US 2014/0236521 A1 · Methods for Calibrating a Fugitive Emission Rate Measurement

Abstract

Methods for calibrating an emission rate measurement of a gas are provided. The methods involve discharging a reference gas that is the same or a different composition than a subject gas. If the same or similar, then a combined emission rate of the reference and subject gas is measured, as well as an emission rate of the subject gas only. A deviation, or an one or more adjusted parameter, of the combined and subject gas measurement from the reference gas discharge rate is used to calibrate the subject gas measurement. If the reference gas is different, the emission rates of the subject and reference gas are measured, and a deviation, or an one or more adjusted parameter, of the measured rate from the discharge rate of the reference gas is used in calibrating the subject gas measurement. The methods may also use a modified 2-D tracer measurement as a reference.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method for calibrating a fugitive emission rate measurement of a subject gas from an emission source comprising,

(a) discharging a reference gas at a measured discharge rate from a reference gas source located within, or near to, the emission source, the reference gas having a composition the same as, or similar to that of, the subject gas;
(b) measuring a combined fugitive emission rate of the subject gas and the reference gas using a selected method of fugitive emission rate measurement;
(c) turning off the reference gas source and measuring a fugitive emission rate of the subject gas using the selected method;
and
(d) calibrating the fugitive emission rate measurement of the subject gas from the emission source to obtain a calibrated measurement.

2 more elements

A method for determining a quality of a calibrated fugitive emission rate measurement of a subject gas from an emission source comprising,

(a) discharging a reference gas at a measured discharge rate from a reference gas source located within, or near to, the emission source, the reference gas having a different composition to that of the subject gas;
(b) measuring a fugitive emission rate of the subject gas and a fugitive emission rate of the reference gas using a selected method of fugitive emission rate measurement;
(c) calibrating the fugitive emission rate measurement of the subject gas from the emission source to obtain a calibrated measurement;
and
(d) evaluating a quality of the calibrated measurement by using a correlation approach or an integral approach.

2 more elements

A method of measuring a fugitive emission rate of a subject gas from an emission source comprising,

(a) discharging a reference gas at a measured discharge rate from a reference gas source located within, or near to, the emission source, the reference gas having a different composition to that of the subject gas;
(b) measuring concentrations or integrated concentrations of the subject gas in a two dimensional vertical surface within a subject gas emission plume to obtain a two-dimensional integrated mass per unit length (or mass) of the subject gas emission plume;
and measuring concentrations or integrated concentrations of the reference gas in a two dimensional vertical surface within a reference gas emission plume to obtain a two-dimensional integrated mass per unit length (or mass) of the reference gas emission plume;
and
(c) calculating the fugitive emission rate of the subject gas by dividing the two-dimensional integrated mass per unit length (or mass) of the subject gas emission plume by the two-dimensional integrated mass per unit length (or mass) of the reference gas emission plume, to obtain a quotient, and multiplying the quotient by the measured discharge rate from the reference gas source.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Methods for Calibrating a Fugitive Emission Rate Measurement

Life of this patent

Methods for Calibrating a Fugitive Emission Rate Measurement

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19