LED-based NDIR natural gas analyzer

A new generation of the light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and photodiodes (PDs) was used recently to develop an open path non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) methane analyzer. The first open path detector prototype was constructed using LEDs for measurement and reference channels, accordingly, and first measurements for methane gas have been performed using optical paths of the order of several meters [3]. The natural gas consists of several first alkanes, mainly methane, and it is important to have a possibility of measuring all of them. In the present work we report the results of NDIR measurements for propane-butane mixture and new measurements of methane using LEDs for measurement and reference channels at 2300 and 1700 nm wavelengths, accordingly. The necessity of the double beam scheme is demonstrated and obtained results for methane and propane-butane mixture are compared. (paper)