A Laser Absorption Spectroscopy System for 2D Mapping of CO2 Over Large Spatial Areas for Monitoring, Reporting and Verification of Ground Carbon Storage Sites

Abstract:

We will present the development of the Greenhouse gas Laser Imaging Tomography Experiment (GreenLITE). GreenLITE consists of two laser based transceivers and a number of retro-reflectors to measure differential transmission (DT) of a number of overlapping chords in a plane over the site being monitored. The transceivers use the Intensity Modulated Continuous Wave (IM-CW) approach, which is a technique that allows simultaneous transmission/reception of multiple fixed wavelength lasers and a lock-in, or matched filter, to measure amplitude and phase of the different wavelengths in the digital domain. The technique was developed by Exelis and has been evaluated using an airborne demonstrator for the past 10 years by NASA Langley Research Center. The method has demonstrated high accuracy and high precision measurements as compared to an in situ monitor tracable to WMO standards, agreeing to 0.65 ppm +/-1.7 ppm.

The GreenLITE system is coupled to a cloud-based data storage and processing system that takes the measured chord data, along with auxiliary data to retrieve an average CO2 concentration per chord and which combines the chords to provide an estimate of the spatial distribution of CO₂ concentration in the plane. A web-based interface allows users to view real-time CO₂ concentrations and 2D concentration maps of the area being monitored. The 2D maps can be differenced as a function of time for an estimate of the flux across the plane measured by the system. The system is designed to operate autonomously from semi-remote locations with a very low maintenance cycle. Initial instrument tests, conducted in June, showed signal to noise in the measured ratio of >3000 for 10 s averages. Additional local field testing and a quantifiable field testing at the Zero Emissions Research and Technology (ZERT) site in Bozeman, MT are planned for this fall. We will present details on the instrument and software tools that have been developed, along with results from the local field testing and quantitative testing at ZERT. GreenLITE is being developed under a cooperative agreement between Exelis and the National Energy and Technology Laboratory (NETL) under the Department of Energy (DOE), contract # DE-FE0012574. Atmospheric and Environmental Research, Inc. is a major partner in this development.