Air monitoring system having tubing with an electrically conductive inner surface for transporting air samples
View Patent ↗An air monitoring system includes a tubing having an electrically conductive inner surface. In one embodiment, the liner includes carbon based materials, such as for example carbon nanotubes. In another embodiment, a conductive layer is adhered to a substrate.
1. An air sampling system, comprising:
a sensor suite that measures at least one characteristic of an air sample;
air intake valves for switching air samples; and
tubing coupled to the air intake valves and a plurality of termination points from which air samples are obtained and transported via the tubing to the sensor suite, wherein at least a portion of the tubing includes an electrically conductive inner layer having carbon nanotubes in a host material, wherein the combination of the host material and the carbon nanotubes minimizes absorption, desorption and off-gassing for the air samples.
2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the tubing has no outer layer, only an inner layer encompasses the entire thickness of the tubing wall.
3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the tubing includes an outer layer that does not contain substantive amounts of carbon nanotubes.
4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the inner layer includes the host material loaded with between one and six percent by weight of carbon nanotubes.
5. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the host material includes one or more of a fluoropolyner resin plastic.
6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the inner layer has a thickness in a range from about 0.005 inch to about 0.03 inch.
7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor suite measures some level of information about the amount of particles in the air sample and one or more of a measure of VOCs, dew point, and carbon dioxide levels.
8. The system according to claim 1 , further including securing at least one conductor to the tubing to provide one or more of signal, power, and communication.
9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the tubing is part of a structured cable assembly including two or more conductors.
10. An air sampling system, comprising:
a sensor suite including two or more air parameter sensors to measure multiple characteristics of an air sample; air intake valves for switching air samples; and
tubing coupled to the air intake valves and a plurality of termination points from which air samples are obtained and transported via the tubing to the sensor suite, wherein the tubing includes an electrically conductive inner layer comprising a host material that is loaded with at least one type of carbon based material, wherein a combination of the host material and the at least one type of carbon-based material minimizes absorption, desorption, and off-gassing for the air samples.
11. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the carbon based material includes carbon black.
12. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the carbon based material includes carbon nanofibers.
13. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the carbon based material includes carbon fibers.
14. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the carbon based material contains carbon single-wall nanotubes.
15. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the carbon based material contains carbon multi-wall nanotubes.
16. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the carbon based material contains graphite.
17. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the tubing has no outer layer, only an inner layer encompasses the entire thickness of the tubing wall.
18. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the tubing includes a nonconductive outer layer that does not contain substantive amounts of carbon based material.
19. The system according to claim 10 wherein the host material is made from a fluoropolymer resin plastic.
20. The system according to claim 19 , wherein the fluoropolymer resin plastic is a PVDF based material.
21. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the sensor suite measures some level of information about the amount of particles in the air sample along with one or more of a measure of VOCs, dew point, and carbon dioxide levels.
22. The system according to claim 10 , further including securing at least one conductor to the tubing to provide one or more of signal, power, and communication.
23. The system according to claim 10 , wherein the tubing is part of a structured cable assembly including two or more conductors.