Patent ID: 9557308
Date: 2017-01-31
CPC Classifications: G01N

Claim:
1. A method for detecting ambient aerosols, comprising: measuring a concentration and a size of ambient aerosols in an air stream; providing a first notification if at least one of the size of the ambient aerosols exceeds a first threshold and the concentration of the ambient aerosols exceeds a second threshold; determining composition information of the ambient aerosols; providing a second notification if the composition information indicates presence of volcanic ash in the air stream; storing electronic data representing the measured concentration of the ambient aerosols in memory as a function of time if the composition information indicates the presence of volcanic ash in the air stream; generating expected concentration of the ambient aerosols in memory as a function of time; comparing the measured concentration of ambient aerosols as a function of time with corresponding respective expected concentration of ambient aerosols as a function of time; and generating a perceptible alarm in response to the measured concentration as a function of time matching within a specified threshold the corresponding respective expected concentration as a function of time.