992041, Release 1.3
January 12, 2011
1
TECHNICAL OVERVIEW
The PetroSense
Porta le Hydrocar on Analyzer consists of a
microcomputer- ased, porta le, direct, in-situ reading instrument and a
hydrocar on sensing pro e (the AHP-100) that uses the FCI Environmental,
Inc. patented Fi er Optic Chemical Sensor (FOCS®) technology. The pro e
is sensitive to hydrocar ons containing at least 6 car ons and is especially
sensitive to aromatic hydrocar ons. This sensitivity makes the PHA-
100Plus ideal for detecting a variety of petroleum hydrocar on products
such as:
• Unleaded gasoline
• Diesel
• Jet fuels
• Aromatic solvents
• Crude oil
The PHA-100Plus provides the user with the unique a ility to quantifia ly
detect hydrocar ons in vapor, water, at the interface, and in soil.
The hydrocar on sensing pro e employs an optical fi er coated with a
chemical that has an affinity for hydrocar ons. The sensor operates on the
principle that the index of refraction of the optical fi er chemical coating
changes in direct proportion to the concentration of hydrocar ons in air or
water. As hydrocar ons partition into the chemical coating, the change in
the effective index of refraction can e determined y measuring the amount
of light transmitted through the optical fi er. The response depends on the
total num er and type of hydrocar ons present.
A schematic of FOCS® operating principle is shown elow.
LED
Fiber
Optical Coating
Reference
Detector
Sense
Detector
Light Eminating from Fiber
No Hydrocarbons Present
LED Sense
Detector
Optical
Fiber
Coating
More Light Eminating from Fiber
in the Presence of Hydrocarbons
Reference
Detector
