Spatial concentration distribution model for short-range continuous gas leakage of small amount

Passive infrared gas imaging systems have been utilized in the equipment leak detection and repair in chemical manufacturers and petroleum refineries. The detection performance mainly relates to the sensitivity of infrared detector, optical depth of gas, atmospheric transmission, wind speed, and so on. Based on our knowledge, the spatial concentration distribution of continuously leaking gas plays an important part in leak detection. Several computational model of gas diffusion were proposed by researchers, such as Gaussian model, BM model, Sutton model and FEM3 model. But these models focus on calculating a large scale gas concentration distribution for a great amount of gas leaks above over 100- meter height, and not applicable to assess detection limit of a gas imaging system in short range. In this paper, a wind tunnel experiment is designed. Under different leaking rate and wind speed, concentration in different spatial positions is measured by portable gas detectors. Through analyzing the experimental data, the two parameters σ _y(x) and σ _z (x) that determine the plume dispersion in Gaussian model are adjusted to produce the best curve fit to the gas concentration data. Then a concentration distribution model for small mount gas leakage in short range is established. Various gases, ethylene and methane are used to testify this model.