Boreal Laser Gasfinder OP

The GasFinder2 Laser Gas monitor is used for the continuous measurement of GHG emissions (CO2 and CH4), and is particularly suitable for monitoring landfill sites.

The lightweight, portable unit provides information on the average concentration of gas in the measurement path.  It uses a single line absorption spectroscopy in Near Infrared (NIR) which is specific to the gas of interest.  The open path laser gas monitoring technique works by the detector emitting an invisible laser beam that is sensitive only to the gas of interest. The Reflector Array returns the laser beam to the detector which then calculates the concentration of the gas in the measurement path.

The unit can measure up to 36 paths and normally, there is no cross interference with other gases and no H2O interference. This enables long paths (up to 1 km) to be monitored.

The system can be set up on various landfill conditions. It provides CO2 measurements of 50 ppm-m for open path scanning TDL measurements and CH4 levels  of 5 ppm for vehicle-mounted and continuous TDL surveys.

Featuring fast response, self-calibration, no moving parts or consumables, the monitor can also be combined with Radial Plume Mapping (RPM) software to generate concentration maps and flux estimates.

GasFinder OP – Technical Summary

Boreal Laser’s GasFinder (US Patent 5,637,872) Open-Path Monitor measures gas concentration over an open path and consists of an integrated transmitter/receiver unit and a remote, passive retro-reflector array. The remote retro-reflector is initially targeted by the operator using a two axis instrument mount assisted by a telescopic sight and an on-board visible aiming laser.

The transceiver houses the laser diode source, drive electronics, detector module and microcomputer subsystems. The transceiver unit is contained in a weatherproof enclosure and has connectors for power input and data I/O. A schematic representation of the GasFinder system is shown below.The laser light emitted from the transceiver unit propagates through the atmosphere to the retroreflector and returns where it is focused onto a photodiode detector. Simultaneously, a portion of the laser beam is passed through an onboard reference cell to provide a continuous calibration update. These two optical signals are converted into electrical waveforms which the microcontroller processes to determine the actual concentration of gas along the optical path. The computed gas concentration is then displayed on the back panel of the instrument as well as being transmitted to the customer’s central computer where the data may be collected, stored and displayed.

Specifications Sensitivity