Gas Imaging Camera Selected to Help Regulate Environmental Emissions

FLIR (France) Advanced Thermal Solutions has been selected by the DCMR Environmental Protection Agency to supply a FLIR GF320 Optical Gas Imaging camera for inspection and law enforcement tasks.

The DCMR Environmental Protection Agency is the regional environmental agency of the local and regional authorities operating in Rijnmond, the larger ’Port of Rotterdam’ area in the Netherlands. In recent years the DCMR performed field studies to measure and quantify the total emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) from industrial sources in the Rotterdam port area. The measurements indicate that the fugitive VOC emissions were about 3 to 4 times higher than the emissions that are annually reported to the DCMR. VOC emissions attribute to photochemical smog and can have a serious effect on the environment and human health, therefore the Air Quality Department of the DCMR purchased the FLIR GF320 Optical Gas Imaging camera.

The FLIR GF320 Optical Gas Imaging camera is a real-time infrared camera designed for use in harsh industrial environments. The FLIR GF320 takes advantage of state-of-the-art focal plane array detector and optical systems that are tuned to very narrow spectral infrared ranges. This enables the camera to image infrared energy absorbed by certain environmentally polluting gases. Images are processed and enhanced by the FLIR High Sensitivity Mode™ feature to clearly show the presence of gases against stationary backgrounds. Gases that are detectable by the FLIR GF320 camera appear on screen as smoke plumes.

The initial focus for using the camera will be on inspecting storage tanks, vapour recovery units and VOC handling activities of refineries and storage and handling facilities. The FLIR GF320 camera will be used to develop a standard and solid working method that can be used as a law enforcement tool. For this reason effort will also be put in making a NTA (Dutch Technical Agreement) together with other stakeholders to make the FLIR GF320 camera an even more accepted method. The final goal of the DCMR will be to reduce numerous kilotons of VOC’s emissions with aid of the FLIR GF320 Optical Gas Imaging camera.