Mining Goes Digital – Mueller et al. (Eds)
© 2019 Taylor & Francis Group, London, ISBN 978-0-367-33604-2
640
Application of laser methane sensor in on-line monitoring
of gas pipeline
G.X. Jin & H. Meng
Shandong Micro-Sensor Photonics Ltd., China
G.H. Jia & W.W. Wang
Xinwen Mining Group Zhaoguan Energy Ltd., China
H. Zhang & Z.D. Shi
Shandong Micro-Sensor Photonics Ltd., China
T.Y. Liu
Laser institute, Shandong Academy of Sciences, China
C.X. Song
Shandong Micro-Sensor Photonics Ltd., China
Y.N. Ning
Laser institute, Shandong Academy of Sciences, China
ABSTRACT: Laser methane sensor has the characteristics of wide measurement range, low
measurement error, fast response, long period between every calibrations, long service life, no
gas cross-interference and convenient maintenance in the operation. Based on the VCSEL laser
technology, the methane sensor using a self-adaptive, multi-band spectral absorption technology realizes ultra-low power laser spectral detection. Operation at temperature ranging from
–10°C to 50°C and pressure ranging from 30 kPa to 200 kPa, the new Laser methane sensor greatly improves the accuracy and reliability of methane measurement on a gas pipeline.
By introducing Internet of Things technology, the connection between sensor and computer/
mobile terminal and remote real-time monitoring can be realized, and the data of gas drainage pipeline can be monitored and viewed at any time. In this presentation, the design of the
VCSEL laser methane sensor and the measured results will be shown, the further improvements will be discussed.
Keywords: Gas drainage, Laser methane sensor, Temperature and Pressure Compensation,
Internet of things
1 INTRODUCTION
The implementation of Chinese Government’s policy of “purging gas before mining” at all
high gas mines is one of the fundamental solutions to prevent gas accidents in the process of
coal mining. The coal mine gas drainage and utilization not only enable the high gas mines
to be mined at a low gas concentration state, avoiding the gas-induced disasters during coal
mine production, but also can prevent the methane gas from being released to environmental, reducing the green gas emission (Provisional Standards). Because the concentration of
methane in the pipeline fluctuates greatly during the gas drainage process, it is necessary to
use a special gas distribution pipeline network to mix the extracted gas to maintain gas concentration at a high and stable value. In this process, it is necessary to monitor the methane
© 2019 Taylor & Francis Group, London, ISBN 978-0-367-33604-2
640
Application of laser methane sensor in on-line monitoring
of gas pipeline
G.X. Jin & H. Meng
Shandong Micro-Sensor Photonics Ltd., China
G.H. Jia & W.W. Wang
Xinwen Mining Group Zhaoguan Energy Ltd., China
H. Zhang & Z.D. Shi
Shandong Micro-Sensor Photonics Ltd., China
T.Y. Liu
Laser institute, Shandong Academy of Sciences, China
C.X. Song
Shandong Micro-Sensor Photonics Ltd., China
Y.N. Ning
Laser institute, Shandong Academy of Sciences, China
ABSTRACT: Laser methane sensor has the characteristics of wide measurement range, low
measurement error, fast response, long period between every calibrations, long service life, no
gas cross-interference and convenient maintenance in the operation. Based on the VCSEL laser
technology, the methane sensor using a self-adaptive, multi-band spectral absorption technology realizes ultra-low power laser spectral detection. Operation at temperature ranging from
–10°C to 50°C and pressure ranging from 30 kPa to 200 kPa, the new Laser methane sensor greatly improves the accuracy and reliability of methane measurement on a gas pipeline.
By introducing Internet of Things technology, the connection between sensor and computer/
mobile terminal and remote real-time monitoring can be realized, and the data of gas drainage pipeline can be monitored and viewed at any time. In this presentation, the design of the
VCSEL laser methane sensor and the measured results will be shown, the further improvements will be discussed.
Keywords: Gas drainage, Laser methane sensor, Temperature and Pressure Compensation,
Internet of things
1 INTRODUCTION
The implementation of Chinese Government’s policy of “purging gas before mining” at all
high gas mines is one of the fundamental solutions to prevent gas accidents in the process of
coal mining. The coal mine gas drainage and utilization not only enable the high gas mines
to be mined at a low gas concentration state, avoiding the gas-induced disasters during coal
mine production, but also can prevent the methane gas from being released to environmental, reducing the green gas emission (Provisional Standards). Because the concentration of
methane in the pipeline fluctuates greatly during the gas drainage process, it is necessary to
use a special gas distribution pipeline network to mix the extracted gas to maintain gas concentration at a high and stable value. In this process, it is necessary to monitor the methane