Estimation of Emissions From Metallurgical Plants Using Infrared Fourier Transform Spectroscopy

Abstract

Every year, metallurgical plants emit hundreds of thousands of tons of harmful substances into the atmosphere. The remote sensing of flue gases from the chimneys of metallurgical plants is an urgent task for both industrial enterprises themselves and the enviromental control systems of nearby settlements. In this study, based on the results of the remote optical monitoring of emissions from chimneys of metallurgical plants of the PJSC “MMC ‘Norilsk Nickel’s’,” Polar Division, the concentration of sulfur dioxide in flue gases is estimated. The measurements are carried out using infrared (IR) Fourier transform spectrometers operating in the 7–13 µm range with a spectral resolution of 4 cm^–1. A new technology for remote optical sensing in the passive mode of flue gases from metallurgical plants is proposed, including measurements both on cross sections of chimneys and plumes.