GAS-MEASURING SYSTEM AND PROCESS FOR OPERATING A GAS-MEASURING SYSTEM

Abstract

A gas-measuring system (100) measures and outputs a gas concentration and includes a gas sensor (110), a digitization module (120), a network (130), an analysis unit (140) and an output unit (150). The gas sensor outputs a raw data signal (112). The digitization module processes the raw data signal and outputs a corresponding digital sensor signal (124) via a wireless module (126) to the network. The digital sensor signal includes the processed raw data signal and sensor identification information. The analysis unit reads the digital sensor signal from the network, to determine the gas concentration of the gas to be tested based on the measured raw data indicated by the digital sensor signal, and outputs a corresponding digital concentration signal (142) to the network. The output unit reads the digital concentration signal from the network and provides a corresponding output (154) via an output module (152).

Claims

1. A gas-measuring system for measuring and outputting at least a gas concentration of a gas to be tested, the gas-measuring system comprising: a gas sensor configured to output measured raw data via a raw data signal; a digitization module arranged in an area adjacent to the gas sensor and configured to receive the raw data signal of the gas sensor, to process the raw data signal and to output a corresponding digital sensor signal via a wireless module to a network, wherein the digital sensor signal comprises the processed raw data signal and sensor identification information, and the sensor identification information is configured to make possible an assignment between the processed raw data signal and the corresponding gas sensor; an analysis unit configured to read the digital sensor signal from the network, to determine the gas concentration of the gas to be tested based on the measured raw data indicated by the digital sensor signal and to output a corresponding digital concentration signal to the network, wherein the digital concentration signal comprises the determined gas concentration and localization information, and the localization information is configured to make possible an assignment between a determined gas concentration and a location of the corresponding gas sensor; and an output unit configured to read the digital concentration signal from the network and to provide a corresponding output perceptible for a user of the output unit, wherein the perceptible output indicates the determined gas concentration and the localization information.

2. A gas-measuring system in accordance with claim 1, wherein: the digitization module is further configured to receive environmental data, to assign the environmental data to the digital raw data signal and to output same via the digital sensor signal to the network; the environmental data pertain to an environment of the at least one gas sensor; and the analysis unit is further configured to determine the gas concentration of the gas to be tested on the basis of the measured raw data and of the received environmental data.

3. A gas-measuring system in accordance with claim 2, wherein the environmental data indicate at least one of a currently measured temperature, a currently measured ambient pressure, a currently measured air humidity and a current position of the at least one gas sensor.

4. A gas-measuring system in accordance with claim 1, wherein: the gas sensor is a first gas sensor and further comprising a second gas sensor arranged in an area surrounding the first gas sensor; the digitization module is a first digitization module and further comprising a second digitization module, the first digitization module outputting the digital sensor signal as a corresponding first digital sensor signal and the second digitization modules outputting a corresponding second digital sensor signal to the network; the first digitization module and the second digitization module are assigned to the first and second gas sensors; and the at least one analysis unit is configured to compare the digital sensor signals received from the network with one another.

5. A gas-measuring system in accordance with claim 4, wherein the analysis unit is configured to compare the gas concentrations determined on the basis of the two different digital sensor signals with one another and to provide, based on this comparison, additional sensor failure information, which indicates whether the digital raw data of the at least two gas sensors, which are located in a common environment, have indicated essentially identical gas concentrations.

6. A gas-measuring system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the analysis unit is configured to determine the localization information on the basis of the sensor identification information.

7. A gas-measuring system in accordance with claim 1, wherein: the digitization module comprises a first wireless module and a second wireless module and is configured to output the digital sensor signal via the first wireless module corresponding to a first wireless standard to the network and to output the digital sensor signal via the second wireless module corresponding to a second wireless standard to the network; and the first wireless standard is different from the second wireless standard.

8. A gas-measuring system in accordance with claim 4, further comprising another analysis unit, to provide at least two analysis units that are configured to read each digital sensor signal from the network, to each determine the gas concentration of the gas to be tested and each output a corresponding digital concentration signal to the network, wherein the respective digital concentration signal indicates the analysis unit that has provided the digital concentration signal.

9. A gas-measuring system in accordance with claim 8, further comprising a comparison unit configured to receive the at least two digital concentration signals, to compare the respective determined gas concentrations with one another and to provide additional analysis failure information, which indicates whether the two determined gas concentrations for the same digital sensor signal are essentially identical.

10. A process for operating a gas-measuring system, the process comprising the steps of: measuring with a sensor and providing measured raw data and outputting the measured raw data via a raw data signal; receiving the raw data signal and processing the raw data signal into a processed raw data signal and outputting a corresponding digital sensor signal to a network, wherein the digital sensor signal comprises the processed raw data signal and sensor identification information, wherein the sensor identification information is configured to make possible an assignment between a processed raw data signal and a corresponding gas sensor; reading of the digital sensor signal from the network and determining a gas concentration of a gas to be tested based on the measured raw data indicated by the digital sensor signal and outputting a corresponding digital concentration signal to the network, wherein the digital concentration signal comprises the determined gas concentration and localization information, and wherein the localization information is configured to make possible an assignment between a determined gas concentration and a location of the corresponding, at least one gas sensor; and reading the digital concentration signal from the network and providing a corresponding perceptible output, wherein the perceptible output indicates the determined gas concentration and the localization information.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0050] In the drawings:

[0051] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a first exemplary embodiment of a gas-measuring system according to the present invention;

[0052] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a second exemplary embodiment of the gas-measuring system according to the present invention;

[0053] FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a third exemplary embodiment of the gas-measuring system according to the present invention;

[0054] FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a fourth exemplary embodiment of the gas-measuring system according to the present invention;

[0055] FIG. 5 is a schematic view of a fifth exemplary embodiment of the gas-measuring system according to the present invention; and

[0056] FIG. 6 is a flow chart of an exemplary embodiment of a process according to another aspect of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0057] Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a first exemplary embodiment of a gas-measuring system 100 according to the present invention.

[0058] The gas-measuring system 100 for measuring and outputting at least a gas concentration of a gas 105 to be tested comprises at least one gas sensor 110, at least one digitization module 120, a network 130, at least one analysis unit 140 and an output unit 150.

[0059] The at least one gas sensor 110 is configured to measure gas concentration and to output measured raw data via a raw data signal 112. The measured raw data pertain to the gas 105 to be tested. There is exactly one gas sensor 110 in the exemplary embodiment being shown. The gas sensor 110 preferably has an especially simple configuration and has no operating elements and no visual output elements. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the gas sensor 110 has only an LED (not shown), which signals by blinking that the gas sensor 110 is in operation. The general configuration of a gas sensor is known and will not therefore be explained in detail below.

[0060] The at least one digitization module 120 is arranged in an area surrounding the at least one gas sensor 110. The digitization module 120 is in this case a separate device, which is arranged directly at a gas sensor and which is connected by a line 122 to the gas sensor 110. In another exemplary embodiment, the digitization module and the gas sensor are arranged in a common housing. The at least one digitization module 120 is configured to receive the raw data signal 112 of the gas sensor 110 via the line 122, to process the raw data signal 112 into a processed raw data signal and to output a corresponding digital sensor signal 124 to the network 130 via a wireless module 126. The wireless module 126 uses the wireless standard WLAN in the exemplary embodiment shown. In other additional or alternative exemplary embodiments, the wireless module uses the wireless standard LoRa, LTE, ZigBee, BLE and/or Bluetooth. The digital sensor signal 124 comprises the processed raw data signal and sensor identification information, the sensor identification information being configured to make possible an assignment between a processed raw data signal and a corresponding gas sensor 110. The sensor identification information is preferably stored in a memory of the digitization module 120. The gas sensor 110, whose raw data are contained in the digital sensor signal 124, can thus be inferred on the basis of the digital sensor signal 124 being stored in the network 130. An assignment between sensor identification information and the location of the sensor is preferably stored in a memory of the gas-measuring system 100, for example, within a memory unit connected to the network 130.

[0061] The at least one analysis unit 140 is configured to read the digital sensor signal 124 from the network 130, to determine the gas concentration of the gas to be tested on the basis of the measured raw data indicated by the digital sensor signal 124 and to output a corresponding digital concentration signal 142 to the network 130. The digital concentration signal 142 comprises in this case the determined gas concentration and localization information, the localization information being configured to make possible an assignment between the determined gas concentration and a location of the corresponding, at least one gas sensor 110. The determination of the gas concentration from the measured raw data is carried out according to a predefined algorithm, which is stored on the analysis unit 140. The reading of the digital sensor signal 124 and the outputting of the digital concentration signal 142 are preferably carried out in an automated manner. Manual operation of the analysis unit 140 is preferably provided according to the present invention only for changing the algorithm for analyzing the measured raw data or for resetting other boundary conditions, for example, alarm limits. The analysis unit 140 may be, for example, a computer comprising one or more processors, which can access the network 130 via a WLAN connection. In other exemplary embodiments, the connection to the network 130 is established in a wired manner or via a wireless standard, the wireless standard being LoRa, LTE, BLE, ZigBee and/or Bluetooth. The localization information is determined in this case especially advantageously on the basis of the sensor identification information. This is carried out by a predefined assignment of a location being monitored by the gas sensor to sensor identification information. The sensor identification information is preferably a sequence of symbols comprising letters, numbers and/or special symbols.

[0062] The output unit 150 is configured to read the digital concentration signal 142 from the network 130 and to provide a corresponding output 154 perceptible for a user of the output unit 150, especially a visual output 154. The perceptible output 154 indicates the determined gas concentration and the localization information. The output module 152 comprises in this case a display, via which the visual output 154 is provided. The output 154 displays in this case the gas concentration numerically and displays by means of a number known to the user a location at which this gas concentration was measured. In one exemplary embodiment, not shown, the gas concentration is outputted via a color chart, which shows based on the displayed color whether the current gas concentration is a critical gas concentration and/or whether a change has taken place in the gas concentration within a predefined past time period.

[0063] The gas-measuring system 100 according to the present invention makes possible a repair and/or a replacement of the gas sensor 110 without the ability of the other components of the gas-measuring system 100 to function being compromised. Furthermore, the central analysis via the analysis unit 140 makes it possible to change the underlying analysis algorithm for the measured raw data, without this requiring any action to be performed on the gas sensor 110, the digitization module 120 or the output unit 150.

[0064] The analysis unit 140 can be advantageously regularly updated and especially adapted to current legal specifications by a service provided, while, for example, the gas sensor 110 and the output unit 150 do not require any updating or do require updating much more rarely compared to the analysis unit 140.

[0065] FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of a second exemplary embodiment of the gas-measuring system 200 according to the present invention.

[0066] The gas-measuring system 200 differs from the gas-measuring system 100 shown in FIG. 1 in that it has a plurality of gas sensors 110, 110, 110 with a correspondingly assigned plurality of digitization modules 120, 120, 120.

[0067] The plurality of digitization modules 120, 120, 120 output a plurality of digital sensor signals 124, 124, 124 to the network 130 corresponding to the assigned plurality of gas sensors 110, 110, 110. The plurality of gas sensors 110, 110, 110 are arranged at least partly in the same environment.

[0068] The analysis unit 140 is additionally configured in the exemplary embodiment being shown to compare to one another the determined gas concentrations that are assigned to the raw data that were measured in the same environment. This is carried out on the basis of the determined localization information and/or on the basis of the read sensor identification information. A defect of a gas sensor 110, 110, 110 is detected based on this comparison. Failure information, which indicates whether the digital raw data of the gas sensors located in a common environment have indicated essentially the same gas concentrations, is thus provided in this exemplary embodiment. This failure information is typically noticeable for a user of the gas-measuring system, for example, by an alarm provided via the output unit, only if the measured gas concentrations differ from one another within a common environment. In one exemplary embodiment, not shown, the gas concentrations of the raw data measured in the same environment are averaged in order to obtain an average value for the gas concentration in this environment.

[0069] In one exemplary embodiment, not shown, at least two gas sensors are assigned to a digitization module, so that a digitization module outputs at least two different digital sensor signals to the network via the wireless module.

[0070] Finally, the gas-measuring system 200 also differs from the gas-measuring system 100 in that the plurality of digitization modules 120, 120, 120 further comprise a respective environmental data module 260, 260, 260. The environmental data module 260, 260, 260 is configured to provide environmental data. The environmental data are stored here on the environmental data module 260, 260, 260, they are received by this module and/or they are measured by this module. A respective environmental data module 260, 260, 260 may comprise a plurality of individual modules, which are configured for the provision of concrete environmental data. Furthermore, each digitization module from the plurality of digitization modules 120, 120, 120 is configured to receive the environmental data from the respective environmental module 260, 260, 260, to assign these environmental data to the digital raw data signal and to output them via the respective digital sensor signal 124, 124, 124 to the network 130. The environmental data pertain here to the respective environment of a gas sensor 110, 110, 110. The analysis unit 140 is further configured here to determine the gas concentration of the gas 105 to be tested on the basis of the measured raw data and of the received environmental data.

[0071] The environmental data indicate here a currently measured temperature, a currently measured ambient pressure, a currently measured air humidity and/or a current position of the gas sensors 110, 110, 110.

[0072] The concrete configuration of suitable measuring devices for embodying such an environmental data module 260, 260, 260 is basically known and will not therefore be explained in detail below.

[0073] FIG. 3 shows a schematic view of a third exemplary embodiment of the gas-measuring system 300 according to the present invention.

[0074] The gas-measuring system 300 differs from the gas-measuring system 100 shown in FIG. 1 only in that the digitization module 120 has at least a first wireless module 370 and a second wireless module 374. The digital sensor signal 124 is outputted to the network 130 via the first wireless module 370 corresponding to a first wireless standard and the digital sensor signal is outputted to the network 130 via the second wireless module 374 corresponding to a second wireless standard, the two wireless standards being different from one another. The two wireless standards are a WLAN connection and a Bluetooth connection in the exemplary embodiment being shown.

[0075] However, any combination of common wireless standards, e.g., a combination of at least two of the wireless standards LoRa, LTE, WLAN, ZigBee, BLE or Bluetooth, is basically conceivable.

[0076] In one exemplary embodiment, not shown, the digitization module is configured to output signals corresponding to three different wireless standards via three different wireless modules.

[0077] The analysis unit 140 is configured in the exemplary embodiment shown to process further the digital sensor signal 124 that is present in the network 130 with the best quality, for example, with the best signal-to-noise ratio or with the largest volume of data.

[0078] FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of a fourth exemplary embodiment of the gas-measuring system 400 according to the present invention.

[0079] The gas-measuring system 400 differs from the gas-measuring system 200 shown in FIG. 2 in that exactly two different gas sensors 110, 110 with corresponding two assigned digitization modules 120, 120 are provided, a respective gas sensor 110, 110 and a respective digitization module 120, 120 having a common housing 480, 480. As a result, these two components of the gas-measuring system 400 according to the present invention can be arranged in an area with a gas concentration to be monitored in an especially compact and simple manner.

[0080] Furthermore, the gas-measuring system 400 differs from the gas-measuring system 200 in that two different analysis units 140, 140 are provided in the gas-measuring system 400. The two analysis units 140, 140 are configured each to read the two digital sensor signals 124, 124 from the network 130, to determine the respective gas concentration of the gas 105 to be tested and to output each a corresponding digital concentration signal 142, 142 to the network. The digital concentration signal 142, 142 indicates here the analysis unit 140, 140 that has provided this digital concentration signal 142, 142. The analysis of the two digital sensor signals 124, 124 from the same environment is carried out here as was described in connection with FIG. 2.

[0081] A malfunction of an analysis unit 140, 140 can be detected in the exemplary embodiment at an early stage by the fact that different gas concentrations were determined. The output unit 150 is preferably configured in this exemplary embodiment to detect a difference between the determined gas concentrations for a common set of measured raw data and to output a corresponding warning signal to a user of the output unit 150 and/or to the network 130. In case of an output to the network 130, the two analysis units 140, 140 are preferably configured, furthermore, to receive the corresponding warning signal and to output it to an operator of the analysis units 140, 140.

[0082] FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of a fifth exemplary embodiment of the gas-measuring system 500 according to the present invention.

[0083] The gas-measuring system 500 differs from the gas-measuring system 400 shown in FIG. 4 in that the two digitization modules 120, 120 have, separated from the two gas sensors 110, 110, separate housings, and, as was already described in connection with FIG. 3, a first wireless module 370, 370 and a second wireless module 374, 374 each.

[0084] Unlike as explained in connection with FIG. 3, the two digitization modules 120,120 are configured to output the respective digital sensor signal 124, 124 exclusively via the respective first wireless module 370, 370 corresponding to the first wireless standard. It is only when a disturbance was detected during the outputting of the respective digital sensor signal 124, 124, for example, by the analysis unit 140, 140, that the output is changed over by the respective digitization module 120, 120 such that the digital sensor signal 124, 124 is outputted to the network 130 via the respective second wireless module 374, 374 corresponding to the second wireless standard. In a preferred variant of this exemplary embodiment, each digitization module 120, 120 is changed over to another wireless standard, if such other wireless standard is available, if a problem is detected with one wireless standard.

[0085] Furthermore, the gas-measuring system 500 differs from the gas-measuring system 400 in that the gas-measuring system 500 additionally has a comparison unit 590. The comparison unit 590 is configured to read at least two digital concentration signals 142, 142 from the network, to compare the respective determined gas concentrations with one another, and to provide additional analysis failure information. The analysis failure information shows whether the two determined gas concentrations are essentially identical for the same digital sensor signal 124, 124. The output unit 150 continues to be configured in the exemplary embodiment shown to read the analysis failure information and to inform a user about a discrepancy in the determination of the gas concentration by the two analysis units 140, 140. In one exemplary embodiment, not shown, the two analysis units 140, 140 are configured to read the analysis failure information and to output a corresponding warning. In one exemplary embodiment, not shown, the gas-measuring system has at least three analysis units, and especially at least five analysis units. More than two analysis units simplify the determination of the analysis unit that has determined an incorrect gas concentration, because a plurality of other analysis units have determined a different result.

[0086] The possibilities of configuring the gas-measuring system according to the present invention in a redundant manner, which were shown in the exemplary embodiments, may obviously be combined. The provision of a plurality of analysis units, of a plurality of gas sensors, of a plurality of wireless modules with corresponding wireless standards and/or of a plurality of wireless modules leads to an increase in failure safety and it leads, both individually and in combination with one another, to a gas-measuring system according to the present invention.

[0087] FIG. 6 shows a flow chart of an exemplary embodiment of a process 600 according to another aspect of the present invention.

[0088] The process 600 according to the present invention for operating a gas-measuring system has the process steps described below.

[0089] A first step 610 comprises a measurement of raw data and the outputting of the measured raw data via a raw data signal.

[0090] A next step 620 comprises the reception of the raw data signal, the processing of the raw data signal into a processed raw data signal and the outputting of a corresponding digital sensor signal to a network, the digital sensor signal comprising the processed raw data signal and sensor identification information, the sensor identification information being configured to make possible an assignment between the processed raw data signal and the corresponding gas sensor.

[0091] A next step 630 comprises reading of the digital sensor signal from the network, determination of a gas concentration of the gas to be tested based on the measured raw data indicated by the digital sensor signal and outputting of a corresponding digital concentration signal to the network, the digital concentration signal comprising the determined gas concentration and localization information, and the localization information being configured to make possible an assignment between the determined gas concentration and a location of the corresponding, at least one gas sensor.

[0092] A final step 640 comprises the reading of the digital concentration signal from the network and the provision of a corresponding perceptible output, the perceptible output indicating the determined gas concentration and the localization information.

[0093] Steps 610 and 620 are preferably carried out immediately following one another in this order. Step 610 is preferably carried out automatically at regular intervals. Time intervals of at least 2 sec, preferably at least 10 sec and especially preferably at least 1 min are provided for the measurement of gases in a possibly gas-exposed environment.

[0094] Steps 620, 630 and 640 are carried out according to the present invention in this order, and there may be long time intervals between these steps. Thus, an output of the determined gas concentrations according to step 640 may not take place even over several days, so that it is only after some time that the gas concentrations are checked by a user of the analysis unit for the past time. In particular, the measurement and the outputting of the raw data according to step 610 and step 620 are independent from the outputting of the determined gas concentrations according to step 640. The only precondition for the output according to step 640 is that an analysis of the measured raw data shall have taken place in the meantime after step 630. One of these process steps may also be delayed by the circumstance that the corresponding device is replaced, repaired or subjected to another maintenance.

[0095] The measurement and the outputting of the raw data according to step 610 and step 620 are preferably configured redundantly, so that an incorrect measurement and also an incorrect outputting can be detected in a short time. Furthermore, the analysis of the measured raw data according to step 630 is preferably configured redundantly, so that an incorrect analysis of the measured raw data can be detected in a short time.

[0096] While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the application of the principles of the invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0097] 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 Gas-measuring system

[0098] 105 Gas

[0099] 110, 110, 110 Gas sensor

[0100] 112 Raw data signal

[0101] 120, 120, 120 Digitization module

[0102] 122 Line

[0103] 124, 124, 124 Digital sensor signal

[0104] 126 Wireless module

[0105] 130 Network

[0106] 140, 140 Analysis unit

[0107] 142, 142 Digital concentration signal

[0108] 150 Output unit

[0109] 152 Output module

[0110] 154 Output

[0111] 260, 260, 260 Environmental data module

[0112] 370 First wireless module

[0113] 374 Second wireless module

[0114] 480 Housing

[0115] 590 Comparison unit

[0116] 600 Process

[0117] 610, 620, 630, 640 Process steps