Remote environmental condition monitoring and reporting

Abstract

Various technologies for monitoring operation of an air contaminant mitigation system, such as a vapor intrusion and/or radon gas mitigation system, are disclosed. For example, in one embodiment, a monitoring system includes an air contaminant mitigation system to exhaust vapors from a contaminated area to a designated area and a sensor module coupled to the air contaminant mitigation system to generate sensor signals indicative of a sensor condition of the air contaminant mitigation system. The system may also include a sensor controller to receive the sensor signals from the sensor module and generate sensor data indicative of the sensor signals. Additionally, the system may include a data server to receive the sensor data from the sensor controller, store the sensor data in a local database, and transmit information based on the sensor data to a remote computing device.

1 . A system for monitoring operation of an air contaminant mitigation system for exhausting vapors from a contaminated area to a designated area, the system comprising:
 a sensor module coupled to the air contaminant mitigation system and configured to (i) generate sensor signals indicative of a sensor condition of the air contaminant mitigation system and (ii) transmit the sensor signals; and   a sensor controller communicatively coupled to the sensor module and configured to (i) receive the sensor signals from the sensor module and (ii) generate sensor data indicative of the sensor condition based on the sensor signals,   wherein the sensor controller is to generate an alarm in response to the sensor data having a reference relationship to a threshold value.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor module is coupled to an exhaust fan of the air contaminant mitigation system and configured to generate sensor signals indicative of a sensor condition of the exhaust fan. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the sensor module comprises a current sensor coupled to a power path of the exhaust fan to detect an amount of current supplied to the exhaust fan, the sensor module to generate sensor signals indicative of the current. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor module comprises a pressure sensor coupled to an air conduit of the air contaminant mitigation system, the pressure sensor configured to generate sensor signals indicative of an air pressure within the air conduit. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the sensor controller is to generate the alarm in response to a determination, based on the sensor signals, that the air pressure within the air conduit is greater than a reference threshold. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor module comprises a gas sensor coupled to an air conduit of the air contaminant mitigation system, the gas sensor is configured to detect the presence of a pre-determined type of gas within the air contained in the air conduit. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor module comprises:
 at least one sensor configured to generate sensor signals indicative of a sensor condition of the air contaminant mitigation system; and   a communication circuit to transmit the sensor signals to the sensor controller.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor module further includes a local alarm configured to be activated based on the sensor signals. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the sensor controller comprises:
 a communication circuit to receive the sensor signals from the sensor module; and   a control circuit to (i) generate the sensor data, (ii) compare the sensor data to a threshold value, and (iii) generate the alarm in response to the sensor data having a reference relationship to the threshold value.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the communication circuit comprises:
 a wired communication circuit communicatively coupled to the sensor module and configured to receive the sensor signals from the sensor module; and   a wireless communication circuit to transmit the sensor data to a remote computer.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the sensor controller further comprises a local alarm and wherein the control circuit is configured to activate the local alarm in response to the sensor data having a reference relationship to the threshold value. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein to generate the alarm comprises to transmit, via the communication circuit, an alert to a remote computer in response to the sensor data having a reference relationship to the threshold value. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a data server, wherein
 the sensor controller is to transmit the sensor data to the data server, and   the data server is to generate operation data indicative of the operation of the air contaminate mitigation system based the sensor data and facilitate access to the operation data by a remote computer.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the data server is to determine an alarm condition based on the operation data and generate a user interface, viewable via the remote computer, having an indicator of the alarm condition to notify a user of the remote computer of the alarm condition. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the data server is to generate, based on the operation data, an operational indicator indicative of the length of Lime for which the air contaminate mitigation system has been operational. 
     
     
         16 . A method for monitoring operation of an air contaminant mitigation system for exhausting vapors from a contaminated area to a designated area, the method comprising:
 generating, by a sensor module, sensor signals indicative of a sensor condition of the air contaminant mitigation system;   transmitting, by the sensor module, the sensor signals to a sensor controller,   generating, by the sensor controller, sensor data indicative of the sensor condition based on the sensor signals; and   generating, by the sensor controller, an alarm in response to the sensor data having a reference relationship to a threshold value.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein:
 generating sensor signals comprises generating pressure signals indicative of an air pressure within an air conduit of the air contaminant mitigation system, and   generating the alarm comprises generating an alarm in response to the sensor data indicating that the air pressure within the air conduit has a reference relationship to a threshold pressure value.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein:
 transmitting the sensor signals comprises transmitting the sensor signals to the sensor controller using a wired communication protocol; and   further comprising wirelessly transmitting the sensor data from the sensor controller to a data server.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 transmitting the sensor data from the sensor controller to a data server;   generating, on the data server, operation data indicative of the operation of the air contaminate mitigation system based on the sensor data, and   generating, on the data server and based on the operation data, an operational indicator indicative of the length of time for which the air contaminate mitigation system has been operational.   
     
     
         20 . A system for monitoring operation of an air contaminant mitigation system for exhausting vapors from a contaminated area to a designated area, the system comprising:
 a sensor module coupled to the air contaminant mitigation system, the sensor module comprising (i) an air pressure sensor operatively coupled to an air conduit of the air contaminant mitigation system and configured to generate sensor signals indicative of an air pressure within the air conduit and (ii) a communication circuit to transmit the sensor signals; and   a sensor controller communicatively coupled to the sensor module, the sensor controller comprising (i) a wired communication circuit to receive the sensor signals from the sensor module, (ii) a control circuit to generate sensor data indicative of the air pressure within the air conduit, compare the sensor data to a threshold value, and generate an alert in response to the sensor data having a reference relationship to the threshold value, and (iii) a wireless communication circuit to transmit the alert to a remote computer.