System and method for sensing volatile organic compounds

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11680934-B2
Application number	US-202016894042-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 5, 2020
Priority date	Jun 7, 2019
Publication date	Jun 20, 2023
Grant date	Jun 20, 2023

Abstract

A gas sensor assembly includes a housing; an inlet assembly configured to carry a gaseous composition having a volatile organic compound into the housing; and an outlet assembly configured to carry the gaseous composition from the housing. The gas sensor assembly also includes an ultraviolet light source disposed within the housing and a gas sensor disposed within the housing and configured to sense an amount of the volatile organic compound.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gas sensor assembly comprising:
a housing;
an inlet assembly configured to carry a gaseous composition having a volatile organic compound into the housing;
an outlet assembly configured to carry the gaseous composition from the housing;
an ultraviolet light source disposed within the housing; and
a gas sensor disposed within the housing and configured to sense an amount of the volatile organic compound, wherein the gas sensor includes:
a substrate;
a conductive coating disposed on a surface of the substrate having a channel defined in the conductive coating; and
a metal oxide nanostructure layer disposed within the channel, the metal oxide nanostructure layer having a resistance, which varies in response to contact with the volatile organic compound.

2. The gas sensor assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the metal oxide nanostructure layer includes zinc oxide nanostructures.

3. The gas sensor assembly according to claim 1 , wherein the conductive coating includes a first electrode pattern having a first plurality of finger electrodes and a second electrode pattern having a second plurality of finger electrodes.

4. The gas sensor assembly according to claim 3 , wherein the first plurality of finger electrodes and the second plurality of finger electrodes define a channel having a tortuous pattern.

5. The gas sensor assembly according to claim 1 , further comprising an ohm meter coupled to the gas sensor, the ohm meter configured to measure the resistance of the metal oxide nanostructure layer.

6. The gas sensor assembly according to claim 5 , further comprising a computing device coupled to the ohm meter, the computing device configured to determine the amount of the volatile organic compound.

7. The gas sensor assembly according to claim 6 , wherein the inlet assembly includes an intake flow control device.

8. The gas sensor assembly according to claim 7 , wherein the computing device is further configured to activate the intake flow control device to pump the gaseous composition into the housing until a pressure setpoint is reached.

9. The gas sensor assembly according to claim 8 , wherein the computing device is further configured to activate the ultraviolet light source and determine the amount of the volatile organic compound after the pressure setpoint is reached.

10. The gas sensor assembly according to claim 9 , wherein the computing device is further configured to actuate the outlet assembly to remove the gaseous composition out of the housing after determining the amount of the volatile organic compound.

11. An exhaust system comprising:
an upstream conduit configured to carry a gaseous composition having a volatile organic compound;
a scrubber coupled to the upstream conduit and configured to remove at least a portion of the volatile organic compound;
a downstream conduit coupled to the scrubber and configured to carry the gaseous composition from the scrubber;
a first gas sensor assembly coupled to the upstream conduit and configured to measure a first concentration of the volatile organic compound upstream of the scrubber;
a second gas sensor assembly coupled to the downstream conduit and configured to measure a second concentration of the volatile organic compound downstream of the scrubber, wherein each of the first gas sensor assembly and the second gas sensor assembly includes:
a housing;
an inlet assembly configured to carry a gaseous composition having a volatile organic compound into the housing;
an outlet assembly configured to carry the gaseous composition from the housing;
an ultraviolet light source disposed within the housing; and
a gas sensor disposed within the housing and configured to sense an amount of the volatile organic compound; and

a computing device coupled to the first gas sensor assembly and the second gas sensor assembly, the computing device configured to calculate a difference between the first concentration and the second concentration to determine efficiency of the scrubber.

12. The exhaust system according to claim 11 , wherein the gas sensor includes:
a substrate;
a conductive coating disposed on a surface of the substrate having a channel defined therein; and
a metal oxide nanostructure layer disposed within the channel, the metal oxide nanostructure layer having a resistance, which varies in response to contact with the volatile organic compound.

13. The exhaust system according to claim 12 , wherein the metal oxide nanostructure layer includes zinc oxide nanostructures.

14. The exhaust system according to claim 12 , wherein each of the first gas sensor assembly and the second gas sensor assembly further includes:
an ohm meter coupled to the gas sensor, the ohm meter configured to measure the resistance of the metal oxide nanostructure layer.

15. The exhaust system according to claim 14 , wherein the computing device is coupled to the ohm meter, the computing device configured to determine the amount of the volatile organic compound.

16. The exhaust system according to claim 15 , wherein the inlet assembly includes an intake flow control device and the outlet assembly includes an outlet flow control device.

17. The exhaust system according to claim 16 , wherein the computing device is further configured to activate the intake flow control device to pump the gaseous composition into the housing until a pressure setpoint is reached.

18. The exhaust system according to claim 17 , wherein the computing device is further configured to:
activate the ultraviolet light source and determine the amount of the volatile organic compound after the pressure setpoint is reached; and
activate the outlet flow control device to pump the gaseous composition out of the housing after determining the amount of the volatile organic compound.

Assignees

• Univ California

Inventors

• Weiss-Penzias Peter
• Rojas-Andrade Mauricio

Classifications

• G01N33/0047 Primary

  Organic compounds · CPC title

• C12M1/04

  with gas introduction means · CPC title

• B01D2257/708

  Volatile organic compounds V.O.C.'s · CPC title

• C12G1/00

  Preparation of wine or sparkling wine · CPC title

• G01N33/0073 Primary

  Control unit therefor · CPC title