DEVELOPMENT OF THE DETECTION SYSTEM OF METHANE LEAKAGE USING 3.

2m MID-INFRARED LED AND PD

Gyou-tae Park , Kyu-cheol Park , Geun-jun Lyu , Jeong-rock Kwon , 1 2 4 Young-gyu Kim , Byoung-jo Ryou , Jung-il Park 1. Institute of Gas Safety R&D, Korea Gas Safety Corporation, 2. Korea Gas Safety Corporation 3. School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Yonsei University, 4. School of Electronic Engineering, Yeungnam University Keywords: 1. Methane; 2. Mid-infrared; 3. LED; 4.PD; 5. Detector.
1 3 1 1

Introduction

In era of energy, methane monitoring is indispensable for safety in chemical facilities, gas plants, and mines, because methane is an inflammable and explosive gas and is the principal ingredient of natural gas. However, conventional gas sensors are less capable of detecting some gases of small quantites. The spectroscopic method is a way to provide such sensing. Moreover, it has many other advantages such as high sensitivity, a fast response and molecular selectivity. To achieve high detection sensitivity, it is desirable to use as strong an absorption line as possible. Methane has strong absorption of the 3 and 4 bands at 3.3 and 7.7m, respectively at Fig.1 [1]. Gas distribution companies and leak inspection organizations have an interest in new technologies suitable for measuring natural and combustible gas leaks. Usually, conventional optical sensors and detectors with wavelength of 1.65 have the potential to meet the often confliction for requirements of the excellent detection performance, fast response time and low cross-sensitivity to other gases and vapors. For the long time, the technology based on gas absorption spectroscopy has been developed to give a new portable instrument using optical sensors. In the mid-infrared band there are many gas absorption lines, and focus is being placed on applications as a light source for measurement of environmental gases in the atmosphere [2]. There are quantum cascade-type semiconductor lasers and parametric oscillators using photonic crystals as the light source for this band. Conventional parametric oscillators have been large in size and have low conversion efficiencies, but light sources have recently been developed to be compact in size, provide higher conversion efficiency and cover an extremely broad range of wavelength variation in order to measure many types of gases [3-6]. In the recent research, we developed new methane sensor modules based on the frequency modulation (FM) spectroscopy using about 3.2m InAsSbP light emitting diodes(LED) and photo diodes(PD). Absorption spectroscopy using novel mid IR LED and PD with the wavelength of about 3.2m can lead to compact, low-cost, and fast response sensor modules to measure methane.

Fig. 1 The absorption spectra of methane

Objectives of the paper

To achieve high detection sensitivity, it is desirable to use as strong and absorption line as possible. The strongest absorption of methane below 2.2m is the 23 band located at =1.6-7m and there are several lines free of interference from atmospheric gases in this band. At present, however, it is difficult to make diode lasers of wavelengths longer than 2m that operate room temperature and to detect the small leak flux 1

at pipeline and facilities of natural gas. So, to improve the sensitivity of detection, we subsituted LED sources for Lasers, which are needless cryogenic cooling devices because mid-infrared LEDs, wavelengths of 3.2 m are operated at room temperature. Our prototype system is able to speedily detect extremely small quantities of methane so the methane absorption intensity is stronger than band of 1.65 . Engineers will be easy to utilize other application development, because the sensor modules for detecting methane are subminiature, light, and easy handling.

3 a.

Development of methane leak detection system The description of LMLD system

LMLD(LED Methane Leak Detector) is an Optical Gas Leak Detection instrument for measuring the presence of methane and ethane gas. It has been developed since 2006 in our institute. The instrument relies on measuring the absorption of light by methane in the mid infrared region. A light source made by LED(Light Emitting Diode) mounted on one end, facing an optical detector located on the opposite end. The light source produces a wide range of wavelengths, including wavelength bands absorbed by methane. LEDs of the mid-infrared band, which are made from InAsSbP, provide narrow bandwidth illumination that is projected through the sample volume and then detected by a photo detector. A photo detector made by a photodiode(PD) contains a glass lens and a mirror that concentrates ray reached from a LED light source. LEDs and PDs are equipped with the function of electric thermo cooling. The power is used to supply 12V from the battery. Fig.2 shows the diagram of a whole system of methane detection system. Then Concentration is computed through a procedure series: emitting LEDs, amplifying, AD converting, calculation and displaying.

LE 32 D

Analog-Digital Converter

Preamplifier

CH4
LE 27 D

PD36

Fig. 2 The scheme of the methane detection system b. The detection of methane

Above all, we reviewed Lambert-Beer law. The transmission of the LED light source through a tube with diffused methane can be expressed by the Lambert-Beer law as (1) A = log10 ( I0 / It ) = - logT = L C C = KA/ L + C1 (1) (2)

Where I0 is the intensity of light before transmission to cell, It is the intensity of light after transmission to cell, A is the absorbance, T is the transmittance, is the molecular absorption coefficient(L/molcm), L is the transmission length of optical cell, C is the concentration of gas, K is weight number by KGS. C1 is a constant. We, here, can easily estimate the absorbance through a simple experiment from an intensity of I0 and It. we, therefore, can calculate a gas concentration, if knowing an absorbance (2). Now, we, also, proposed other method for detecting quantities of methane. Here, LED27, absorption bands of water, is used for reference and verifying existence of methane. And, LED32 is used for light source to detect methane. PD36 receives quantities of light source and converts them into electric signals. We 2

Processor /Display

Current Driver

calculated concentration of methane using the differential intensity of quantities of LED32. In words, first, we measured intensity of LED32 when without methane and measured that of when with methane. Second, we deducted the differences of the light intensity of LED32 and computed concentration of methane after numerous tuning. A simple Equation (3) shows that of our proposed detecting methane. Here, K2 is a weight factor, C2 is a compensate constant.

C = K2

( It I 0 ) + C2 T

(3)

Fig. 3 The schematic diagram of CH4 detector.

Fig. 4 The mid-IR LEDs and PDs

Fig. 5 The performance test of CH4 detector.

Fig.3 shows the schematic diagram of CH4 detector and the structure of the LED transmitters and a PD receiver along with the modulator-controller. Thermoelectric elements, controlling operating temperature, are mounted upon LEDs and PDs. The characterics of these InAsSbP LEDs(IBSG, Russia) are follows : The current threshold at 1kHz rate is maximum 1A. FWHM is 0.7m. Optical power at 1A is 400W. Quantum yield is 0.5%.Switch time is 50ns. Operating temperature is from 77 to 320K.The receiver consists of a focusing lens system and a InAsSbP pin photo diode(IBSG, Russia). The characteristics are as follow: Cut-of wavelength at 10% is 3.8 m. Peak wavelength at > 90% is from 2.8 to 3.4m. Responsibility at p is 1.0-1.2 1/2 A/W. Detection sensitivity is about 3*109 cmHz /W. Fig. 4, 5 show appearances of LEDs and PDs. 4 Results

In the prototype system, sample cell with length 5cm, diameter 1.2cm was the semi-sealing state. We manufactured a prototype system for detecting methane using mid IR optical sensor modules, LEDs and PDs, with transmitted types. The collection and receiver-optics efficiency are improved because of installed cone concentrator. Fig. 5 show performance test of prototype system for detecting methane while a standard gas is injected to a gas cell, simultaneously. The standard gas for testing is observed by international standard and made by KGS(Korea Gas Safety Corporation). Its concentration is 22,330 ppm(2.233%), about half of explosive concentration. In our experiments, first, an initial light intensity of LED32 is recorded in the detection system when without methane. Second, LED27 should be radiated to check other wavelengths, in no band of methane. If the light intensity is reduced in PD36 while LED27 is radiated, its region is not band of methane. Third, if the light intensity is reduced in PD36 while radiating LED32 after no response at LED27, the signal of methane concentration can be detected at PD36. The detection sensor, PD36, can be amplified 3

up to 1 million times and the intensity analog signal of PD36 is translated into a digital voltage signal. It can be displayed in real time on the screen of a display unit after computed to concentration. Particularly, PD36 is compensated for temperature. Some of the beam of light is absorbed by the methane and less reaches to the detector while the beam of light is passed through a cloud of methane. The drop parts of the light intensity are estimated to the concentration of methane at a peak while also triggering an audible alarm. In other words, the absorbed light intensity is preferential to the concentration of methane. Through this procedure, we manufactured system for detecting methane from linearization of reduced outputs. The output signals(voltage) of before injecting CH4 is 2,250mV and that of after injecting CH4 is 2,000mV in Fig. 6. Now, we can accurately compute the concentration of methane from the subtraction of the output signal, 250mV.

Fig. 6 The output signal of PD before(2,250mV) and after injecting CH4(2,000mV) 5 Conclusions

We demonstrated detection system of methane leak with standard methane certificated by government side of about 50% LEL methane. Preliminary evaluation of our prototype system was very positive under level of ppb. Our novel instrument is applied to new technology using mid IR LEDs and PDs with about 3.2m and is unnecessary to use cryogenic cooling device any further owing to driven on the room temperature. Another advantage is that our instrument is not only possible to implement for subminiature size but also speedily to detect methane of extremely small quantities because the CH4 absorption intensity at about 3.2m is stronger than that of at 1.67m. Our mid IR LEDs and PDs modules, also, can be developed to the detector of other gases for portable and moving-cars. Finally, we will continuously upgrade accuracy, sensitivity, and the response rate of detection. Our objective of research is to contribute to prevention of accidents due to gas leaks and to minimize the extent of damage from incidents. References [1] Takaya Lseki, Hideo Tai and Kiyoshi Kimura A portable remote methane sensor using a tunable diode laser, Meas. Sci Technol. 11 (2000), pp. 594-602, Printed in the UK. [2] X. Gao, and Hong Fan et al, Natural gas pipeline leak detector based on NIR diode laser absorption spectroscopy, Spectrochimica Acta Part A 64, 2006, pp.133138. [3] Michael Evan Webber, "Diode laser measurement of NH3 and CO2 for combustion and bioreactor applications", Degree of doctor, stanford university Jan. (2001) [4] OITDA, Optoelectronic Technology Trends, OITDA Activity Report, Vol.19, Mar.(2006), Japan [5] G. T Park and J. R Kwon., "A Study on Development of Detector of Gas Leak using Mid-infrared LED sensors", ITC-CSCC 2007, July, 2007, pp. 583-584. [6] http://www.ibsg-st-petersburg.com/