System and method for determining one or more fluid concentrations in a fluid stream

Abstract

A multi-component fluid composition and concentration sensor system and method. The system can be configured with multiple sensing elements whereby each specifically responds to different combinations and concentrations of multiple fluid component mixtures. Because these responses can be captured and committed to a lookup table during an initial calibration sequence, subsequent measurements of unknown mixtures of the same gases will match known states found in the lookup table and the fluid concentrations can be deduced. The number of sensing elements with unique responses to the fluid mixtures should equal the number of unknown fluids that are active on the sensing surfaces, similar to how solving for multiple variables requires no fewer equations than there are unknowns, i.e. '3 equations and 3 variables.' A reference surface can also be present in the fluid composition and concentration sensor so that the effects measured by the sensing surfaces can be determined against a relevant control that is not sensitive to the active fluids being measured.