Researchers develop world’s fastest gas detector
European scientists are set to develop a multi-gas detector that could spot dozens of harmful emissions in milliseconds, delivering a breakthrough for the prevention of climate change.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates that concentrations of methane (CH4) in the atmosphere are roughly two and a half times those of pre-industrial times.
Exploiting new photonics technology, the MIREGAS (Mid-IR source for Gas Sensing) project has produced a novel, low cost sensor that has the potential to be programmed to detect an unlimited number of gases.
The first of its kind, MIREGAS aims to deliver a single, multi-band gas sensor that can be easily deployed in strategic points of methane emissions and monitor dozens of greenhouse gasses (GHG) all at once.
While current technology can take up to ten seconds to produce a positive identification, the device can detect dozens of harmful emissions in milliseconds, making it thousands of times faster.
Professor Pentti Karioja from the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, said: “Because the MIREGAS device is adjustable, it is possible to use only one light source instead of several lasers. This means that we can make multiple readings and monitor several harmful gases simultaneously through one sensor.”
Pawel Kluczynski of Airoptic, a partner in the MIREGAS consortium, added: “Excessive methane emissions are dangerous, and can have a considerably greater warming effect than carbon dioxide.
“Not only are our measuring costs ten times cheaper than methods used today but our spectral resolution is ten times better compared to conventional filters used currently in gas sensors.”
Initially the MIREGAS device is expected to be deployed in several industrial fields such as building ventilation, process control and safety, gas leakage monitoring, personal, pipeline and explosion safety.
Co-ordinated in Finland by VTT, the MIREGAS project has received a grant of €3.5m from H2020 via the Photonics Public Private Partnership (PPP).
