Monitor for underground infrastructure

• Main Authors: Stephen Jeffreys, Ian Courtney, Edward Klinger, Glenn Wilkinson, Peter David Massam
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 05.06.2019
• Subjects: ALARM SYSTEMS; EARTH DRILLING; ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE; ELECTRICITY; EMBANKMENTS; EXCAVATIONS; FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS; FOUNDATIONS; HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; MEASURING; MINING; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; PHYSICS; SAFETY DEVICES, TRANSPORT, FILLING-UP, RESCUE, VENTILATION, ORDRAINING IN OR OF MINES OR TUNNELS; SELECTING; SIGNALLING; SIGNALLING OR CALLING SYSTEMS; SOIL SHIFTING; TESTING; TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHICCOMMUNICATION; UNDERGROUND OR UNDERWATER STRUCTURES

A device 100 for monitoring an underground utility vault 10 environment that includes a plurality of environmental sensors comprising at least one primary sensor comprising a carbon monoxide sensor 127 and at least one secondary sensor 122. There is a processor 126 for receiving output data from the sensors, and a communications module 130 for transmitting data from the device. The processor 126 determines whether an alarm condition is present based on the output data from each primary sensor and, when it is determined that an alarm condition is present, compiles an alarm data packet. There may be a further primary sensor that is one of a temperature, electrical arc 133, smoke 132, stray voltage, water 160 or tamper 138 sensor. There is also provided a device 100 having a waterproof housing 110 and a plurality of internal sensors including a gas sensor 127 for measuring a gas concentration in the utility vault environment. There is a port 144 for allowing gas exchange between the environment outside the housing 110 and the gas sensor 127, the port 144 being arranged to prevent water ingress from the exterior into the interior of the housing 110.