The detection of carbon dioxide leaks using quasi-tomographic laser absorption spectroscopy measurements in variable wind

• Main Authors: Z. H. Levine, A. L. Pintar, J. T. Dobler, N. Blume, M. Braun, T. S. Zaccheo, T. G. Pernini
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Copernicus Publications 2016-04-01
• Series: Atmospheric Measurement Techniques
• Online Access: http://www.atmos-meas-tech.net/9/1627/2016/amt-9-1627-2016.pdf

Laser absorption spectroscopy (LAS) has been used over the last several decades for the measurement of trace gasses in the atmosphere. For over a decade, LAS measurements from multiple sources and tens of retroreflectors have been combined with sparse-sample tomography methods to estimate the 2-D distribution of trace gas concentrations and underlying fluxes from point-like sources. In this work, we consider the ability of such a system to detect and estimate the position and rate of a single point leak which may arise as a failure mode for carbon dioxide storage. The leak is assumed to be at a constant rate giving rise to a plume with a concentration and distribution that depend on the wind velocity. We demonstrate the ability of our approach to detect a leak using numerical simulation and also present a preliminary measurement.