TY - GEN
T1 - Ambient plume opacity measurements using a video camera recorder and digital optical method
AU - Yuen, Wangki
AU - Mao, Yalin
AU - Gu, Yichao
AU - Rood, Mark J.
AU - Koloutsou-Vakakis, Sotiria
AU - Mattison, Kevin
AU - Franek, Bill
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors thank Professor H. K. Son, of Kosin University in Busan, South Korea, for assisting with the field campaign. Funding for attending this conference comes from NSF I-Corps at Illinois, Conference Travel Award from the Graduate College in the University of Illinois, Racheff Student Travel Award from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in the University of Illinois, and Travel Award from Lake Michigan States Chapter of Air and Waste Management Association (A&WMA).
PY - 2015
Y1 - 2015
N2 - The applicability of Digital Optical Method (DOM) to measure plume opacity with a digital video camera recorder (camcorder) in a smokestack was tested. Camcorders have the advantage of obtaining real-time digital images, thus allowing continuous measurement of plume opacity and its temporal variation. They also allow keeping an archival record of plume opacity events. A Canon camcorder was first calibrated using two methods: by either varying the exposure value compensation of the camcorder, or varying the radiance of a surface. The camcorder was then used in the field in July 9, 2013 to measure plume opacity. A smoke generator was used that provided plumes of controlled opacity values. Opacity was measured with a transmissometer inside the smoke generator stack. These opacity measurements were used as the standard for testing the applicability of DOM for the camcorder to determine plume opacity. Measurements were made during daytime and nighttime. Still images were extracted once every two minutes for the entire videos and every second for selected one minute periods to test this system at different time resolutions. Each image was analyzed using DOM analysis software. Daytime results from images obtained every two minutes show that camcorder derived opacity values have an average absolute bias of 3.4% for black plumes and 5.1% for white plumes. Camcorder opacity measurements at one-second time resolution have an average absolute bias < 6% for black plumes and < 4% for white plumes. Nighttime results show that camcorder opacity values for black plumes have average absolute bias of 3.2% at low opacity (< 45%), but are consistently lower than transmissometer values by an average absolute bias of 16.5% at high opacity (> 65%). These results demonstrate the potential of a camcorder for measuring plume opacity continuously during daytime, while nighttime measurements need further investigation on the effect of surrounding lighting conditions.
AB - The applicability of Digital Optical Method (DOM) to measure plume opacity with a digital video camera recorder (camcorder) in a smokestack was tested. Camcorders have the advantage of obtaining real-time digital images, thus allowing continuous measurement of plume opacity and its temporal variation. They also allow keeping an archival record of plume opacity events. A Canon camcorder was first calibrated using two methods: by either varying the exposure value compensation of the camcorder, or varying the radiance of a surface. The camcorder was then used in the field in July 9, 2013 to measure plume opacity. A smoke generator was used that provided plumes of controlled opacity values. Opacity was measured with a transmissometer inside the smoke generator stack. These opacity measurements were used as the standard for testing the applicability of DOM for the camcorder to determine plume opacity. Measurements were made during daytime and nighttime. Still images were extracted once every two minutes for the entire videos and every second for selected one minute periods to test this system at different time resolutions. Each image was analyzed using DOM analysis software. Daytime results from images obtained every two minutes show that camcorder derived opacity values have an average absolute bias of 3.4% for black plumes and 5.1% for white plumes. Camcorder opacity measurements at one-second time resolution have an average absolute bias < 6% for black plumes and < 4% for white plumes. Nighttime results show that camcorder opacity values for black plumes have average absolute bias of 3.2% at low opacity (< 45%), but are consistently lower than transmissometer values by an average absolute bias of 16.5% at high opacity (> 65%). These results demonstrate the potential of a camcorder for measuring plume opacity continuously during daytime, while nighttime measurements need further investigation on the effect of surrounding lighting conditions.
KW - Alternative method 082
KW - Method 9
KW - Particulate matter
KW - Plume opacity
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M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:85026825648
T3 - Proceedings of the Air and Waste Management Association's Annual Conference and Exhibition, AWMA
SP - 2627
EP - 2641
BT - 108th Air and Waste Management Association Annual Conference and Exhibition, ACE 2015 - Connecting the Dots
PB - Air and Waste Management Association
T2 - 108th Air and Waste Management Association Annual Conference and Exhibition - Connecting the Dots: Environmental Quality to Climate, ACE 2015
Y2 - 22 June 2015 through 25 June 2015
ER -