Sorbent based gas concentration monitor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11619601-B2
Application number	US-202017073798-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2020
Priority date	Nov 1, 2017
Publication date	Apr 4, 2023
Grant date	Apr 4, 2023

Abstract

A gas monitor apparatus includes a sorbent material that adsorbs a target gas based on a concentration of the target gas in a monitored environment and a reference material that does not respond to the target gas. The gas monitor also includes a first thermistor disposed within the sorbent material and a second thermistor disposed within the reference material, the first thermistor to provide a first indication of a first temperature of the sorbent material and the second thermistor to provide a second indication of a second temperature of the reference material. A processing device determines a concentration of the target gas based at least in part on a differential measurement between the first temperature and the second temperature.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gas monitor comprising:
a sorbent material that selectively adsorbs a target gas based on a concentration of the target gas in a monitored environment, wherein the sorbent material is configured to passively adsorb the target gas without heat being provided to the sorbent material;
a reference material that is not responsive to the target gas;
a first thermistor disposed within the sorbent material, wherein the first thermistor shares an available contact surface area with the sorbent material to achieve a high thermal conductivity;
a second thermistor disposed within the reference material, the first thermistor to provide a first indication of a first temperature of the sorbent material and the second thermistor to provide a second indication of a second temperature of the reference material; and
a processing device to determine a concentration of the target gas based at least in part on a differential measurement between the first temperature and the second temperature.

2. The gas monitor of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first heating element to provide heat to the sorbent material; and
a second heating element to provide heat to the reference material, wherein the first heating element and the second heating element are to provide periodic heating to the sorbent material and the reference material to determine an absolute value of the concentration of the target gas or calibrate the gas monitor.

3. The gas monitor of claim 2 , wherein the processing device is to determine the concentration of the target gas based on mapping the differential measurements to an isotherm curve for the target gas and sorbent.

4. The gas monitor of claim 1 , wherein the sorbent material comprises a microporous or nano-porous carbon material and the target gas is carbon dioxide.

5. The gas monitor of claim 1 , wherein the target gas is one of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, benzene, or Formaldehyde.

6. The gas monitor of claim 1 , wherein the sorbent material comprises a printed sorbent ink with a binder.

7. The gas monitor of claim 1 , further comprising a chamber allowing gas flow along the sorbent material and the reference material.

8. The gas monitor of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second sorbent material that selectively adsorbs a second target gas; and
a third thermistor disposed within the second sorbent material, wherein the processing device is further to determine a concentration of the second target gas based at least in part on an output of the third thermistor.

9. The gas monitor of claim 1 , wherein the first thermistor is disposed by pressure within the sorbent material, along with the available contact surface area, to achieve a high thermal conductivity.

10. A method comprising:
receiving, from a first thermistor, an indication of a first temperature of a sorbent, wherein the sorbent changes temperature based on a heat of adsorption of a target gas, wherein the sorbent is configured to passively adsorb the target gas without heat being provided to the sorbent, wherein the first thermistor shares an available contact surface area with the sorbent material to achieve a high thermal conductivity;
determining a second temperature based on a second indication of the second temperature received from a second thermistor coupled to a reference material; and
determining, based at least in part on the indication of the first temperature of the sorbent and the second temperature of the reference material, a concentration of the target gas in a monitored environment in contact with the sorbent.

11. The method of claim 10 ,
wherein determining the concentration of the sorbent comprises calculating a differential between the indication of the first temperature of the sorbent and the second indication of the second temperature of the reference material.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
periodically driving a heating element operatively coupled to the sorbent,
wherein determining the concentration of the sorbent comprises determining an absolute value of the concentration based on a difference in the indication of the first temperature of the sorbent relative to a third temperature due to the heating element.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein periodically driving the heating element comprising driving the heating element at a rate greater 0.1 Hz and less than 100 Hz.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the target gas is one of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, benzene, or Formaldehyde.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising comparing changes in the difference to an isotherm curve for the sorbent in the presence of the target gas.

16. A method comprising:
coupling a first thermistor and a second thermistor to a substrate;
depositing a sorbent material on the substrate to couple the sorbent material to the first thermistor, wherein the first thermistor shares an available contact surface area with the sorbent material and is pressure calendared with the deposited sorbent material to achieve a high thermal conductivity, and wherein the sorbent material selectively adsorbs a target gas based on a concentration of the target gas in a monitored environment, and wherein the sorbent material is configured to passively adsorb the target gas without heat being provided to the sorbent material;
depositing a reference material on the substrate to couple the reference material to the second thermistor; and
coupling the first thermistor and the second thermistor to a processing device.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the method further comprises:
providing a first heating element coupled to the sorbent material; and
providing a second heating element coupled to the reference material, wherein the first heating element and the second heating element are to provide periodic heating to the sorbent material and the reference material to determine an absolute value of the concentration of the target gas.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein depositing the sorbent material comprises printing the sorbent material mixed with at least one of a binder or a solvent.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein depositing the sorbent material further comprises depositing the sorbent material with a porous glassy solid binder.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein depositing the sorbent material further comprises depositing a sorbent ink comprising the sorbent material, a styrene acrylic-based polymer latex, and a solvent.

Assignees

• Palo Alto Res Ct Inc

Inventors

• Bao Jianer
• Smith Clinton
• Cocker Eric
• Schwartz David

Classifications

• G01N25/482 Primary

  concerning the temperature responsive elements (measuring temperature or quantity of heat, thermally-sensitive elements G01K; thermoelectric devices H10N10/00, H10N15/00) · CPC title

• G01N25/4873

  for a flowing, e.g. gas sample · CPC title

• G01N25/4826

  concerning the heating or cooling arrangements (heating apparatus for chemical or physical laboratory apparatus in general B01L7/00) · CPC title

• G01N25/4893 Primary

  by using a differential method · CPC title

• G01K3/14

  in respect of space · CPC title