Advanced Spectrometer for Methane Detection
Technology Description:
Duke University, in conjunction with its partners, will build a coded aperture miniature mass spectrometer environmental sensor (CAMMS-ES) for use in a methane monitoring system. The team will also develop search, location, and characterization algorithms. Duke will apply its recent innovations in mass spectrometers to increase the throughput of the spectrometer, providing continuous sampling without diminishing its resolution by integrating spatially coded apertures and corresponding reconstruction algorithms. The coded aperture will also provide advanced specificity and sensitivity for methane detection and other volatile organic compounds (VOCs) associated with natural gas production. Duke’s innovations could provide low-cost, advanced sensors to localize and characterize methane and VOC emissions, helping to accelerate detection and mitigation of methane and VOC emissions at natural gas sites.
Potential Impact:
If successful, Duke’s methane sensors could be a useful component of more cost-effective and accurate methane monitoring systems for natural gas producers.
Security:
Better methane detection technologies could improve the sustainability of domestic natural gas production and the safety of operations.
Environment:
Enhanced detection sensors could enable greater mitigation of methane leakage and lead to an overall reduction in harmful methane emissions associated with natural gas development.
Economy:
Duke’s design could decrease the costs of methane detection and help accelerate the adoption of monitoring programs at the nation’s more than 480,000 producing natural gas wells.
Contact
ARPA-E Program Director:
Dr. Joseph King
Project Contact:
Prof. Jeffrey Glass
Press and General Inquiries Email:
ARPA-E-Comms@hq.doe.gov
Project Contact Email:
jeff.glass@duke.edu
Partners
RTI International Metals, Inc.
Related Projects
Release Date:
04/29/2014