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

20年来，PROTEA有限公司一直走在使用傅立叶变换红外(FTIR)光谱技术测量工业污染物的前沿。傅立叶变换红外光谱分析技术的一大优势是能够对多种气体提供详细的定性和定量的化学信息，作为一种检测和分析工具，它的功能非常强大，但其实时分析能力有限。它要么掌握在训练有素的操作员(光谱学家)手中，他们可以研究红外光谱，并在软件中为观察到的气体矩阵应用正确的校准程序，要么自动检测特定工业排放的特定气体。这大大增加了设备拥有和运营的额外成本。这意味着FTIR技术通常被视为一项需要专业知识的困难或熟练的技术。该过程的完全自动化将消除为预期气体和收集后分析例行程序对系统进行预编程所需的时间和技能。因此，AIR-IQ项目的目的是利用IR和软件算法的进步来证明实时动态定性和定量的概念，并在便携式轻型气体分析仪中提供这一概念。这将是行业第一次，并将导致一种气体分析仪，该仪器可以在工厂或现场打开并就样品中存在的气体给出定性反馈，然后自动应用正确的定量分析来报告直接浓度值。工业用户将第一次能够实时地看到他们的过程或排放的气体流动中存在什么气体种类。此外，分析仪的读数将能够报告给立法机构，例如报告工厂允许的排放限制值。因此，ProTea的技术将有助于英国减少有害气体排放的目标。

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.