UV Gen 3 Open-Path Air Monitoring System
Overview
The Argos Open-path UV Air Monitoring system can be operated as both a point sample and as an open-path configuration. The unit has the capability to detect benzene, toluene, ethyl benzene, and xylenes (BTEX), as well as sulfur dioxide and mercury on a real-time basis, while minimizing the impact of gases that interfere with the target gases such as ozone and oxygen gas. In addition, the system has the ability of undergoing data and quality assurance checks in the field by monitoring known ambient gases or by using gas standards. The systems have been in operation for many years at oil refineries located within the San Francisco Bay Area, Israel, South Africa, and in community locations in Los Angeles, CA and Pittsburgh, PA. The systems can operate in both portable applications, and permanent installations.
Technology
The Argos Gen3 Open-path UV Air Monitoring system measures gas concentration over an open path and consists of a transmitter, receiver, transmitter power supply unit, and a rack mount enclosure. The remote transmitter, which holds the light source, is initially targeted by the operator using a two-axis monitor mount, assisted by an auto positioner and telescopic optic. The receiver unit houses the receiving optics and actuators for remote testing using gas cells. The transmitter power enclosure holds the light source power supply, and the rack mount houses the spectrometer and microcomputer subsystems. Accompanying both the transmitter and receiving units is a directional Wi-Fi setup for remote control of the auto positioner and light source power supply. Each unit, aside from the rack mount, is housed in a weatherproof enclosure. The receiver, transmitter power supply, and the rack mount enclosures all have connectors for power input and data input/output, whereas the transmitter unit has only the connectors for power input. The ultra-violet light emitted from the transmitter unit propagates through the atmosphere to the receiver optics where it is focused onto a photo diode array detector. These optical signals are converted into electrical wave forms, which a field computer processes to determine the actual concentration of the target gas along the optical path.