| Abstract Title: | Simultaneous identification and quantification of methane at stand-off distance based on hyperspectral MIR imager |
| Presenter Name: | Mr Guillermo Guarnizo |
| Co-authors: | Dr Juan Melendez Prof Fernando Lopez |
| Company/Organisation: | LIR - Carlos III University of Madrid |
| Country: | Spain |
Abstract Information :
In an effort to reduce the human footprint on Earth’s atmosphere on account of the world massive industrialisation, several renowned organisations as WHO have established air quality guidelines to control the emission values of air pollutants. One of the main greenhouse gases that contributes to global warming is methane, and an effective and reliable measurement method that allows simultaneous identification and quantification of this gas may have considerable interest for both industrial sectors and environmental authorities. One of the objectives of the EMPIR project 16ENV08 IMPRESS 2 within WP2 is to develop hyperspectral measurement methods for the determination of emissions coming from biomass combustion sources in the pursuit of on-line and innovative techniques which can be the basis of a forthcoming and unambiguous European regulation. Hyperspectral imaging techniques have come up as an interesting gas measurement method due to its many advantages like spectral detection, simultaneous large area information, and quantification at safe distances from the pollutant source. These features turn these techniques into an outstanding option to precisely measure the emissions of real combustion systems like the previously mentioned biomass plants. In this presentation, a measurement procedure to identify and quantify methane at stand-off distance is presented. The straightforward laboratory setup is described, as well as the obtained signature infrared spectrums which would be the foundation to concentration measurements, by using a transmittance fitting algorithm applied to spectra measured by an imaging FTIR system. The main advantage of the FTIR imaging is its high spectral resolution that allows to differentiate methane from other hydrocarbons whose MIR (mid-infrared) spectra are located in the same range, as well as the spatial resolution that makes possible to image the pollutant clouds. The initial tests will use a gas cell with a defined path at room temperature, with the aim of extending measurements to high temperature leaks typical of anthropogenic methane sources.
