Quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy for hydrocarbon trace gas detection and petroleum exploration. (1st October 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sampaolo, Angelo; Menduni, Giansergio; Patimisco, Pietro; Giglio, Marilena; Passaro, Vittorio M.N.; Dong, Lei; Wu, Hongpeng; Tittel, Frank K.; Spagnolo, Vincenzo
• Is Part Of: Fuel. Volume 277(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-10-01
• Subjects: Quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy -- Trace gas sensing -- Methane -- Ethane -- Propane -- Hydrocarbons -- Methane isotopes; Fuel -- Periodicals; Coal -- Periodicals; Coal; Fuel; Periodicals; 662.6
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fuel.2020.118118
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0016-2361

Abstract

Graphical abstract: Highlights: Quartz-Enhanced Photoacoustics for sensitive and selective hydrocarbon detection. Shoe box sized (sizes 30 cm × 10 cm × 20 cm) QEPAS sensors deployable for real-time and in-situ gas analysis. Methane, ethane minimum detection limit of 90 ppb and 7 ppb at 1 sec of integration time, respectively. Propane detected down to 3 ppm at 1 sec of integration time. 13CH4 and 12CH4 isotopes detected with a 13δ <10‰ at 0.1 sec of integration time. Abstract: Quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy represents a valuable candidate for natural gas analysis in the oil & gas field. The core element of this spectroscopy technique is a quartz tuning forks, employed as high quality-factor optoacoustic transducers, capable of operating in a wide range of temperatures and pressures. The robustness and compactness of these sensors, together with the possibility to avoid the use of optical detectors, open the way to the development of a new generation of small-sized gas spectrometers to be potentially employed downhole for source rock characterization and estimation of oil & gas properties. We report here on the realization of a shoe-box sized quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy system capable of: i) selective detection of methane and ethane in the parts-per-billion range, and propane in the parts-per-million range, by employing a single interband cascade laser emitting at 3.345 µm; ii) selective detection of 12 CH4 and 13 CH4 isotopes at the parts-per-billion sensitivity level by employing a quantum cascade laser operating around 7.73 µm.