Deployable Electrochemical Methane Sensors for Pipeline Monitoring and Greenhouse Gas Mitigation

用于管道监测和温室气体减排的可部署电化学甲烷传感器

• 批准号: 539430-2019
• 负责人: Pope, Michael
• 金额: $ 2.97万
• 依托单位: University of Waterloo
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Collaborative Research and Development Grants
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2019-01-01 至 2020-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=688178
• 关键词: Deployable; Electrochemical; Methane; Sensors; Pipeline

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas many times more damaging to the environment than CO2. Industrial sectors across Canada - especially in the natural resource arena - are high emitters of methane, resulting in increased mandates from both the public and private sectors to directly address the source of these emissions. Ironically, most methane emissions are due to leaks in existing pressure and piping systems, and not as a result of intentional direct environmental venting. As a manufacturer of engineered industrial products used in systems where methane emissions are present, Pro-Flange has a direct interest in developing a product that can detect such leaks in order to address and repair without significant contamination of the environment.The proposed collaboration between Pro-Flange and the University of Waterloo, aims to develop 'smart flanges' which have built-in, replaceable, inexpensive methane sensors which can detect any fugitive emissions or leaks occurring in and around the natural gas pipeline. In principle, these smart flanges will form a sensor network that emits a signal to inform the gas distributor of a leak and its location in the infrastructure. Since the gas distribution networks span huge areas across the country, it is not currently feasible for routine manual monitoring and so many leaks go undetected and unaccounted for. The proposed work will solve this problem and may lead to significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions for Canada and the world.

甲烷是一种强有力的温室气体，对环境的破坏是二氧化碳的好几倍。加拿大各地的工业部门--特别是自然资源领域的工业部门--是甲烷的高排放者，导致公共和私营部门增加了直接解决这些排放来源的任务。具有讽刺意味的是，大多数甲烷排放是由于现有压力和管道系统的泄漏，而不是故意的直接环境排放。作为一家用于存在甲烷排放的系统的工程工业产品制造商，Pro-Flange对开发一种能够检测到此类泄漏的产品有直接兴趣，以便在不对环境造成重大污染的情况下解决和修复问题。Pro-Flange与滑铁卢大学拟议的合作旨在开发具有内置、可更换、廉价的甲烷传感器的“智能法兰”，可以检测天然气管道内和周围发生的任何逃逸排放或泄漏。原则上，这些智能法兰将形成一个传感器网络，该网络发出信号，通知气体分销商泄漏及其在基础设施中的位置。由于天然气输送网络覆盖了全国大片地区，目前常规的人工监测是不可行的，因此许多泄漏没有被发现和下落不明。拟议的工作将解决这一问题，并可能导致加拿大和世界温室气体排放的大幅减少。