AN OPTICAL GAS TEMPERATURE PROBE FOR HIGH TEMPERATURE FOSSIL FUEL PROCESS STREAMS

THIS PROJECT CONCERNS AN INNOVATIVE CONCEPT FOR AN OPTICAL GAS TEMPERATURE PROBE WHICH WILL HAVE THE CAPABILITY OF MAKING DIRECT MEASUREMENTS OF GAS TEMPERATURE IN HOT (>1500 K) PROCESS STREAMS OF COAL COMBUSTION SYSTEMS AND LARGE-SCALE POWERPLANT FACILITIES. HAVING THE MEANS FOR DIRECT GAS TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENTS AT STRATEGIC LOCATIONS ALONG A PROCESS FLOW PATH WOULD PROVIDE A VALUABLE TOOL FOR FOSSIL FUELED COMBUSTION SYSTEMS AND OTHER APPLICATIONS SUCH AS POWER UTILITIES, CEMENT KILNS, AND WASTE INCINERATORS. DIRECT GAS TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT ALLOWS CHARACTERIZATION OF THE GAS STREAM AND SYSTEM THERMODYNAMIC PERFORMANCE, PROVIDING A MEANS FOR OPERATOR ACTION TO MONITOR, CONTROL, AND OPTIMIZE THE SYSTEM, AS WELL AS DIAGNOSE POTENTIAL/HAZARDOUS PROBLEMS. THE PHASE I TECHNICAL APPROACH IS THAT OF TAKING A PROVEN OPTICAL DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUE FOR MEASUREMENT OF HIGH TEMPERATURE GASES (SODIUM LINE REVERSAL) AND MINIATURIZING THE COMPONENTS OF THAT TECHNIQUE TO PRODUCE A TEMPERATURE PROBE. THIS TEMPERATURE MONITORING SYSTEM REALIZED WITH THE PROBE AND ITS COMPUTER DRIVEN PERIPHERALS WILL BE ACCURATE, RELIABLE, ROBUST, AND AFFORDABLE. PHASE I RESEARCH WILL DETERMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF THE OPTICAL GAS TEMPERATURE PROBE. IT WILL FOCUS ON VERIFYING THE THEORY OF ITS OPERATION AND DEFINING OF A CONCEPTUAL DESIGN FOR A PROBE PROTOTYPE. THE CONCEPTUAL DESIGN WILL INCLUDE ALL FEATURES AND NEEDS OF THE PROBE INCLUDING ITS OPTIMUM GEOMETRY, THE PROBE HOUSING, PACKAGED MINIATURIZED OPTICS, ITS OPERATION, AND ITS FACILITY NEEDS. IN PHASE II A PROTOTYPE OF THE OPTICAL GAS TEMPERATURE PROBE WILL BE FABRICATED, AND ITS CAPABILITY VERIFIED IN THE LABORATORY AND IN THE FIELD.