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Development of cost effective fenceline monitoring approaches to support advanced leak detection and repair strategies
Citation:
Squier, B., Bill Mitchell, E. Thoma, S. Amin, AND M. Modrak. Development of cost effective fenceline monitoring approaches to support advanced leak detection and repair strategies. 105th Annual Conference of the Air and Waste Management Association, San Antonio, TX, June 19 - 22, 2012.
Impact/Purpose:
This is a poster on the development of cost effective fencline monitoring approaches to support advanced leak detection and repair strategies that will be prensented at the 105th Annual Conference of the Air and Waste Management Association, June 19-22, 2012, in San Antonio, Texas
Description:
Cost-effective fence line and process monitoring systems to support advanced leak detection and repair (LDAR) strategies can enhance protection of public health, facilitate worker safety, and help companies realize cost savings by reducing lost product. The U.S. EPA Office of Research and Development (ORD) is working to develop a variety of next-generation fence line monitoring approaches ranging from time-integrated passive sampling to time-resolved concentration and wind field measurements. This extended abstract and poster presentation will summarize development progress on several low-cost fence line monitoring systems. A leak detection system called the deep ultraviolet optical sensor (DUVOS) will be described. The DUVOS concept utilizes discrete regions in the deep ultraviolet spectrum that allow for high sensitivity, non-speciated gas detection of a wide variety of volatile organic compounds and hazardous air pollutants with greatly simplified analysis and optical design requirements. The simplified design concept reduces the initial investment and ongoing operational costs of the sensor while increasing operational robustness and leak detection performance. Both an open-path and point monitor version of the DUVOS system will be described. Another technology that uses fast-response spectroscopic instruments, a precise global positioning system, and advanced wind measurements to locate and estimate fugitive emissions of compounds such as methane and benzene from a remote vantage point will be presented. This mobile leak detection approach can be used as part of a periodic drive-by inspection program to complement and inform LDAR activities.