Method and device for determining the presence of a spill of a petroleum product by the detection of a petroleum-derived volatile organic compound

• US 10,113,953 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2017
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Institut national d'optique
• Original Assignee: Institut national d'optique
• Inventors: Babin, Francois, Gravel, Jean-Francois, Dufour, Pascal
• Primary Examiner(s): Porta, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gutierrez, Gisselle
• Application Number:
  US15/679,359
• Publication Number:
  US 20180052100A1
• Time in Patent Office: 439 Days
• Field of Search: 250372
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/44 Raman spectrometry; Scattering spectrometry ; Fluorescence spectrometry
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/4406 Fluorescence spectrometry
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/18 for pipes, cables or tubes; for pipe joints or seals; for valves; for welds; for containers, e.g. radiators
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/38 by using light G01M3/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/1797 in landscape, e.g. crops
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/33 using ultraviolet light G01N21/39 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/65 Raman scattering
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/94 Investigating contamination, e.g. dust G01N21/85 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0214 Airborne

Abstract

The method of determining the presence of a spill of a petroleum product by the detection of a petroleum-derived volatile organic compound (VOC) generally has a step of providing an ultraviolet (UV) radiation generator and a receiver assembly aimed at a scene; a step of illuminating a distant target in the scene with a UV radiation beam, the UV radiation beam having an excitation wavelength being tuned to a resonance Raman excitation wavelength of the petroleum derived VOC; a step of receiving a return signal from the distant target; and a step of determining the presence of the petroleum-derived VOC upon detecting Raman scattering in the received return signal, the Raman scattering being indicative of a resonance Raman interaction between the UV radiation beam and molecules of the petroleum-derived VOC.

Claims

1. A method of determining the presence of a spill of a petroleum product by the detection of a petroleum-derived volatile organic compound (VOC), the method comprising:

providing an ultraviolet (UV) radiation generator and a receiver assembly aimed at a scene;

the UV radiation generator illuminating a distant target in the scene with a UV radiation beam, the UV radiation beam having an excitation wavelength being tuned to a resonance Raman excitation wavelength of the petroleum-derived VOC;

the receiver assembly receiving a return signal from the distant target; and

determining the presence of the spill of the petroleum product upon detecting a Raman scattering in the received return signal, the Raman scattering being indicative of a resonance Raman interaction between the UV radiation beam and molecules of the petroleum-derived VOC.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said receiving includes filtering out, from the return signal, wavelengths other than a Raman scattering band of the petroleum-derived VOC for the UV radiation beam and wherein said detecting includes measuring an intensity of the filtered return signal.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the petroleum-derived VOC is an aromatic compound.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the petroleum-derived VOC is benzene having Raman resonances at at least 241.6 nm, 247.6 nm, 252.9 nm and 258.9 nm, the excitation wavelength of the UV radiation beam being tuned to at least one of the Raman resonances of benzene.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the petroleum-derived VOC is toluene having Raman resonances at at least 260.3 nm, 263 nm and 266.8 nm, the excitation wavelength of the UV radiation beam being tuned to at least one of the Raman resonances of toluene.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the petroleum-derived VOC is ethylbenzene having Raman resonances at at least 260.2 nm, 263 nm and 266.6 nm, the excitation wavelength of the UV radiation beam being tuned to at least one of the Raman resonances of ethylbenzene.

7. The method of claim 3 wherein the petroleum-derived VOC is m-xylene having Raman resonances at at least 258.5 nm, 263.7 nm and 272.2 nm, the excitation wavelength of the UV radiation beam being tuned to at least one of the Raman resonances of m-xylene.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said determining includes operating the UV radiation generator and the receiver assembly in a synchronized manner allowing to determine a range-resolved concentration of the petroleum-derived VOC.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said providing includes flying the UV radiation generator and the receiver assembly over the scene using an aircraft.

10. A device for determining the presence of a spill of petroleum product by the detection of a petroleum-derived volatile organic compound (VOC), the device comprising:

a housing;

an ultraviolet (UV) radiation generator mounted to the housing and adapted to illuminate a distant target in a scene with a UV radiation beam, the UV radiation emitter being adapted to generate the UV radiation beam at an emission wavelength tuned to a resonance Raman wavelength of the petroleum-derived VOC;

a receiver assembly mounted to the housing and adapted to receive a return signal from the distant target; and

a computer configured to operate the UV radiation emitter and the receiver to determine the presence of the spill of petroleum product upon identifying a Raman scattering in the received return signal, the Raman scattering being indicative of a resonance Raman interaction between the UV radiation beam and molecules of the petroleum-derived VOC.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein the receiver assembly includes an intensity detector adapted to measure an intensity of the received return signal.

12. The device of claim 10 wherein the UV radiation generator and the receiver assembly are operated in a synchronized manner allowing to determine the petroleum-derived VOC at a predetermined range.

13. The device of claim 10 wherein the housing is mountable to a vehicle.

14. The device of claim 13 wherein the vehicle is an aircraft.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein the aircraft is an unmanned aircraft.

16. An aircraft comprising a frame to which is secured the housing of the device of claim 10.

17. A method for determining the presence of a spill of a petroleum product by the detection of a petroleum-derived volatile organic compound (VOC), the method comprising utilizing the device of claim 10.