International Business Machines Corporation
PROTECTIVE ENCLOSURE FOR GAS SENSORS

Abstract:

A small-sized, portable enclosure protects a gas sensor against degradation due to environmental exposure and changes in atmospheric conditions. The protective enclosure includes an inlet for introduction of a gas into the enclosure, an outlet for release of the gas upon completion of a sensing run, and a number of in-line filters that remove from the inflowing gas sample analytes, contaminants, and other materials that can compromise the integrity of the sensor or cause the sensor to degrade over time. The enclosure does not include any filters during the measurement phase of the sensing run in order to allow the gas sensor to accurately measure an unmodified gas mixture and/or analyte.