Remote emissions sensing system and method with a composite beam of IR and UV radiation that is not split for detection

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/520,165, filed Mar. 7, 2000 now abandoned, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/398,198, filed Sep. 17, 1999 now abandoned, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/100,731 filed Sep. 17, 1998.

The invention relates to a remote emissions sensing system and method that uses a composite detector beam of infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. The detector beam is used to perform spectroscopic measurements upon an emissions source and the beam is not split during detection.

Remote emissions sensing systems generally are known. One such system comprises a source of electromagnetic radiation arranged to pass a beam of radiation through the exhaust plume of a motor vehicle as the motor vehicle passes by the system, and one or more detectors arranged to receive the radiation after it passes through the exhaust plume of the vehicle. Filters may be associated with one or more detectors to detect the intensity of electromagnetic radiation at a particular wavelength or range of wavelengths. The wavelengths may be selected to correspond to wavelengths absorbed by molecular species of interest in an exhaust plume (e.g., HC, CO, CO 2 , NO x , or other molecular species). The detector's output voltage represents the intensity of the electromagnetic radiation measured by that detector. The voltages are input to a processor. The processor calculates the difference between the known intensity of the electromagnetic radiation source and the intensity detected by the detectors to determine the amount of absorption by particular molecular species (based on predetermined wavelengths with that species). Based on the measured absorption(s), the concentration of one or more molecular species in the emissions may be determined in a known manner. Such systems generally take a plurality of measurements (e.g., 50) over a predetermined period of time (e.g., 0.5 seconds). These measurements are then plotted and analyzed to determine concentrations of target emissions. When using a plurality of measurements, however, if one or more measurements are inaccurate, concentration calculations may be erroneous or invalid. For various reasons, inaccuracies can occur when remotely sensing emissions.

Some remote emission sensing systems do not have the capability to detect nitrous oxides (NO x ). Other systems detect NO x with a UV beam and other molecular species with an IR beam. In one such system, the UV and IR beams are split into separate beams at the detector module. One reason for this splitting is that unequal detection times have been believed necessary for the UV and IR portions of the beam. For example, a longer UV detection time has been believed necessary to ensure adequate NO x detector signal. One problem with such a system is that unequal detection times require additional system elements which increase the difficulty in aligning the system. Other drawbacks exist.

One object of the invention is to overcome these and other drawbacks of existing systems.

Another object of the invention is to provide a remote emissions sensing system and method with a composite beam of IR and UV radiation that detects NO x and at least one other molecular species, where the alignment of the system is relatively easier than the alignment of a system wherein the UV and IR beams are split for detection.

Another object of the invention is to provide a remote emissions sensing system and method with a composite beam of IR and UV radiation that is not split for detection.

Another object of the invention is to provide a remote emissions sensing system and method with a composite beam of IR and UV radiation that detects NO x and at least one other molecular species, where the composite beam is alternately incident upon a NO x detector and a detector for the at least one other molecular species.

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram that depicts the overall remote emissions sensing system in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the detector optics module used in the remote sensing system according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1 depicts one embodiment of a remote sensing exhaust emission detector system in accordance with the present invention. According to this embodiment, the exhaust emission detector system includes: source optics module 1 , detector optics module 2 , transfer optics module 3 , and processor 4 . According to one embodiment of the invention, the processor 4 is operatively connected both source optics module 1 and detector optics module 2 .

Source optics module 1 may include one or more sources of electromagnetic radiation which generates and emits a radiation beam 5 which may be collimated. According to one embodiment of the invention, the beam 5 emitted at source optics module 1 may include at least infrared (IR) and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Other beam types are possible.

As shown in FIG. 1, beam 5 may be directed across a roadway 6 along a predetermined path where it may impinge upon transfer optics module 3 located opposite to source optics module 1 . Transfer module 3 directs beam 5 back across roadway 6 to detector optics module 2 . Other system configurations may be used. For example, according to one embodiment of the invention, transfer optics module 3 is not used at all. Instead, the source 1 and detector optics 2 may be disposed on opposite sides of the roadway such that detector optics module 2 receives beam 5 directly from source optics module 1 . In any case, beam 5 is aligned to traverse a predetermined path that intersects at least a portion of an emissions source. In some embodiments, the emissions source may comprise an exhaust plume emitted from a car or other motor vehicle 8 that travels on roadway 6 . When vehicle 8 passes along roadway 6 , beam 5 may be aligned to pass through the exhaust plume 7 of the vehicle.

FIG. 2 is an illumination of one embodiment of detector optics module 2 . The detector optics module 2 may be used to guide beam 5 to appropriate detectors. Beam 5 may be guided by any suitable configuration of beam guides. For example, lenses, mirrors, fiber optics and other elements may be used to guide beam 5 . According to one embodiment of the invention, the incoming beam 5 may initially be directed onto a primary focusing mirror 10 , as shown in FIG. 2 . The primary focusing mirror 10 may be pivotally and rotatably mounted on a support that is attached to the base (not shown) of the detector optics module 2 . Further, the primary focusing mirror 10 may, for example, be pivoted at an angle such that the mirror 10 reflects the incoming beam 5 onto the mirrored surface 13 of a rotating mirror assembly 9 . Other configurations of detector optics module 2 are also possible. For example, primary focusing mirror 10 may be eliminated if beam 5 is configured to be directly incident upon appropriate detectors. Alternatively, additional focusing mirrors and optics (e.g., lenses, fiber optics, etc.) may be used in conjunction with primary focusing mirror 10 .

Detector optics module 2 may also include additional elements to guide beam 5 . For example, a rotating mirror 9 may be used. Rotating mirror assembly 9 may be located on top of a mount assembly (not shown) which may contain a drive motor to cause mirror assembly 9 to rotate. Such a mount assembly may be attached to the base of detector optics module. Although only one mirror is shown in FIG. 2, rotating mirror assembly 9 may also take the form of a multi-faceted structure, such as a dodecagon, where one or more sides of the structure may have a reflective surface.

As stated above, detector optics module 2 may be employed to guide beam 5 to appropriate detectors. Detector optics module 2 guides beam 5 in such a manner that beam 5 is not split during detection. Not splitting beam 5 , among other things, simplifies the alignment of the system components. In one embodiment, beam 5 is guided, without splitting, by using guide elements that sequentially direct beam 5 to predetermined detector locations. For example, a rotating mirror 9 may be employed to guide beam 5 without splitting. As shown in FIG. 2, rotating mirror assembly 9 spins such that when beam 5 is incident upon the mirrored surface of the rotating mirror assembly 9 , the beam 5 is reflected from the rotating mirror assembly 9 onto one or more secondary, focusing mirrors 11 a - 11 n, in a sequential manner. According to one embodiment of the invention, one or more of these secondary mirrors may be horizontally aligned with rotating mirror assembly 9 such that the secondary mirrors 11 a - 11 n reflect and focus the beam 5 onto one or more detectors 12 a - 12 n. Alternatively, other optical systems may be used to spatially separate the incident beam 5 for delivery to the various detectors 12 a - 12 n. For example, lenses, mirrors, optical fibers, etc., may be used to deliver the incident beam 5 to detectors 12 a - 12 n.

At least one of detectors 12 a - 12 n is capable of detecting and measuring nitrous oxides (NO x ) without requiring beam 5 to be split. Preferably, the particular NO x detector used is capable of adequately detecting NO x concentrations (in a known manner) even when it is one of n detectors that are sequentially irradiated by beam 5 via rotating mirror 9 . One example of a detector that is suitable for use in this embodiment is a real time photospectrometer. In one embodiment, a fiber optic light tube may be positioned at 12 a and used to guide incident light into a photospectometer. Other detector schemes are possible.

As shown in FIG. 2, according to one embodiment of the invention, NO x detector 12 a is operative to determine the amount of nitrous oxide in exhaust plume 7 by measuring the absorption of beam 5 at a wavelength corresponding to known absorption characteristics of NO x . This detector may, for example, take the form of a photo-multiplier tube, photo-diode detector, a photospectrometer utilizing charge coupled devices, or another suitable radiation detector. Preferably, a detector with sensitivity to radiation in the 220-230 nm wavelength range may be used to detect NO x . Such an NO x detector may also operate in conjunction an optical UV bandpass filter, not shown.

The other detectors 12 b - 12 n may also include a HC detector, a CO detector, a CO 2 detector, and a reference detector. Other detectors operable to measure various emission components of an exhaust plume may also be included. These detectors are preferably chosen with the capability to detect radiation in the appropriate range for each exhaust constituent.

Other embodiments and uses of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. The specification and examples should be considered exemplary only. The scope of the invention is to be determined from the claims appended hereto.