&EPA
www.epa.gov
.ology Verification Program
E
Environmental and Sustainable Technology Evaluations (ESTE):
Verification of Portable Optical and Thermal Imaging Devices for Leak Detection at
Petroleum Refineries and Chemical Plants
Impact Statement
Industrial facilities, such as chemical plants and petroleum
refineries, emit compounds that are listed as toxic or
hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). HAPs are of concern to
environmental decision-makers because exposure to these
classes of compounds has been linked to cancer and other
serious health effects. These compounds react in the
atmosphere to form ozone which also has adverse health
effects to exposed populations, such as facility workers and
people living in neighboring communities. Undiscovered
gas leaks, known as fugitive emissions, in chemical plants
and refinery operations can impact regional air quality with
the resultant loss of the product for the industry.
Federal and state monitoring programs have been developed
to reduce fugitive emissions. These programs are currently
based on EPA Method 21, which relies on the manual
collection of emissions measurements using an organic
vapor analyzer at each potential leak site, such as a valve or
flange. Since the actual number of components to be tested
in a refinery or chemical plant can be quite large, the
application of Method 21 monitoring can be both time
intensive and expensive. Opportunities for detecting leaks
are also limited by the frequency in which components are
tested.
Remote sensing systems offer an operator the ability to
monitor components from a distance and identify, in some
cases instantaneously, leaking components within the line of
sight of the optical or thermal imager. A number of
environmental variables can affect the performance of an
optical or thermal imaging system used for fugitive leak
detection, including the type of compound that is leaking,
its concentration and leak flow rate, ambient temperatures,
and gas temperatures. Additional information is needed on the ability of the technologies to provide
accurate and reliable fugitive emission monitoring data for industrial leak detection and repair (LDAR)
programs.
ETV ESTE Portable Optical and Thermal Imaging Devices Project
In 2006, EPA's ETV Program started an ESTE project to verify the performance of portable optical and
thermal imaging devices for leak detection at petroleum refineries and chemical plants. EPA needs
information on their performance to support proposed Alternative Work Practice To Detect Leaks From
Equipment outlined in the Federal Register, April 6, 2006, 40 CFR Part 60, (EPA-HQ-OAR-2003-0199;
FRL-8055-2). This project was managed by EPA Office of Research and Development, National
Exposure Research Laboratory, with input from EPA Office of Air and Radiation, EPA Region 6, and
EPA Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS). A draft protocol was developed for testing
the performance of optical and thermal imaging devices based on input from EPA, stakeholders, and
vendors. The draft protocol was completed in November 2007.
ETV Program
The ETV Program operates as a public-
private partnership mainly through
cooperative agreements between EPA and
private nonprofit testing and evaluation
organizations. These ETV verification
organizations work with technology experts
to create efficient and quality-assured
testing procedures that verify the
performance of innovative technologies.
ETV operates six centers which cover a
broad range of environmental technology
categories. Vendors and others in the private
sector, as well as federal, state and local
government agencies, cost-share with EPA
to complete priority ETV protocols and
verifications. In 2005, a new element of
ETV was initiated, Environmental and
Sustainable Technology Evaluations
(ESTE), in which the most important
technology categories for meeting EPA
needs are verified through contracts with
verification organizations. ETV developed
the draft protocol for verifying portable
optical and thermal imaging devices for leak
detection at petroleum refineries and
chemical plants under an ESTE project. See
http://www.epa.gov/etv/este.html for more
information on the ESTE project.
-------
ETV Advanced Monitoring Systems Center
Portable Optical and Thermal Imaging
Device Activities
ETV's Advanced Monitoring Systems Center (AMS)
verifies the performance of technologies that monitor
air, water, and soil. In 2005, AMS prioritized remote
optical and thermal imaging devices for verification.
AMS decided to use the draft protocol developed
under the ETV ESTE project as a basis for verifying
the performance of these technologies for fugitive
emission monitoring in industrial applications.
Three vendors have signed verification agreements
with AMS: FLIR, Pacific Advanced Technologies,
and Electrophysics. The devices will be laboratory
tested at a British Petroleum facility in October 2008
and field tested at two industrial facilities in Texas
(planned for December 2008 and April 2009).
Several aspects of leak detection performance will be
examined, including: gas compound detection under
a variety of environmental conditions; determination
of detection limits, measurement accuracy and
repeatability; and the portability and ease-of-use of
these devices. A prioritized suite of vapors (12-14
compounds) will be analyzed. The Texas Chemical
Council and American Chemistry Council are
providing co-funding for the performance
verification testing.
Results will be published in verification reports and
statements, which will be made publicly available on
the ETV Web Site along with the approved
test/quality assurance plans and stakeholder meeting
minutes.
References
EPA, 2007. EPA 's Environmental Technology Verification Program. EPA/600/F-07/005. May.
Battelle, 2008. U.S. EPA Environmental Technology Verification Program, Advanced Monitoring
Systems (AMS) Center, Air Stakeholder Committee Teleconference, May 8, 2008. May.
Battelle, 2008. U.S. EPA 's Environmental Technology Verification Program Advanced Monitoring
Systems Center. August.
ETV Advanced Monitoring Systems Center
ETV Advanced Monitoring Systems Center (AMS)
verifies the performance of technologies that detect
contaminants and natural species in air, water, and
soil. AMS is operated by Battelle, a non-profit
technology research and development organization,
under a cooperative agreement with EPA.
AMS develops test plans, conducts independent
tests of technologies, and prepares verification
reports and statements for the technologies tested.
Vendors of these technologies can use the
verification reports and statements for marketing
purposes. Regulators, permitters, and users of the
verified technologies can refer to the verification
reports and statements to help make permitting and
purchasing decisions.
To date, AMS has completed verification tests of
over 125 technologies, including continuous
emission monitors for mercury, dioxin, and
ammonia; ambient monitors for fine particulate,
ammonia, hydrogen sulfide and ozone; test kits for
arsenic, cyanide, atrazine, and other water
contaminants; and multi-parameter water probes.
Nearly 20 additional technologies are currently in
the verification testing process.
For further information, contact Amy Dindal at
Battelle—phone 561-422-0113; fax 614-458-6697;
or email dindala@battelle .org
For further information contact:
ETV ESTE Project
David J. Williams
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Research and Development
National Exposure Research Laboratory
109 TW Alexander Dr., MS: E243-05 "
Durham, NC 27711
Phone: 919-541-2573 Fax: 919-685-3039
email: williams.davidj@epa.gov
ETV AMS Center
John McKernan
EPA Project Officer for the AMS Center
U. S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Research and Development
26 Martin Luther King Drive, West
Cincinnati, OH 45268
Phone: (513) 569-7415 Fax: 513-569-7158
email: mckernan.iohn@epa.gov
www.epa.gov/etv
December 2008
EPA/600/S-08/028
------- |