Portable methane/ethane analyzer system for civil and environmental engineering and earth sciences

甲烷是一种强效温室气体（GHG），在100年的时间范围内，其全球变暖潜力是二氧化碳的34倍。甲烷有多种来源，可以利用乙烷和甲烷同位素等地球化学证据来区分这些来源。来源归属对于准确的温室气体排放清单、有效的温室气体减排战略、改善空气质量和保护加拿大和其他地方的地下水至关重要。我们需要一个便携式甲烷、乙烷、二氧化碳和d13C-CH4分析仪系统，以支持几个研究项目，调查石油和天然气系统、废水处理和下水道以及自然环境中的甲烷排放。******所要求的移动甲烷/乙烷系统是申请人nserc资助和其他研究项目的迫切需要，该项目分为三个主题。在加拿大和许多其他油气生产国，石油和天然气系统是最大的人为甲烷排放源。减少石油和天然气系统的甲烷排放是加拿大的首要任务。为了减缓，必须确定排放源，而测量乙烷提供了这一重要能力。***(2)城市是全球最大的温室气体排放源。在加拿大和其他地方，天然气分配、垃圾填埋场和废水运输和处理是主要的城市甲烷排放源。许多城市甲烷排放源位于同一位置，因此测量乙烷对识别和减少排放至关重要。***(3)在气候变暖的情况下，永久冻土环境、湖泊、泥炭地和湿地的甲烷排放量可能会增加。所要求的系统需要了解控制这些排放的过程。例如，甲烷/乙烷比率可以确定热源甲烷排放是否在永久冻土环境中广泛存在，永久冻土占加拿大土地的40-50%。******所要求的系统提供了同时测量甲烷排放和来源归属的独特能力和高度便携性，这在实地研究中特别有用。测量频率为~ 1hz，可在现场快速方便地测量大量样品。因此，所要求的文书将使所有申请人能够在广泛的地理范围内探索需要更精细的空间和时间尺度数据的新问题。******使用所要求的仪器所产生的结果将扩大关于甲烷排放量化和减缓的科学和工程知识，并有助于加拿大在这一及时的研究领域发挥领导作用。此外，研究活动增进了对环境影响和甲烷排放清单的了解，并为制定新的缓解办法奠定了基础。因此，研究结果对加拿大和其他地方的工业、研究人员和市、省、联邦各级的政策制定者至关重要。* * * * * * * *

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas (GHG) with a global warming potential 34 times larger than carbon dioxide over a 100-year time horizon. There are many sources of methane and these sources can be differentiated using geochemical evidence such as ethane and isotopes of methane. Source attribution is critical for accurate GHG emissions inventories, effective GHG emission reduction strategies, air quality improvement, and groundwater protection across Canada and elsewhere. We are requesting a portable methane, ethane, carbon dioxide, and d13C-CH4 analyzer system to support several research programs that investigate methane emissions from oil and gas systems, wastewater treatment and sewers, and natural environments.******The requested mobile methane/ethane system is urgently needed for the applicants' NSERC-funded and other research projects, which fall under three themes.***(1) Oil and gas systems are the largest anthropogenic emitter of methane in Canada and many other oil-and-gas-producing countries. Mitigating methane emissions from oil and gas systems is a top priority for Canada. For mitigation, it is essential to identify the source of emissions and the measurement of ethane provides this important capability.***(2) Cities are the largest source of GHG emissions in the world. Natural gas distribution, landfills, and wastewater transport and treatment are the main urban methane emission sources in Canada and elsewhere. Many urban methane emission sources are co-located and thus, it is critical to measure ethane to identify and reduce emissions. ***(3) Methane may be increasingly emitted from permafrost environments, lakes, peatlands and wetlands in a warming climate. The requested system is needed to understand the processes controlling these emissions. For example, methane/ethane ratios can determine whether thermogenic methane emissions are widespread in permafrost environments, which represent 40-50% of land in Canada.******The requested system provides the unique capability of simultaneous measurements of methane emissions and source attribution and high portability, which is particularly useful in field studies. With a measurement frequency of ~1 Hz, a large number of samples can be measured quickly and easily in field. Therefore, the requested instrument will allow all applicants to explore new questions requiring data at finer spatial and temporal scales over a wide geographical extent. ******The results from the use of the requested instruments will expand science and engineering knowledge on methane emissions quantification and mitigation and contribute to Canadian leadership in this timely research area. Furthermore, the research activities provide improved understanding of environmental impacts and methane emissions inventories and basis for development of new mitigation solutions. Therefore, the results are essential for industry, researchers, and policymakers at municipal, provincial, and federal levels in Canada and elsewhere. ********