Development of a low cost, field portable, Imaging Fourier Transform Interferometer for gas leak detection in the Petrochemical industry

石化工业对英国来说是非常重要的，既是一个主要的雇主，也是一个主要的出口商。石油化工设施延伸到非常大的区域，拥有广泛而复杂的基础设施，以在高温高压下运输和储存化学品和气体。工人和附近居民的健康和安全是至关重要的，像英国石油公司这样的公司付出了相当大的努力，花费了大量的资金来确保他们的石化设施尽可能的安全。目前，石油化工设施的健康与安全和污染监测方法涉及在石油化工设施周围的关键位置部署大量气体探测器。这些气体探测器虽然非常准确，但它们可以探测气体排放的区域范围有限。除了漏失气体泄漏外，基于点的探测器不具备识别指示应力或约束材料减弱的模式基础结构的能力。现有的基于成像的气体监测仪器不能满足石化行业的基本要求。带滤光片的热像仪和基于滤光片的快照系统都可以检测到高浓度气体的存在，但灵敏度很差，它们不能从复杂气体中区分不同的气体，并且受到大气中水蒸气存在的严重影响。成像傅里叶变换干涉仪（FTIRs）有潜力克服这些其他技术的灵敏度和精度限制，但目前的系统非常昂贵，非常笨重，并且具有非常高的电源要求，因此对便携性和在危险气体泄漏环境中的部署产生严重影响。因此，迫切需要开发一种低成本、高度便携的成像FTIR系统，该系统可以在石化行业所需的灵敏度下区分和量化气体种类。该仪器将是基于卢瑟福阿普尔顿实验室（RAL）开发的一种新型静态光学结构的中红外傅立叶变换光谱仪的发展。这种仪器被称为微型傅立叶变换光谱仪（microFTS），它采用一种简单的光学装置来分裂光，然后重新组合光，形成一个复杂的调制干涉图样（称为干涉图）。该仪器结构紧凑（50mm × 50mm × 30mm），重量轻（~0.9 kg），具有非常高的数据采集时间率（~1 × 10-4 s-1）。该项目的另一个重要组成部分是开发易于使用的气体识别和分析软件包，该软件包将microFTS数据处理成图像，显示对石化行业最重要的气体种类的存在和浓度。该项目将涉及与国家物理实验室（NPL）的合作。该项目将利用国家物理实验室最新的、最先进的分析设施，在一定温度（气体和背景）、浓度和混合物范围内，全面评估新microFTS仪器在检测对石化工业最重要的气体种类（如甲烷、一氧化碳、二氧化碳、氨、乙酸）时的灵敏度。该项目还将涉及与英国石油公司的广泛合作。microFTS仪器的一系列广泛的现场评估活动将在赫尔附近Saltend的BP设施进行。有机会在正常大气条件下评估仪器的设计和能力，将能够确保在项目结束时生产的仪器是工业希望使用的仪器

The Petrochemical Industry is very important to the United Kingdom both as a major employer and exporter. Petrochemicalfacilities extend over very large areas and have extensive, complex infrastructure to transport and store chemicals and gasesunder high temperatures and pressures. The health and saftey of the workers and of nearby residents is of paramountimportance and companies such as BP extend considerable effort and spend very large sums of money to ensure that theirpetrochemical facilities are as safe as possible. The current health & safety and pollution monitoring approaches at Petrochemical facilities involves the deployment of a large number of gas detectors as key locations around the petrochemical facility. These gas detectors while being extremely accurate are limited in the extent of the area that they can detect gas emissions coming from. Apart from missing gas leaks point-based detectors do not have the capability of identification patternson infrastructure indicative of stress or weakening of restraining material.Currently available imaging based gas monitoring instruments are not capable of meeting the essential requirements of thePetrochemical industry. Both Thermal cameras with filters and filter-based snapshot systems can detect the presence of high concentrations of a number of gas species but have very poor sensitivity, they cannot differentiate different species from a complex gas and are severely affected by the presence of water vapour in the atmosphere. Imaging Fourier Transform Interferometers (FTIRs) have the potential to overcome the sensitivity and accuracy limitations of these other technologies but current systems are very expensive, very heavy and have a very high power supply requirement with consequent severe effects on the portability and deployment in environments with hazardous leaking gas. There is therefore an urgent need for the development of a low-cost, highly portable imaging FTIR system that can differentiate and quantify gas species at the sensitivity required by the Petrochemical industry. The proposed instrument will be a development of a mid-infrared Fourier Transform Spectrometer, based on a novel static optical configuration, that has been developed at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (RAL). This instrument, known as the micro Fourier Transform Spectrometer (microFTS), employs a simple optical arrangement to split and then recombine light to form a complex modulated interference pattern (known as an interferogram). The instrument is compact (50 mm by 50 mm by 30 mm), lightweight (~0.9 kg) and has a very high data acquisition time rate (~1 x 10-4 s-1). An important, additional component of theproject will be the development of an easy-to-use gas identification and analysis software package which will enable the microFTS data to be processed into images showing both the presence and the concentration of the gas species of most importance to the Petrochemical industry.This project will involve collaboratoration with the National Physical Laboratory (NPL). The project will utilise new, state-of-the-art analytical facilities at NPL which will enable a comprehensive evaluation of the sensitivity of the new microFTS instrument in detecting the gas species of most importance to the Petrochemical industry (e.g. methane, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ammonia, acetic acid), at a range of temperatures (both gas and background), concentrations and mixtures.The project will also involve extensive collaboration with BP. A series of extensive field-based evaluation campaigns of the microFTS instrument will be carried out at the BP facilities at Saltend, near Hull. The opportunity to evaluate the design and capabilities of the instrument in real situations under normal atmospheric conditions will be enbale to ensure that the instrument produced at the end ofproject is an instrument that industry would wish to uti