Remote Quantification of Smokestack Total Effluent Mass Flow Rates Using Imaging Fourier-Transfrom Spectroscopy

A Telops Hyper-Cam midwave infrared (1.5 - 5.5m) imaging Fourier-transform spectrometer (IFTS) was used to estimate industrial smokestack total effluent mass flow rates by combining spectrally-determined species concentrations with flow rates estimated via analysis of sequential images in the raw interferogram cube. Strong emissions from H2O, CO2, CO, SO2, and NO were observed in the spectrum. A previously established plume radiative transfer model was used to estimate gas concentrations, and a simple temporal cross-correlation analysis of sequential imagery enabled an estimation of the flow velocity. Final effluent mass flow rates for CO2 and SO2 of 13.5 3.78 kg/s and 71.3 19.3 g/s were in good agreement with in situ rates of 11.6 0.07 kg/s and 67.8 0.52 g/s. NO was estimated at 16.1 4.19 g/s, which did not compare well to the total NOx (NO + NO2) reported value of 11.2 0.16 g/s. Unmonitored H2O, HCl, and CO were also estimated at 7.76 2.25 kg/s, 7.40 2.00 g/s, and 15.0 4.05 g/s respectively.