Open-path UV Fourier-transform gas monitor with no moving parts

New legislation requiring the monitoring and reduction of polluting gases in both Europe and the USA has increased the demand for reliable and affordable open-path monitoring systems, suitable for hazardous area operation. We report on the research and development of a UV Fourier-transform spectrometer-based system for open-path monitoring of both hazardous and environmental gases. The device has no moving parts and is designed for unattended operation. Laboratory tests have successfully detected the presence of and differentiated between and present in a 1 m test cell down to 1.0 ppm.m levels. The real-time response of the system allows for the use of maximum entropy modelling to predict the size and location of a gas leak. Initial field tests with open-air gas releases of and have verified this. The multiple-gas feature of the instrument allows for additional possible applications with regards to environmental monitoring.