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www.npl.co.uk
Facilities for the validation
and calibration of remote
monitoring systems
The Need for Validation
A new generation of remote monitoring systems are being built to
meet the requirements for identifying and quantifying emissions
from non-uniform area sources.
Examples of non-uniform emission sources could include
fugitive releases from operational or closed fracking wells;
landfll sites; petrochemical refnement processes; and
natural gas distribution centres.
Innovative facilities are required to support the research and
development of these new monitoring systems, and accelerate the
metrology to underpin emissions determination.
Existing Facilities
NPL presently operates a 10 m open-path cell as a proven free space
validation technique for the DIAL (Diferential Absorption LIDAR)
environmental remote sensing system.
Utilised to provide range resolution for LIDAR type instruments.
Windowless.
Generates dynamic gaseous atmospheres.
Features on-line monitoring of generated conditions.
New Facilities
The Area Source Emissions Simulator is currently being developed
at NPL to meet the need to efectively simulate a broad range of real
world gaseous emissions scenarios to challenge and validate new
monitoring techniques.
The simulator can create customised emissions landscapes, with
defned rates and fuxes of gas release at levels comparable to
situations found in industry.
Summary of Capabilities
A broad range of pure or mixed ratio gaseous species can be
emitted.
Traceable emission rates from 0-55 kg/hr for propane and carbon
dioxide, and 0-20 kg/hr for methane.
Release characteristics can formed by the individual or combined
use of various nodes: a vertical jet, a 10 m line source,
3 x 0.65 m
2
area sources and a 78 m
2
area source.