Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Monitoring the composition of fuel in natural gas engines using a compact ion mobility sensor. Topical report, December 1993-September 1994 (Final)

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:195266

The present study has shown that the Westinghouse compact ion mobility sensor (IMS) is capable of distinguishing between the constituents methane, ethane, and propane in ternary mixtures of these gases at relative concentrations normally found in natural gas sources. Moreover, studies of binary mixtures of nitrogen and of carbon dioxide with methane have shown that the non-hydrocarbon constituents of natural gas can also be distinguished at the levels encountered in natural gas supplies. Further, no evidence of methane pulse broadening due to clustering reactions was observed at this level which indicates that no special provision is necessary to maintain very low levels of water vapor in the compact IMS. The present measurements have also shown that the individual ion signatures are determined with sufficiently high signal/noise ratio to provide concentration levels to an accuracy of 0.5%.

Research Organization:
Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA (United States). Science and Technology Center
OSTI ID:
195266
Report Number(s):
PB--96-131826/XAB; CNN: Contract GRI-5093-260-2678
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Similar Records

Marginal detonation of aliphatic natural gas constituents with O[sub 2]/N[sub 2]
Journal Article · Mon Nov 30 23:00:00 EST 1992 · Combustion and Flame; (United States) · OSTI ID:7025935

Evaluation of the compact ion mobility sensor as continuous emissions sensor. Final report, June 1995-February 1996
Technical Report · Wed Jan 31 23:00:00 EST 1996 · OSTI ID:385291

Gasoline production from wellhead natural gas
Patent · Tue May 02 00:00:00 EDT 1972 · OSTI ID:6242310