UAV based measurements of CO2 emissions from anthropogenic point sources

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maximilian Reuter ◽  
Michael Buchwitz ◽  
Heinrich Bovensmann ◽  
John P. Burrows
Keyword(s):  
Power Plants ◽  
Meteorological Parameters ◽  
Measurement Data ◽  
Point Sources ◽  
Flight Pattern ◽  
Individual Point ◽  
Ultrasonic Anemometer ◽  
Wind Measurements ◽  
Reduction Of Emissions

<p>CO<sub>2</sub> emissions are the primary cause of man-made climate change. In order to limit this, a reduction of emissions is necessary. For this reason, possibilities must be established to monitor emissions through independent measurements. A large part of the human CO<sub>2</sub> emissions falls on point sources such as coal or gas fired power plants. On a global level, it is planned to explore these remotely by means of satellites. At the regional level, both airborne and UAV-based measurements are suitable, which can also be used for smaller sources and for the validation of the satellite data.</p><p>Here we present the development of a UAV for the determination of CO<sub>2</sub> emissions from individual point sources by simultaneously measuring CO<sub>2</sub> concentration, wind speed and other meteorological parameters.</p><p>A commercial UAV for industrial tasks is used as platform. CO<sub>2</sub> is measured by a non-dispersive NIR detector with an accuracy of 1-2ppm and an ultrasonic anemometer is used for wind measurements. All relevant data is transmitted to the operator during the flight so that the flight pattern can be spontaneously adapted to the measurement data.</p><p>We will introduce the UAV including the installed sensors as well as the measuring principle and present results of the first flights.</p>

Development of a small unmanned aircraft system to derive CO2 emissions of anthropogenic point sources

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maximilian Reuter ◽  
Heinrich Bovensmann ◽  
Michael Buchwitz ◽  
Jakob Borchard ◽  
Sven Krautwurst ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Point Sources ◽  
Unmanned Aircraft ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Observation System ◽  
Unmanned Aircraft System ◽  
Ancillary Data ◽  
Flight Pattern ◽  
Airborne Measurements ◽  
Wind Measurements ◽  
Aircraft System

<p>A reduction of the anthropogenic emissions of CO<sub>2</sub> (carbon dioxide) is necessary to stop or slow down man-made climate change. To verify mitigation strategies, a global monitoring system such as the envisaged European Copernicus anthropogenic CO<sub>2</sub> monitoring mission (CO2M) is required. Those satellite data are going to be complemented and validated with airborne measurements. UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) based measurements can provide a cost-effective way to contribute to these activities. Here we present the development of a sUAS (small unmanned aircraft system) to quantify the CO<sub>2</sub> emissions of a nearby point source from its downwind mass flux without the need for any ancillary data. Specifically, CO<sub>2</sub> is measured by an in situ NDIR (non-dispersive infrared) detector and the wind speed and direction is measured with a 2D ultrasonic acoustic resonance anemometer. In order to minimize the effect of rotor downwash, we calibrate the anemometer by analyzing wind measurements taken while following a suitable flight pattern and assuming stationary wind conditions. We quantify the quality of the CO<sub>2</sub> and wind measurements with an in-flight validation at the ICOS (Integrated Carbon Observation System) atmospheric station Steinkimmen (STE) near Bremen, Germany. By means of two flights downwind of the ExxonMobil natural gas processing facility in Großenkneten about 40km east of Bremen, Germany, we demonstrate how the measurements of elevated CO<sub>2</sub> concentrations can be used to infer mass fluxes of atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub> related to the emissions of the facility.</p>

scholarly journals Wind reconstruction algorithm for Viking Lander 1

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 217-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tuomas Kynkäänniemi ◽  
Osku Kemppinen ◽  
Ari-Matti Harri ◽  
Walter Schmidt
Keyword(s):  
Wind Direction ◽  
Measurement Data ◽  
Reconstruction Algorithm ◽  
Wind Data ◽  
Wind Measurement ◽  
Heater Element ◽  
Measurement Sensor ◽  
Sensor Failures ◽  
Wind Measurements

Abstract. The wind measurement sensors of Viking Lander 1 (VL1) were only fully operational for the first 45 sols of the mission. We have developed an algorithm for reconstructing the wind measurement data after the wind measurement sensor failures. The algorithm for wind reconstruction enables the processing of wind data during the complete VL1 mission. The heater element of the quadrant sensor, which provided auxiliary measurement for wind direction, failed during the 45th sol of the VL1 mission. Additionally, one of the wind sensors of VL1 broke down during sol 378. Regardless of the failures, it was still possible to reconstruct the wind measurement data, because the failed components of the sensors did not prevent the determination of the wind direction and speed, as some of the components of the wind measurement setup remained intact for the complete mission. This article concentrates on presenting the wind reconstruction algorithm and methods for validating the operation of the algorithm. The algorithm enables the reconstruction of wind measurements for the complete VL1 mission. The amount of available sols is extended from 350 to 2245 sols.

scholarly journals Wind Reconstruction Algorithm for Viking Lander 1

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tuomas Kynkäänniemi ◽  
Osku Kemppinen ◽  
Ari-Matti Harri ◽  
Walter Schmidt
Keyword(s):  
Wind Direction ◽  
Initial Phase ◽  
Measurement Data ◽  
Reconstruction Algorithm ◽  
Wind Data ◽  
Wind Measurement ◽  
Heater Element ◽  
Measurement Sensor ◽  
Wind Measurements

Abstract. The wind measurement sensors of Viking Lander 1 (VL1) were only fully operational for the initial phase of the mission. We have developed an algorithm for reconstructing the wind measurement data after the wind measurement sensor failures. The algorithm for wind reconstruction enables the processing of wind data during the complete VL1 mission. The heater element of the quadrant sensor, which provided auxiliary measurement for wind direction, failed during the 45th sol of the VL1 mission. Additionally, one of the wind sensors of VL1 broke down during the sol 378. Regardless of the failures, it was still possible to reconstruct the wind measurement data, because the failed components of the sensors did not prevent the determination of the wind direction and speed, as some of the components of the wind measurement setup remained intact for the complete mission. This article concentrates on presenting the wind reconstruction algorithm and methods for validating the operation of the algorithm. The algorithm enables the reconstruction of wind measurements for the complete VL1 mission. The amount of available sols is extended from 350 to 2245 sols.

scholarly journals Estimating CO2 Emissions from Large Scale Coal-Fired Power Plants Using OCO-2 Observations and Emission Inventories

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 811
Author(s):  
Yaqin Hu ◽  
Yusheng Shi
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Co2 Emissions ◽  
Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Gaussian Model ◽  
Point Sources ◽  
Emission Inventories ◽  
Bottom Up

The concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) has increased rapidly worldwide, aggravating the global greenhouse effect, and coal-fired power plants are one of the biggest contributors of greenhouse gas emissions in China. However, efficient methods that can quantify CO2 emissions from individual coal-fired power plants with high accuracy are needed. In this study, we estimated the CO2 emissions of large-scale coal-fired power plants using Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 (OCO-2) satellite data based on remote sensing inversions and bottom-up methods. First, we mapped the distribution of coal-fired power plants, displaying the total installed capacity, and identified two appropriate targets, the Waigaoqiao and Qinbei power plants in Shanghai and Henan, respectively. Then, an improved Gaussian plume model method was applied for CO2 emission estimations, with input parameters including the geographic coordinates of point sources, wind vectors from the atmospheric reanalysis of the global climate, and OCO-2 observations. The application of the Gaussian model was improved by using wind data with higher temporal and spatial resolutions, employing the physically based unit conversion method, and interpolating OCO-2 observations into different resolutions. Consequently, CO2 emissions were estimated to be 23.06 ± 2.82 (95% CI) Mt/yr using the Gaussian model and 16.28 Mt/yr using the bottom-up method for the Waigaoqiao Power Plant, and 14.58 ± 3.37 (95% CI) and 14.08 Mt/yr for the Qinbei Power Plant, respectively. These estimates were compared with three standard databases for validation: the Carbon Monitoring for Action database, the China coal-fired Power Plant Emissions Database, and the Carbon Brief database. The comparison found that previous emission inventories spanning different time frames might have overestimated the CO2 emissions of one of two Chinese power plants on the two days that the measurements were made. Our study contributes to quantifying CO2 emissions from point sources and helps in advancing satellite-based monitoring techniques of emission sources in the future; this helps in reducing errors due to human intervention in bottom-up statistical methods.

Performance Testing of Coal Fired Power Plants

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shane E. Powers ◽  
William C. Wood
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Performance Test ◽  
Model Development ◽  
Performance Testing ◽  
The United States ◽  
Plant Performance ◽  
Cycle Performance ◽  
Test Program

With the renewed interest in the construction of coal-fired power plants in the United States, there has also been an increased interest in the methodology used to calculate/determine the overall performance of a coal fired power plant. This methodology is detailed in the ASME PTC 46 (1996) Code, which provides an excellent framework for determining the power output and heat rate of coal fired power plants. Unfortunately, the power industry has been slow to adopt this methodology, in part because of the lack of some details in the Code regarding the planning needed to design a performance test program for the determination of coal fired power plant performance. This paper will expand on the ASME PTC 46 (1996) Code by discussing key concepts that need to be addressed when planning an overall plant performance test of a coal fired power plant. The most difficult aspect of calculating coal fired power plant performance is integrating the calculation of boiler performance with the calculation of turbine cycle performance and other balance of plant aspects. If proper planning of the performance test is not performed, the integration of boiler and turbine data will result in a test result that does not accurately reflect the true performance of the overall plant. This planning must start very early in the development of the test program, and be implemented in all stages of the test program design. This paper will address the necessary planning of the test program, including: • Determination of Actual Plant Performance. • Selection of a Test Goal. • Development of the Basic Correction Algorithm. • Designing a Plant Model. • Development of Correction Curves. • Operation of the Power Plant during the Test. All nomenclature in this paper utilizes the ASME PTC 46 definitions for the calculation and correction of plant performance.

Design, calibration, and application of an airborne gamma spectrometer system in Switzerland

Geophysics ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 62 (5) ◽  
pp. 1369-1378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georg F. Schwarz ◽  
Ladislaus Rybach ◽  
Emile E. Klingelé
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Gamma Ray ◽  
Point Sources ◽  
Swiss Alps ◽  
Artificial Radioactivity ◽  
Radiation Level ◽  
Satellite Navigation System ◽  
Emergency Situations

Airborne radiometric surveys are finding increasingly wider applications in environmental mapping and monitoring. They are the most efficient tool to delimit surface contamination and to locate lost radioactive sources. To secure radiometric capability in survey and emergency situations, a new sensitive airborne system has been built that includes an airborne spectrometer with 256 channels and a sodium iodide detector with a total volume of 16.8 liters. A rack mounted PC with memory cards is used for data acquisition, with a GPS satellite navigation system for positioning. The system was calibrated with point sources using a mathematical correction to take into account the effects of gamma‐ray scattering in the ground and in the atmosphere. The calibration was complemented by high precision ground gamma spectrometry and laboratory measurements on rock samples. In Switzerland, two major research programs make use of the capabilities of airborne radiometric measurements. The first one concerns nuclear power plant monitoring. The five Swiss nuclear installations (four power plants and one research facility) and the surrounding regions of each site are surveyed annually. The project goal is to monitor the dose‐rate distribution and to provide a documented baseline database. The measurements show that all sites (with the exception of the Gösgen power plant) can be identified clearly on the maps. No artificial radioactivity that could not be explained by the Chernobyl release or earlier nuclear weapons tests was detected outside of the fenced sites of the nuclear installations. The second program aims at a better evaluation of the natural radiation level in Switzerland. The survey focused on the crystalline rocks of the Central Massifs of the Swiss Alps because of their relatively high natural radioactivity and lithological variability.

scholarly journals Ion chromatographic analysis of aqueous iodine species by conductivity and radioactivity measurements

2005 ◽  
Vol 93 (9-10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorothea Schumann ◽  
R. Grasser ◽  
R. Dressler ◽  
H. Bruchertseifer
Keyword(s):  
Chromatographic Analysis ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Radioactive Iodine ◽  
Cooling Water ◽  
Molecular Iodine ◽  
New Device ◽  
Iodine Species ◽  
Radioactivity Measurements

SummaryA new device was developed for the identification of several iodine species in aqueous solution using ion chromatography. Iodide, iodate and molecular iodine can be determined. (The equipment allows both conductivity and radioactivity detections.) The method is applicable for the determination of radioactive iodine contaminations in the cooling water of nuclear power plants.

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