Air Quality Information System

Air Quality Information System (AQIS)

WHY?

	SAFETY FIRST AQIS is a new approach to providing air quality information in occupied spaces.
	RISK MITIGATION AQIS Alert protocols provide an intervention strategy ahead of a full alarm condition that could allow a response team to resolve a problem before an alarm condition is reached.
	INFORMATION AQIS develops and distributes Air Quality Information alerts when a monitored contaminant is detected in occupied space.
	REAL TIME AQIS provides real time updates about airborne contamination levels.

WHAT DOES IT DO?

AQIS can monitor levels of many airborne contaminants that are considered risky or dangerous in occupied spaces. It will:

Pinpoint the location where a sensor has detected a sustained and measureable contamination level.
Qualifies the identity of a contaminant based on the substance the sensor is designed to measure.
Provides real time measurement of the contaminants levels as well as increases and decreases in concentration.
Uses wireless technology to deliver critical event information to any communications device approved by user.

01	EARLY WARNING AQIS provides situational awareness alerts prior to protocol alarms being triggered.
02	ALERT BEFORE ALARM AQIS alerts response team prior to initiating protocol alarms to prevent unsettled responses from persons in the occupied space.
03	FORECASTING Uses real time algorithms to forecast a trending increase in contaminants concentration as well as projected timing of next alert.
04	RECOMMENDED ACTIONS Provides a recommended action sequence for Emergency Response Teams.
05	EVENT SUMMARY Provides a summary of an event to include: Location, Start Time, End Time, Duration and Highest Concentration Level. All necessary information for regulatory compliance reporting.

For the purposes of this example, the gas being monitored is Anhydrous Ammonia.

The purpose of the AQIS is to:

Monitor sensors in a facility for above nuisance, or threshold level sensor signals for a gas contaminant in the monitors range or space.
Provide an alert or alarm status message that annunciates the time, location, concentration, forecast for additional messages and recommended actions.
Provide updated status messages of additional alerts or alarms until event is concluded.

The ammonia system is located in a carbonated beverage production facility. There are three monitored areas or zones:

Filling Room	There are 3 product filling lines each with an ammonia refrigerated product chiller. There are 6 anhydrous ammonia gas monitors in the room.
Equipment Yard	There are 6 compressors in the compressor room. There are 3 anhydrous ammonia gas monitors in the room.
Compressor Room	There is a multi-cell evaporative condenser, an ammonia receiver and a suction trap with transfer system. There are 3 anhydrous ammonia gas monitors in the equipment yard.

THE FIRST SCREEN

On the HMI display is the AQIS Dashboard which has one or more Vertical gauges each calibrated to represent the highest level of monitored gas in PPM (Parts Per Million). The gauge is color coded to highlight the current contamination levels in a monitored space or zone.

THE SECOND SCREEN

On the HMI display is a diagram of the area where the Alert Status is being triggered. Sensor locations are identified along with the color code for gas concentration levels. There is an Alert Status information block that provides real time updates about the Alert and an Event Summary information block that provides real time updates about the event.

FIRST LEVEL (GREEN)

NO ACTIVE ALERTS OR ALARMS
All sensors indicate that there are no gas concentration levels above measured threshold level.

THE SECOND SCREEN ACTIVE ALERTS & ALARMS
Real time ALERTS are provided when threshold levels are reached. Updates are provided based on an increase in gas concentration as determined by either elapsed time or a rate of rise algorithm which measures a rise in gas concentration over a specific time element.

ALARMS are triggered when certain gas concentration levels are achieved that coincide with OSHA alarm protocols for human relocation to safer areas and Response Team actions.

THE THIRD SCREEN

EVENT SUMMARY SCREEN

At the end of any AQIS measured event, a third screen will be displayed on the HMI. This event summary presents all information, alerts and alarms experienced during an AQIS measured event. This screen can be printed or transmitted for use when preparing National Response Center report of a gas concentration event.

EVENT SUMMARY (Example)

EVENT ADDRESS	1234 MAIN STREET, SOMEWHERE USA
EMERGENCY PHONE	123-456-7890
EVENT LOCATION	AMMONIA COMPRESSOR ROOM - COMPRESSORS 3 ∓ 4
EVENT DATE	07/25/18

EVENT SUMMARY SCREEN - CONT'D

At the end of any AQIS measured event, a third screen will be displayed on the HMI.

EVENT END TIME	12:11:00
TOTAL ALERT STATUS DURATION	71 MINUTES
TOTAL ALARM STATUS DURATION	35 MINUTES
TOTAL EVENT DURATION	106 MINUTES
HIGHEST CONCENTRATION LEVEL	306 PPM