"AIR-IQ" - 'Automated Infra Red Identification and Quantification' in the application of environmental gas monitoring

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Protea Ltd. has been at the forefront of the use of Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR)spectrometry for the measurement of industrial pollutants for 20 years. One major advantage of FTIR spectroscopy is that it can give detailed qualitative and quantitative chemical information for a wide range of gases.As a detection and analysis tool it is very powerful, but its analytical capability in real time is limited. It is either in the hands of a trained operator (a spectroscopist) who can study IR spectra and apply the correct calibration routine in the software for the gas matrix observed or is automated to the detection of a specific gas for a specific industrial emission. This adds significant extra cost to the ownership and operation of the equipment. This means that FTIR technology is often viewed as a difficult or skilled technique requiring expertise. Full automation of the process would remove the time and skill required for the pre-programming of a system for expected gases and the post-collection analysis routines. Therefore the aim of this Project “AIR-IQ” is to prove the concept for real time dynamicqualification and quantification using IR and advances in software algorithms, and to deliver this in a portable light weighted gas analyser.This would be an industry first, and would result in a gas analyser that can be switched on in factory or field and give qualitative feedback as to what gases are present in a sample, before then automatically applying the correct quantification analysis to report direct concentration values.Industrial users will for the first time be able to see, in real-time, what gaseous species are present in their process or emission gas streams.Furthermore, the analyser’s readings will be able to be reported to legislative bodies, such as in reporting emission limit values for which a plant would have permitted levels. Protea’s technology will therefore contribute to the UK’s goal of reducing harmful gas emissions.