Portable gas monitor

Abstract

A portable monitor used to measure landfill gas and landfill well parameters. The portable monitor includes a control unit and a measuring unit that can communicate wirelessly with one another. The control unit and/or measuring unit can include a heating arrangement to increase the temperature of one or more components in the control unit and/or measuring unit in cold environments.

1 . A handheld portable monitor for periodic well field testing of a plurality of different landfill wells and for measuring one or more properties of fluid flowing in the landfill wells, said handheld portable monitor including a plurality of connectors that enable at least a portion of said handheld portable monitor to be removably connected to the landfill well, said handheld portable monitor including a sensor arrangement to obtain and measure one or more properties of a fluid flowing in the landfill well, said handheld portable monitor including a heating system to heat one or more components of said sensor arrangement of said handheld portable monitor, said properties of said fluid flowing in the landfill well including a plurality of properties selected from the group consisting of well pressure, well temperature, LEL, UEL, well fluid composition, and composition ratio, said heating system including a microprocessor, a thermocouple and a heating element, said microprocessor activating said heating element when said microprocessor obtains information from said thermocouple that a temperature detected by said thermocouple is at or below a predefined low level temperature. 
     
     
         2 . The handheld portable monitor as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said microprocessor deactivates said heating element when said microprocessor obtains information from said thermocouple that a temperature detected by said thermocouple is at or above a predefined high level temperature. 
     
     
         3 . The handheld portable monitor as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said heating system includes at least three of said thermocouples, said microprocessor activating said heating element when said microprocessor obtains information from a majority of said thermocouples that a temperature detected by a majority of said thermocouple is at or below a predefined low level temperature. 
     
     
         4 . The handheld portable monitor as defined in  claim 3 , wherein said microprocessor deactivates said heating element when said microprocessor obtains information from a majority of said thermocouples that a temperature detected by a majority of said thermocouple is at or above a predefined high level temperature. 
     
     
         5 . The handheld portable monitor as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said sensor arrangement in said handheld portable monitor includes three pressure sensors and three chemical analyzers, and each of said pressure sensors is designed to measure a pressure to enable said handheld portable monitor to simultaneously measure three fluid pressures from the landfill well, each of said chemical analyzers designed to measure a concentration of a component in said fluid from the landfill well, said chemical analyzers designed to measure a concentration of methane, carbon dioxide and oxygen in said fluid from the landfill well, said pressures including an applied vacuum on said landfill well, a differential vacuum on said landfill well, and an available vacuum. 
     
     
         6 . The handheld portable monitor as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said handheld portable monitor includes a handheld portable control unit and a separate measuring unit, said handheld portable control unit monitors and controls one or more functions of said portable measuring unit, said portable measuring unit designed to be removably connected to the landfill well, said control unit not designed to be connected to the landfill well. 
     
     
         7 . The handheld portable monitor as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said handheld portable monitor includes G.P.S. software and hardware for obtaining G.P.S. coordinates for said landfill well. 
     
     
         8 . The handheld portable monitor as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said handheld portable monitor includes a RFID detection system or a barcode scanning system. 
     
     
         9 . The handheld portable monitor as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said portable measuring unit processes one or more types of information selected from the group consisting of LEL of fluid, UEL of fluid, concentration ratio of methane to carbon dioxide, and concentration ratio of balance gas to oxygen. 
     
     
         10 . A method of monitoring a plurality of landfill wells comprising:
 a. providing a handheld portable monitor for periodic well field testing of landfill wells, said handheld portable monitor used to measure one or more properties of fluid flowing in a landfill well, said properties of said fluid flowing in the landfill well including a plurality of properties selected from the group consisting of well pressure, well temperature, LEL, UEL, well fluid composition, and composition ratio, said handheld portable monitor including a handheld portable control unit and a portable measuring unit, said handheld portable control unit and said portable measuring unit each having separate housings, said portable measuring unit including a heating system, said handheld portable control unit is designed to monitor and control at least one function of said portable measuring unit, said portable measuring unit including a sensor arrangement that includes a plurality of pressure measurement components and a plurality of chemical analyzer, said heating system designed to inhibit or prevent a temperature on or about one or more components of said sensor arrangement of said portable measuring unit from falling below a predefined lower temperature while said one or more components are measuring one or more properties of said gas flowing though said landfill well;   b. removably connecting said portable measuring unit to a plurality of ports on a first landfill well, said handheld portable control unit not connected to said first landfill well;   c. monitoring and controlling at least one function of said portable measuring unit from a remote location by said handheld portable control unit;   d. measuring a plurality of properties of said fluid flowing in said first landfill well by said plurality of pressure measurement components and said plurality of chemical analyzers in said portable measuring unit, said step of measuring being no more than about 60 minutes;   e. disconnecting and removing said portable measuring unit from said first landfill well after said measuring of said first landfill well is completed;   f. transporting said portable handheld portable monitor to a second landfill well; and,   g. repeat steps b-e for said second landfill well.   
     
     
         11 . The method as defined in  claim 10 , wherein said step of controlling includes said handheld portable control unit and said portable measuring unit wirelessly communicating with one another. 
     
     
         12 . The method as defined in  claim 10 , wherein said heating system including a microprocessor, a thermocouple and a heating element, said microprocessor activating said heating element when said microprocessor obtains information from said thermocouple that a temperature detected by said thermocouple is at or below a predefined low level temperature. 
     
     
         13 . The method as defined in  claim 12 , wherein said microprocessor deactivating said heating element when said microprocessor obtains information from said thermocouple that a temperature detected by said thermocouple is at or above a predefined high level temperature. 
     
     
         14 . The method as defined in  claim 10 , wherein said heating system includes at least three of said thermocouples, said microprocessor activating said heating element when said microprocessor obtains information from a majority of said thermocouples that a temperature detected by a majority of said thermocouple is at or below a predefined low level temperature. 
     
     
         15 . The method as defined in  claim 14 , wherein said microprocessor deactivates said heating element when said microprocessor obtains information from a majority of said thermocouples that a temperature detected by a majority of said thermocouple is at or above a predefined high level temperature. 
     
     
         16 . The method as defined in  claim 10 , wherein said sensor arrangement in said handheld portable monitor includes three pressure sensors and three chemical analyzers, and each of said pressure sensors is designed to measure a pressure to enable said handheld portable monitor to simultaneously measure three fluid pressures from the landfill well, each of said chemical analyzers designed to measure a concentration of a component in said fluid from the landfill well, said chemical analyzers designed to measure a concentration of methane, carbon dioxide and oxygen in said fluid from the landfill well, said pressures including an applied vacuum on said landfill well, a differential vacuum on said landfill well, and an available vacuum, said step of measuring including measuring the concentration of methane, carbon dioxide and oxygen in said fluid from the landfill well, and measuring said applied vacuum on said landfill well, said differential vacuum on said landfill well, and said available vacuum. 
     
     
         17 . The method as defined in  claim 10 , wherein said handheld portable monitor includes G.P.S. software and hardware for obtaining G.P.S. coordinates for said landfill well, and further including the step of obtaining G.P.S. coordinates for said landfill well prior to testing, during testing, after testing, or combinations thereof of said landfill well. 
     
     
         18 . The method as defined in  claim 10 , wherein said handheld portable monitor includes an RFID detection system or a barcode scanning system, and further including the step of identifying a specific landfill well by said RFID detection system or said barcode scanning system prior to said step of measuring a plurality of properties of said fluid. 
     
     
         19 . The method as defined in  claim 10 , wherein said step of measuring a plurality of properties of said fluid includes obtaining one or more types of information selected from the group consisting of LEL of fluid, UEL of fluid, concentration ratio of methane to carbon dioxide, and concentration ratio of balance gas to oxygen. 
     
     
         20 . The method as defined in  claim 10 , wherein said step of transporting includes packing said handheld portable control unit and a portable measuring unit in an handheld carrying case, said handheld portable control unit and portable measuring unit each having a size, shape and weight that enables a user to easily and conveniently carry said portable measuring unit to said landfill well, said handheld portable control unit being smaller in size than said portable measuring unit, said portable measuring unit having a weight of less than about 20 lbs and a volume that is less than about 500 cubic inches, said handheld portable control unit having a weight of less than about 1.5 lbs and a volume of less than about 75 cubic inches.