Gas concentration mapping using sample pooling with a single detector

Detection of hazardous gases may be lethal in minute doses, requiring a sensitive detection system. A timely warning, preferably before the gas exceeds a critical threshold, depends on the capability to map the gas concentration inside a complex structure. This requires constant spatial monitoring of gas concentrations at several locations. This letter presents a generic pooling approach for spatial gas concentration mapping using a single detector. It is based on gas sampling from several locations simultaneously at predetermined mixing ratios. The gas concentration at each sampling point is computed using a repetitious scheme based on the sensor readings and the known mixing ratios.