# US 8,772,720 B2 · System and method for monitoring unsaturated zone gas and near-surface atmosphere in real time by using isotope analyzer > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,772,720 B2 - Document ID: US8772720B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/619,900 - Filed: 2012-09-14 - Published: 2013-12-19 - Granted: 2014-07-08 - Earliest claimed: 2012-06-14 - Assignees: Korea Institute of Geoscience and Mineral Resources - Applicants: Gi-Tak Chae; Ki-Sung Sung; Jeong-Chan Kim - Inventors: Gi-Tak Chae; Ki-Sung Sung; Jeong-Chan Kim - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8772720B2 ## CPC - G01N 21/35: using infrared light (G01N21/39 takes precedence) - G01J 3/42: Absorption spectrometry; Double beam spectrometry; Flicker spectrometry; Reflection spectrometry (beam switching arrangements G01J3/08) - G01N 21/3504: for analysing gases, e.g. multi-gas analysis - G01N 21/61: Non-dispersive gas analysers {(G01N21/3504 takes precedence)} - G01N 2021/1795: {Atmospheric mapping of gases} - G01N 2021/391: {Intracavity sample} - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - G01J: MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY (light sources F21, H01J, H01K, H05B; investigating properties of materials by optical means G01N) ## Abstract Disclosed are a system and a method for monitoring unsaturated zone gas and near-surface atmosphere in real time by using an isotope analyzer. The system includes a near-surface atmosphere analyzer including a fixing member, a plurality of near-surface gas inlets, a plurality of gas transfer members communicating with the near-surface gas inlets, an analyzing member including an isotope analyzer, which analyzes an isotope of gas transferred through the gas transfer members, a channel connected to the gas transfer members and the analyzing member to select one gas transfer member and to supply gas transferred through the selected gas transfer member to the analyzing member, and a connection member connecting the channel to the analyzing member, a communication device transmitting components of the isotope output from the isotope analyzer, and a monitoring server outputting the components of the isotope transmitted from the communication device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for monitoring an unsaturated zone gas and a near-surface atmosphere, the system comprising: a near-surface atmosphere analyzer including a fixing member erected on a ground surface, a plurality of near-surface gas inlets fixed to the fixing member according to heights of the near-surface gas inlets, a plurality of gas transfer members communicating with the near-surface gas inlets, an analyzing member including an isotope analyzer, which analyzes an isotope of gas transferred through the gas transfer members, a channel connected to the gas transfer members and the analyzing member to select one gas transfer member and to supply gas transferred through the selected gas transfer member to the analyzing member, and a connection member connecting the channel to the analyzing member; a communication device transmitting components of the isotope output from the isotope analyzer; and a monitoring server outputting the components of the isotope transmitted from the communication device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the gas includes at least one of carbon dioxide (CO2), methanol (CH4), vapor (H2O), sulfiding gas (SOX), and hydrogen sulfide (H2S). ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the isotope analyzer employs one of a wavelength-scanned cavity ring down spectroscopy (WS-CRDS) scheme and an integrated cavity output spectroscopy (ICOS) scheme that allow the isotopes to be analyzed in real time. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, further comprising an unsaturated zone CO2 concentration detector buried in an unsaturated zone under the ground surface and including a chamber having a shape of a tub, a gas inlet formed at a lateral side of the chamber, and an unsaturated CO2 concentration measuring sensor provided through an upper portion of the chamber to measure concentration of CO2 contained in gas of the chamber. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the monitoring server compares the measured concentration of the CO2, which is transmitted from each of the near-surface atmosphere CO2 concentration measuring sensor and the unsaturated zone CO2 concentration measuring sensor, with reference CO2 concentration and generates an abnormal signal if the measured concentration of the CO2 is greater than the reference CO2 concentration by a predetermined value or greater than a specific numeric value or a specific ratio. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the monitoring server includes an alarm device to output an alarm in response to the abnormal signal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the near-surface atmosphere CO2 concentration measuring sensor and the unsaturated zone CO2 concentration measuring sensor include a non dispersive infra-red (NDIR) sensor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The system of claim 7, wherein the unsaturated zone CO2 concentration measuring sensor is connected to the analyzing member. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the analyzing member further includes a near-surface atmosphere CO2 concentration measuring sensor to measure concentration of CO2 contained in a near-surface atmosphere gas supplied through the channel. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the near-surface atmosphere CO2 concentration measuring sensor and the unsaturated zone CO2 concentration measuring sensor include a non dispersive infra-red (NDIR) sensor. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the unsaturated zone CO2 concentration measuring sensor is connected to the analyzing member. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the system is applied to a land under which CO2 is stored. ### Claim 13 A method of monitoring an unsaturated zone gas and a near-surface atmosphere at a land under which CO2 is stored, the method comprising: (a) measuring concentration of CO2 at an unsaturated zone in a land to be used to store CO2 under a ground according to time slots in a CO2 concentration detector, transmitting the concentration of CO2 to a monitoring server through a communication device, analyzing information of the concentration of CO2 at the unsaturated zone in the monitoring server, and storing a maximum of the concentration of CO2, which is obtained from a nature, as a reference concentration of CO2 at the unsaturated zone, before CO2 is stored under the ground; (b) analyzing isotopes of gas contained in a near-surface atmosphere in an isotope analyzer of a near-surface atmosphere analyzer, measuring the concentration of CO2 at the unsaturated zone in the CO2 concentration detector, and transmitting the concentration of CO2 to the monitoring server through the communication device, after the storage of the CO2 under the ground is started; and (c) comparing the measured concentration of the CO2 with the reference concentration of CO2 in the monitoring server and outputting a normal signal or an abnormal signal. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein step (a) includes measuring concentration of CO2 at a near-surface atmosphere in the land to be used to store CO2 under the ground according to time slots in a near-surface atmosphere CO2 concentration measuring sensor of a near-surface atmosphere analyzer, transmitting the concentration of CO2 to the monitoring server through the communication device, analyzing information of the concentration of CO2 at the near-surface atmosphere in the monitoring server, and storing a maximum of the concentration of CO2, which is obtained from the nature, as a reference concentration of CO2 at the near-surface atmosphere. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein step (b) includes measuring the concentration of CO2 at the near-surface atmosphere in the near-surface atmosphere CO2 concentration measuring sensor and transmitting the concentration of CO2 at the near-surface atmosphere to the monitoring server through the communication device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein step (b) includes connecting the unsaturated zone CO2 concentration measuring sensor of a CO2 concentration detector to an analyzing member of the near-surface atmosphere analyzer, measuring isotopes at the unsaturated zone or isotopes of unsaturated zone gas by using the isotope analyzer, and transmitting information of the isotopes to the monitoring server through the communication device.