A method of detecting one or more blocked sampling holes in a pipe of an aspirated smoke detector system. The method includes ascertaining the base flow of fluid through a particle detector using a flow sensor; monitoring subsequent flow through the particle detector; comparing the subsequent flow with the base flow; and indicating a fault if the difference between the base flow and the subsequent flow exceeds a predetermined threshold.

An environmental monitor device with a database comprises a data bus, a multitude of sensors, at least one processing unit, input/output device(s); communications interface(s), and memory. Communications interface(s) communicate with at least one environmental sensor device comprising with a multitude of sensors. The multitude of sensors may include particle counter(s), pressure sensor(s) and/or the like. The memory is configured to hold data and machine executable instructions. The machine executable instructions are configured to cause at least one processing unit to: collect sensor data from at least one environmental sensor device; store at least some of the sensor data in at least one database; and generate a report of sensor data that exceeds at least one threshold.

An environmental monitor device with a database comprises a data bus, a multitude of sensors, at least one processing unit, input/output device(s); communications interface(s), and memory. Communications interface(s) communicate with at least one environmental sensor device comprising with a multitude of sensors. The multitude of sensors may include particle counter(s), pressure sensor(s) and/or the like. The memory is configured to hold data and machine executable instructions. The machine executable instructions are configured to cause at least one processing unit to: collect sensor data from at least one environmental sensor device; store at least some of the sensor data in at least one database; and generate a report of sensor data that exceeds at least one threshold.

A system and method for sampling air in a controlled environment that includes two or more air sampling devices at different locations within the controlled environment. A controller is provided at a location outside of the controlled environment and in separate air flow communication with each of the two or more air sampling devices via separate first vacuum tubes, the controller having a manifold configured to separately control a rate of air flow from the two or more air sampling devices to the controller via each of the separate first vacuum tubes and to selectively direct the air flow from each of the separate first vacuum tubes to one or more second vacuum tubes. A vacuum source is provided at a location outside the controlled environment and in air flow communication with the controller via the one or more second vacuum tubes, the vacuum source providing suction and being controlled by the controller to generate the air flow through each of the first vacuum tubes. And, a flow switch for each of the two or more air sampling devices is provided at a location between a corresponding air sampling device and the vacuum source, each of the flow switches being configured to separately measure and control the rate of air flow through a corresponding first vacuum tube. An alarm is automatically activated at a location inside the controlled environment by one or more of the flow switches when the rate of air flow measured at one or more of the flow switches deviates from a desired value by a predetermined amount.

A system and method for sampling air in a controlled environment that includes two or more air sampling devices at different locations within the controlled environment. A controller is provided at a location outside of the controlled environment and in separate air flow communication with each of the two or more air sampling devices via separate first vacuum tubes, the controller having a manifold configured to separately control a rate of air flow from the two or more air sampling devices to the controller via each of the separate first vacuum tubes and to selectively direct the air flow from each of the separate first vacuum tubes to one or more second vacuum tubes. A vacuum source is provided at a location outside the controlled environment and in air flow communication with the controller via the one or more second vacuum tubes, the vacuum source providing suction and being controlled by the controller to generate the air flow through each of the first vacuum tubes. And, a flow switch for each of the two or more air sampling devices is provided at a location between a corresponding air sampling device and the vacuum source, each of the flow switches being configured to separately measure and control the rate of air flow through a corresponding first vacuum tube. An alarm is automatically activated at a location inside the controlled environment by one or more of the flow switches when the rate of air flow measured at one or more of the flow switches deviates from a desired value by a predetermined amount.

Fuel cell gas sensors using an aperture in a fuel cell gas sensor that allows for determination of a gas proportion in a sample that includes more gas than could otherwise be safely sampled. The aperture is adjustable between an open and a closed state. The amount of the gas of interest exposed to the fuel cell may be adjusted by adjusting the amount of time that the aperture is in the open state. Alternatively, the amount of the gas of interest exposed to the fuel cell may be adjusted by adjusting the size of the aperture.

A hazardous gas monitoring system is provided. The hazardous gas monitoring system includes a panel including multiple sensing lines. Each sensing line is configured to receive and monitor an air sample. Each sensing line includes a water separator to remove condensed moisture, a coalescing filter disposed downstream of the water separator, and a flow and gas monitoring system disposed downstream of the coalescing filter. The hazardous gas monitoring system may be used to monitor the presence of hazardous gases within an enclosure, such as an enclosure for a turbomachine.

A hazardous gas monitoring system is provided. The hazardous gas monitoring system includes a panel including multiple sensing lines. Each sensing line is configured to receive and monitor an air sample. Each sensing line includes a water separator to remove condensed moisture, a coalescing filter disposed downstream of the water separator, and a flow and gas monitoring system disposed downstream of the coalescing filter. The hazardous gas monitoring system may be used to monitor the presence of hazardous gases within an enclosure, such as an enclosure for a turbomachine.

A smoke detector (100) for use with an aspiration smoke detector (ASD) is described. The smoke detector includes a light source (104) configured to emit a beam of light (108); a reflector (102) including an aperture (110), the aperture aligned with a direction of propagation of the beam of light when no scattering occurs; and a photodetector (106); the reflector configured to reflect light scattered from the beam of light received at the reflector to a single focal point; and the photodetector located at the single focal point. An aspiration smoke detector (ASD) system (2) includes the smoke detector and a method of detecting smoke using the smoke detector.

The present invention includes an apparatus and method for detecting the location of one or more sources of one or more target molecule, the apparatus comprising: a molecule detector; and a processor connected to the molecule detector and to a global position system, wherein the processor calculates the presence of the one or more target molecules, runs a computer code that determines a dynamic reverse gas stack model for the one or more target molecules, and triangulates the possible position for a source or effluent of the one or more target molecules based on the dynamic reverse gas stack model. The determined reverse gas stack model may have a Gaussian dispersion over one or more sampled locations.