Improved polymer absorption sensors for oil detection

改进的用于油检测的聚合物吸收传感器

• 批准号: 520079-2017
• 负责人: vanVeggel, Frank
• 金额: $ 1.82万
• 依托单位: University of Victoria
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Engage Grants Program
• 财政年份: 2017
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2017-01-01 至 2018-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=640376
• 关键词: Improved; polymer; absorption; sensors; oil

Syscor co. has embarked on an ambitious R&D programme to develop sensor systems to monitor early stageleaks of pipelines for the transport of (crude) oil and natural gas. Early detection allows for timely intervention,so that remediation is easy and cheap. Syscor's technology is based on the Polymer Absorption Sensor (PAS)and they have shown proof-of-principle and have a patent on the technology. The PAS is a sensor where, uponsorption of specific chemicals, there is a physical change in sensor, i.e. the polymer swells because of uptake ofa volatile hydrocarbon, resulting in corresponding change in sensor resistivity. A PAS is generally comprised ofa base elastomeric polymer film, which selectively adsorb target hydrocarbons, and a distribution of conductiveparticles (e.g. one or more metallic or carbon-based particles) to enhance the response changes in the resistanceof the polymer film. However, for commercial viability there remain some outstanding issues, such assensitivity, reversibility, cross-sensitivity and fabrication reproducibility. The sensitivity has to be increased,especially for the least volatile compounds, so that leaks can be detected at the earliest possible time. Thereversibility of the sensors has to be improved because baseline drift makes the data processing unnecessarilycomplicated and over time potentially unreliable, but more importantly diminishes the earliest possibledetection. Cross-sensitivity of a sensor refers to PAS response to a confounding environmental condition (e.g.time-varying fluctuations in temperature and /or water saturation), which interferes with reliable measurements.The cross-sensitivity of PASs has to be mitigated for acquiring readily interpretable data. Reproducibility of thefabrication process is an obvious requirement for a commercial application, but not part of the goals of thisproposal.

Syscor公司已经开始了一项雄心勃勃的研发计划，开发传感器系统，以监测（原油）和天然气运输管道的早期泄漏。早期发现可以及时干预，因此补救措施既容易又便宜。Syscor的技术基于聚合物吸收传感器（PAS），他们已经证明了原理，并拥有该技术的专利。PAS是一种传感器，其中，在吸收特定化学品时，传感器中存在物理变化，即聚合物由于吸收挥发性烃而溶胀，导致传感器电阻率的相应变化。PAS通常由基础弹性体聚合物膜和导电颗粒（例如一种或多种金属或碳基颗粒）的分布组成，所述基础弹性体聚合物膜选择性地吸附目标烃，所述导电颗粒的分布增强聚合物膜的电阻的响应变化。然而，对于商业可行性，仍然存在一些突出的问题，如assensitivity，可逆性，交叉敏感性和制造再现性。必须提高灵敏度，特别是对于挥发性最低的化合物，以便能够尽早检测到泄漏。传感器的可靠性必须得到改善，因为基线漂移使数据处理变得不必要的复杂，随着时间的推移可能不可靠，但更重要的是减少了最早的检测。传感器的交叉敏感性是指PAS对干扰可靠测量的混杂环境条件（例如温度和/或含水饱和度的时变波动）的响应。PAS的交叉敏感性必须得到缓解，以获得易于解释的数据。制造过程的可复制性是商业应用的明显要求，但不是本提案目标的一部分。