Handheld, battery-powered near-IR TDL sensor for stand-off detection of gas and vapor plumes

A handheld, battery-powered tunable-diode-laser sensor platform is described. The sensor is based on frequency modulation (FM) spectroscopy using near-IR diode lasers and passive topographic backscatter from common environmental targets such as buildings, ground and foliage. A specific application t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inApplied physics. B, Lasers and optics Vol. 75; no. 2-3; pp. 249 - 254
Main Authors Wainner, R.T., Green, B.D., Allen, M.G., White, M.A., Stafford-Evans, J., Naper, R.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published 01.09.2002
Subjects
Backscattering
Diode lasers
Foliage
Frequency modulation
Leaks
Methane
Natural gas
Sensors
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Summary:A handheld, battery-powered tunable-diode-laser sensor platform is described. The sensor is based on frequency modulation (FM) spectroscopy using near-IR diode lasers and passive topographic backscatter from common environmental targets such as buildings, ground and foliage. A specific application to the detection of methane using a 1.65-micron diode laser is described in detail, showing a detection sensitivity sufficient to identify typical leaks from buried residential natural gas service lines at stand-off distances up to 30 m. Signal and noise sources are analyzed in detail, along with laboratory and field-test data, including known service leaks.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-2
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-1
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ISSN:0946-2171
1432-0649
DOI:10.1007/s00340-002-0984-7