Quantitative Methane Plume Imager for Localization and Flow Rate Estimation in Mines

项目总结/摘要 NIOSH开展活动，以确保美国工人的安全和健康。这一拟议 该项目提出了NIOSH的一项使命目标，即提供实用方法的创新解决方案， 在高风险职业（如采矿）中以合理的成本查明和测量危险。采矿 工业提出了特别具有挑战性的安全和健康需求。尽管有严格的安全监管 程序，意外爆炸和有毒气体吸入继续造成煤矿工人死亡。帮助 为了防止这种悲剧，需要技术来从远处感知和测量浓度， 爆炸或其他危及生命的危险，包括甲烷、一氧化碳、硫化氢， 氨和灰尘这些技术可以警告矿工立即危险的条件， 在进入潜在危险区域之前。技术，如广泛部署的反向散射 可调谐二极管激光吸收光谱法由物理科学公司开发和商业化。 (PSI)对于使用手持式激光工具的天然气泄漏测量，能够感知爆炸物或有毒物质 通过用激光束安全地照射感兴趣的区域，从远处观察环境。先前 NIOSH/CDC/OMHSR的研究证明了使用这种技术来检测甲烷含量高的地区 沿沿着矿壁面的浓度。这项技术适用于测量每一种危险的 上面列出的气体。最近，PSI开发了利用这项技术创造量化的能力， 图像的小甲烷羽流，并利用定量信息推断羽流通量（即， 排放流率）。第一阶段的项目展示了一个轻量级和紧凑的设计的收发器 头部将使手持式成像工具能够可视化和量化潜在的 危险的甲烷排放源，以及检测煤矿中的停滞甲烷袋。 第二阶段的目标是：1）开发一个手持原型，2）评估原型的相关性。 环境.第二阶段的具体目标是：1）开发一个原型手持成像传感器 将光学和电子部件沿着与可以使用的数据分析算法结合 用于现场测试; 2）在受控的和真实的环境中挑战原型; 3）分析数据， 改进分析，修改原型。实现这些目标的任务包括： 电子、机械和光学组件;将所有子系统集成到一个紧凑的封装中; 本安型设备的设计和修改;固件和软件的开发和修改; 进行开放和封闭的实验室测试;分析结果;修改原型和算法。

Project Summary/Abstract NIOSH conducts activities to assure safe and healthful conditions for American workers. This proposed project addresses a NIOSH mission objective for innovative solutions that provide practical methods to identify and measure hazards at a reasonable cost in high-risk occupations (e.g. mining). The mining industry presents particularly challenging safety and health needs. Despite well-regulated safety procedures, accidental explosions and toxic gas inhalation continue to cause coal miner deaths. To help prevent such tragedies, technologies are needed that sense and measure, from a distance, concentrations of explosive or other life-threatening hazards including methane, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and dust. These technologies can warn miners of immediately dangerous conditions within or prior to entering potentially hazardous areas. Technologies such as the widely deployed backscatter Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy developed and commercialized by Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) for natural gas leak surveying using handheld laser tools, enable sensing explosive or toxic environments from afar by safely illuminating the region of interest with a laser beam. Previous NIOSH/CDC/OMHSR research demonstrated the use of this technology to detect areas of high methane concentrations along mine wall faces. The technology is adaptable to measure each of the hazardous gases listed above. Recently, PSI developed the ability to utilize this technology to create quantified images of small methane plumes, and to utilize the quantitative information to deduce the plume flux (i.e. emission flow rate). The Phase I project demonstrated a lightweight and compact design of the transceiver head that will enable a handheld imaging tool for the visualization and quantification of potentially hazardous methane emission sources, as well as detection of stagnant methane pockets, in coal mines. The Phase II objectives are to: 1) develop a handheld prototype, and 2) evaluate the prototype in relevant environments. The Phase II specific aims are to: 1) develop a prototype handheld imaging sensor incorporating the optical and electronic components along with data analytics algorithms that can be used for field testing; 2) challenge the prototype in controlled and real environments; 3) analyze the data, improve the analytics, and revise prototype. Tasks to achieve these aims include: reducing footprints of electronics, mechanical and optical components; integrating all sub-systems into a compact package; designing and modifying toward intrinsically safe device; developing and modifying firmware and software; conducting open and confined laboratory tests; analyzing results, and; revising prototype and algorithms.