Monitoring of an Asset for Chemicals
Chemical monitoring system and method for an asset including a frame defining an interior space. One or more chemical sensors are arranged in connection with the frame to determine the presence of a chemical in the interior space and a reactive or responsive system is arranged to react to the determined presence of the chemical in the interior space. The monitoring system can serve as an electronic nose which detects potentially harmful chemical and prevents exposure of people in the interior space and those handling, e.g., by providing a warning about the chemical presence, or notifying a remote facility about the chemical (which may be indicative of a leak in the cargo in the asset).
1 . An asset with a monitoring system, comprising:
a frame defining an interior space;
at least one chemical sensor arranged to determine the presence of a chemical in the interior space; and
a reactive system arranged to react to the determined presence of the chemical in the interior space.
2 . The asset of claim 1 , wherein said at least one chemical sensor is arranged to sense the presence of vapor in air in the interior space.
3 . The asset of claim 1 , wherein said at least one chemical sensor is arranged to sense the concentration of a chemical in the air in the interior space.
4 . The asset of claim 1 , wherein said at least one chemical sensor comprises a plurality of chemical sensors each designed to detect the presence of a different chemical.
5 . The asset of claim 1 , wherein said at least one chemical sensor comprises a two-dimensional array of cantilevered beams formed using MEMS etching technology, each of said beams being coated with a reagent that reacts with a known chemical or biological species.
6 . The asset of claim 1 , wherein said reactive system is a warning system which provides a warning about the presence of the chemical in the interior space.
7 . The asset of claim 1 , wherein said reactive system is a communications device which communicates the presence of the chemical to a remote facility.
8 . A method for monitoring an asset including a frame defining an interior space, comprising:
arranging at least one chemical sensor on the frame to determine the presence of a chemical in the interior space; and
responding to the determined presence of the chemical in the interior space.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one chemical sensor is arranged to sense the presence of vapor in air in the interior space.
10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one chemical sensor is arranged to sense the concentration of a chemical in the air in the interior space.
11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one chemical sensor comprises a plurality of chemical sensors each designed to detect the presence of a different chemical.
12 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one chemical sensor comprises a two-dimensional array of cantilevered beams formed using MEMS etching technology, each of the beams being coated with a reagent that reacts with a known chemical or biological species.
13 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the step of responding comprises providing a warning about the presence of the chemical in the interior space.
14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the step of responding comprises communicating the presence of the chemical to a remote facility.