Applications of Open-Path Fourier Transform Infrared for Identification of Volatile Organic Compound Pollution Sources and Characterization of Source Emission Behaviors
Abstract An open-path Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (OP-FTIR) system was set up for 3-day continuous line-averaged volatile organic compound (VOC) monitoring in a paint manufacturing plant. Seven VOCs (toluene, m-xylene, p-xylene, styrene, methanol, acetone, and 2-butanone) were identified in the ambient environment. Daytime-only batch operation mode was well explained by the time-series concentration plots. Major sources of methanol, m-xylene, acetone, and 2-butanone were identified in the southeast direction where paint solvent manufacturing processes are located. However, an attempt to uncover sources of styrene was not successful because the method detection limit (MDL) of the OP-FTIR system was not sensitive enough to produce conclusive data. In the second scenario, the OP-FTIR system was set up in an industrial complex to distinguish the origins of several VOCs. Eight major VOCs were identified in the ambient environment. The pollutant detected wind-rose percentage plots that clearly showed that ethylene, propylene, 2-butanone, and toluene mainly originated from the tank storage area, whereas the source of n-butane was mainly from the butadiene manufacturing processes of the refinery plant, and ammonia was identified as an accompanying reduction product in the gasoline desulfuration process. Advantages of OP-FTIR include its ability to simultaneously and continuously analyze many compounds, and its long path length monitoring has also shown advantages in obtaining more comprehensive data than the traditional multiple, single-point monitoring methods.
Locating sources of hazardous gas emissions using dual pollution rose plots and open path Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.
A new approach employing two pollution rose plots to locate the sources of multiple hazardous gas emissions was proposed and tested in an industrial area. The data used for constructing the pollution rose plots were obtained from two side-by-side measurements of open-path Fourier Transform Infrared (OP-FTIR) spectrometers during one week of continuous analysis on the rooftop of a semiconductor plant. Hazardous gases such as CF4, C2F6, CH3OH, NH3, NO2, and SF6 were found and quantified at the ppb level by both OP-FTIR measurement sites. The data of the top 20% highest concentrations and associated wind directions were used to construct the pollution rose plots. Pollution source probability contours for each compound were constructed using the probability-product of directional probability from two pollution rose plots. Hot spots for SF6, CF4, NO2, and C2F6 pointed to the stack area of the plant, but the sources of CH3OH and NH3 were found outside of this plant. The influences of parameters for this approach such as the variation in wind direction, lower limit concentration threshold and the nearby buildings were discussed.
On the ontology of particle mass and energy in special relativity
Einstein claimed that the fundamental dynamical insight of special relativity was the equivalence of mass and energy. I disagree. Not only are mass and energy not equivalent (whatever exactly that means) but talk of such equivalence obscures the real dynamical insight of special relativity, which concerns the nature of 4-forces and interactions more generally. In this paper I present and defend a new ontology of special relativistic particle dynamics that makes this insight perspicuous and I explain how alleged cases of mass–energy conversion can be accommodated within that ontology.