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Determining modified reaction parameters for the real-time measurement of BTEX in biogas and nitrogen using Selected Ion Flow Tube Mass Spectrometry (SIFT-MS)

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Abstract

The increasing demand for high-quality biogas and the reduction of reliance on natural gas have driven the need for a well-defined framework to ensure conformity and quality of biogas by the introduction of traceable reference materials and methods across the community. Furthermore, there is a great need to quantify critical trace impurities in biogas. Here, we perform real-time measurements on reference gas standards containing trace hydrocarbons in biogas that are traceable to the international system of units using Selected Ion Flow Tube Mass Spectrometry (SIFT-MS). There are limited data on reaction rate constants in biogas matrices for SIFT-MS, and here we use the traceable gas standards to determine and compare the reaction rate constants of trace hydrocarbons in biogas and nitrogen. Here, we modify SIFT-MS constants for biogas avoiding the current 30 % bias and prevent the overestimation in the concentration of hydrocarbon amount fractions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environment Department, National Physical Laboratory, Hampton Road, Teddington, Middlesex, TW11 0LW, UK

    Nicholas D. C. Allen & Thomas Bacquart

  2. Anatune Ltd, Unit 4, Wellbrook Court, Girton Road, Cambridge, CB3 0NA, UK

    Mark Perkins

  3. VSL (Dutch Metrology Institute), Thijsseweg 11, 2629 JA, Delft, The Netherlands

    Jianrong Li

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  1. Nicholas D. C. Allen
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Correspondence to Nicholas D. C. Allen.

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Allen, N.D.C., Perkins, M., Bacquart, T. et al. Determining modified reaction parameters for the real-time measurement of BTEX in biogas and nitrogen using Selected Ion Flow Tube Mass Spectrometry (SIFT-MS). Accred Qual Assur 24, 361–368 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00769-019-01394-8

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