATING OUTER SURFACE TEMPERATURE OF RADIANT COIL OF CRACKING FURNACE FOR ETHYLENE PRODUCTION AND ETHYLENE PRODUCING DEVICE
A device for estimating an outer surface temperature of a radiant coil which is provided in an cracking furnace for ethylene production including a convection coil that preheats hydrocarbons as raw materials and steam, a radiant coil that thermally decomposes the preheated hydrocarbons and steam, and a housing for accommodating them, and which includes an imaging camera that images a region to be imaged of the radiant coil, and an image analyzer that processes an output signal from the imaging camera and estimates an outer surface temperature of the radiant coil.
Node-enabled battery apparatus and packaging systems with integrated environmental detection and reporting, and improved systems for coordinated mediation action in response to an environmental anomaly using the same
A node-enabled battery system having integrated environmental detection and reporting. The system may have a battery and sensor-based node attached to the battery. The system's sensor-based node has a processor, memory (maintaining a battery monitoring program code and a battery threshold metric value), a wireless communication interface and a sensor operative to sense a battery status condition for the battery. When executing the battery monitoring program code, the processor is programmatically configured and adapted to be operative to receive status data from the sensor reflecting the battery status condition as sensed by the sensor, automatically trigger generation of a layered alert notification related to the battery when the received status data is inconsistent with the battery threshold metric value, and cause the wireless communication interface to broadcast the layered alert notification to initiate a mediation response related to the battery status condition for the battery.
Systems for coordinated mediation action in response to an identified environmental anomaly on a shipping container
An improved system on a transit vehicle is described for coordinated mediation action in response to an identified environmental anomaly on a shipping container transported by the vehicle. The system has wirelessly broadcasting ID nodes at different locations within the container, and a fire suppression system on the vehicle having a wireless transceiver-based controller operating as a master node that can cause the suppression system to deliver fire suppressant material to the container using a delivery nozzle and pump. The controller, as master node, is configured to operate as a primary monitor for the anomaly by being operative to monitor ID node signals; identify the anomaly based on the signals; generate a layered alert notification related to the anomaly (identifying a targeted mediation action and establishes a mediation response priority); and initiate a mediation response by the suppression system related to the targeted mediation action and the mediation response priority.
Dynamically transitioning system for monitoring a shipping container for an environmental anomaly related to the shipping container
A dynamically transitioning system for monitoring a shipping container transported by a transit vehicle for an environmental anomaly has ID nodes within the container (at least some being associated with objects being transported), a command node on the container, and an external master node at a known location on the vehicle. The command node operates as a primary monitor for the anomaly by monitoring signal activity from the ID nodes; identifying the anomaly based upon the signal activity; generating a layered alert notification that identifies a targeted mediation recipient and mediation action, and establishes a mediation response priority; and transmits the notification to an external transceiver on the transit vehicle to initiate a mediation response for the mediation action. The command node dynamically instructs the external master node to temporarily operate as the primary monitor when the command node is within a threshold distance from the external master node's location.
THERMAL IMAGING
Some examples include a thermal imaging assembly, comprising a thermal imaging device including a thermal sensor, a transistor to generate heat, a thermal jacket forming a cavity to house the thermal imaging device, the thermal jacket forming a space around the thermal imaging device, the thermal jacket thermally coupled to the transistor to transmit heat generated by the transistor to the cavity, and an insulative shell disposed around the thermal jacket to maintain a temperature of the thermal imaging device within the insulative shell.