Fiber optics spectrochemical emission sensors

Patent · Tue Feb 04 04:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:7207238

Griffin, J W; Olsen, K B

A method is described of in situ monitoring of a body of a fluid stored in a tank or groundwater or vadose zone gases in a well for the presence of selected chemical species. The method uses a probe insertable into the well or tank via a cable and having an electrical apparatus for exciting selected chemical species in the body of fluid. The probe can have a pair of electrodes for initiating a spark or a plasma cell for maintaining a plasma to excite the selected chemical species. The probe also has an optical apparatus for receiving optical emissions emitted by the excited species and optically transmitting the emissions via the cable to an analysis location outside the well. The analysis includes detecting a selected wavelength in the emissions indicative of the presence of the selected chemical species. A plurality of probes can be suspended at an end of a respective cable, with the transmitting and analyzing steps for each probe being synchronized sequentially for one set of support equipment and instrumentation to monitor at multiple test points. The optical apparatus is arranged about the light guide axis so that the selected chemical species are excited in the fluid in alignment with the light guide axis. Optical emissions are received from the excited chemical species along such axis. 18 figs.

• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• Assignee: Battelle Memorial Inst., Richland, WA (United States)
• Patent Number(s): A; US 5085499
• Application Number: PPN: US 7-239778
• OSTI ID: 7207238
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540220* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (1990-)
CONTAMINATION
DESIGN
EQUIPMENT
GROUND WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
MONITORING
MONITORS
OPTICAL EQUIPMENT
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTANTS
POLLUTION
WATER
WATER POLLUTION