Servomex delivers the expert solution for methane measurements

Why measure methane?

Methane is a hydrocarbon, and the main constituent of natural gas. As a greenhouse gas, methane emissions must be monitored in industrial processes to meet regulatory requirements. Monitoring methane in combustion is also an important safety measure. It is also key to safety and process efficiency in a number of industrial processes, including ethylene and EDC manufacture. Additionally, methane can contaminate high-purity gases needed for medical or industrial use, so must be monitored at trace and ultra-trace levels to ensure gas quality.

How CH4 gas analyzers work to measure methane

Several sensing technologies are available to measure methane. The most appropriate solution depends on the application, and the measurement range required.

• Gas Filter Correlation sensing is an advanced Infrared-based measurement technology based on the unique light-absorbing properties of some gases, delivering a non-contact, real-time detection of the selected gas’s concentration in a mixture.
• Tunable Diode Laser sensing is highly specific to the target gas, and offers a fast, highly stable, continuous cross-stack measurement, ideal for process and combustion control applications.
• Gas Chromatography separates out the constituent components of a gas mixture, allowing relative concentrations to be determined. Under optimized conditions, it can measure down to parts-per-billion (ppb) levels, making it ideal for high-purity control processes.
• Servomex’s Plasma emission detection technology was developed to provide a safer alternative to flame-based sensing for hydrocarbon analysis, and delivers ultra-low measurements. It provides highly sensitive and selective speciation, so is only suitable for trace analysis applications.
• Flame Ionization Detector (FID) technology is designed to measure total hydrocarbons down to parts-per-billion (ppb) levels. By combining a FID sensor with a non-methane cutter, it can be used to measure methane concentrations as well.