Novel Instrumentation for Real-Time Combustion Monitoring and Control

The effective monitoring and control of high-temperature process streams that consist of reactive gases (including gases from syngas plants, chemical processes, power plants, industrial furnaces, boilers, and incinerators) is limited by the sensitivity, specificity, speed, and reliability of available sensors and control systems. As a result, many processes operate with sub-optimal efficiency and release excessive toxic emissions, pollutants, and greenhouse gases. This project will employ a patented Off-Axis Integrated Cavity Output Spectroscopy technology along with near-IR and mid-IR lasers to develop a field-portable gas analyzer for real-time quantification of several gases in high-temperature reactive flows. In Phase I, prototype bench-top instruments based on near-and mid-IR laser absorption were designed and developed. The instruments employed (1) single-pass laser diagnostics for fast, in situ measurements of H2O and gas temperature; (2) cavity enhanced absorption (Off-Axis ICOS) for in situ measurements of several critical reactive species; and (3) fast extractive sampling into an Off-Axis ICOS measurement cell for rapid, sensitive (sub-ppm precision) measurements of selected trace gases. Phase II, will involve the construction, deployment, and testing of multi-species instruments in realistic industrial flows with high-temperature reactive gases. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: The instrumentation should be applicable to the monitoring and control of combustion emissions (e.g., from power plants, furnaces, boilers, incinerators), industrial processes (coal gasification), and automobile engines, and the monitoring of atmospheric pollutants and greenhouse gases.