Development of perfluorocarbon tracer technology for underground leak location

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Accurate detection of underground leaks is crucial for infrastructure integrity and environmental protection.
• Current leak detection methods often lack sensitivity or require complex procedures.
• Perfluorocarbon tracers (PFTs) offer a promising solution due to their stability and detectability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel method for simultaneous atmospheric sampling and analysis of four PFT compounds.
• To achieve high sensitivity detection of PFTs at the parts per trillion (ppt) level.
• To assess the efficacy of the developed method for pinpointing underground leaks in cables.

Main Methods:

• Atmospheric sampling of PFTs using adsorbent tubes.
• Pre-concentration of PFTs via thermal desorption (TD).
• Analysis using gas chromatography (GC) with electron capture detection (ECD) and a capillary porous layer open tubular (PLOT) GC column.

Main Results:

• Simultaneous detection of four PFTs at ppt levels was achieved.
• Successful pinpointing of simulated underground leaks with PFTs detected above ground.
• Real-world application demonstrated detection of an oil leak in a high-voltage cable to within 3 meters.

Conclusions:

• The developed method offers a sensitive and efficient approach for atmospheric PFT analysis.
• The technology is effective for locating underground leaks in various cable and pipe systems.
• This method presents significant advantages over existing leak detection technologies.