Continuous Emission Monitoring System

Continuous Emission Monitoring System Can Help Generate Accurate Emissions Reporting

Regulators are looking for more and more information in the battle against air pollution as they strive for a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. In striving for this efficiency a specialized system is often used to analyze gas, sample it according to a given set of parameters and compare it to a data acquisition system. This is known as a “continuous emission monitoring system” and a benchmark is set by the US Environmental Protection Agency and other state regulatory agencies.

Commonly, gas samples are extracted from the process point and conditioned before being analyzed. Readings are stored and reports generated giving a client a detailed oversight of the entire process. The most versatile system may be amended to expand the scope of the emission analysis and once benchmarks are set certain readouts will be programmed to trigger alarms, as appropriate.

There are three categories within a continuous emission monitoring system. These can be broken down into the initial capture, transport and delivery, the secondary analysis stage and the third stage of presentation, reporting and control.

It is important to remember that when attempting to accurately report emissions, gas analyzers are highly efficient but can be temperamental. They cannot accurately function if there is any condensed water vapor or other particulate within the source gas, as the sensors and other sensitive components can be affected, leading to inaccuracies and even failure. As such, a number of filter processes are in place to remove foreign matter and any moisture, without affecting the integral makeup of the gas itself.

Continuous Emission Monitoring System Helps in Conducting Accurate Analysis

For accurate analysis purposes, different techniques may be used depending on the level of moisture and the solubility of the component gas. In this way, wet basis or dry basis gas samples rely on different methods of filtration and heating within the process phase.

To enable the output of the most reliable and accurate emissions information, operators may choose from a variety of techniques during the analysis phase. For example, the analyzer will check for presence of certain known physical characteristics using infrared or ultraviolet absorption, ionization, or photon emission due to chemical reaction.

Continuous Emission Monitoring System Needs to Be Tailor-fit to the Environment Where Monitoring is Done

At the control phase, the system must be able to ensure that any operational modifications or calibration are set and that performance is gauged against set parameters. Several levers of redundancy are important and the comprehensive set of reports should be passed to the operator.

As it is common to expect individual operators to function under a different set of restrictions, so each individual continuous emission monitoring system should be tailor-made to that environment. The nature of the process is such that minor inaccuracies in the overall system design will lead to significant deficiencies in output. Having said that, the overall system should be robust and able to perform and function reliably. These systems are certain to become more prevalent as increased regulation appears.

About Verisae

Verisae helps measure, manage and reduce equipment and energy costs including the related business and environmental impacts of carbon emissions. The Sustainability Resource Planning (“SRP”) software platform improves operational efficiency, protects brand integrity and helps ensure regulatory compliance for distributed enterprises across many industries. Verisae delivers a broad range of sustainability solutions to dozens of clients globally with thousands of daily users including an extended network of third-party suppliers. Verisae’s integrated sustainability platform actively tracks millions of assets across thousands of sites worldwide.

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