Project Number: 17-053

Research

Title: Identifying and apportioning ozone producing VOCs in Central Texas

Institution(s) Represented: Aerodyne Research, Inc. - Scott Herndon

Lead PI: Scott Herndon

AQRP Project Manager: Gary McGaughey

TCEQ Project Liaison: Mark Estes

Awarded Amount: $185,193.00

Abstract

Aerodyne Research, Inc. will conduct measurements using a mobile laboratory as a portable photochemistry super site to study ozone production and the emission sources that ultimately impact air quality in central Texas. Work will be done at locations upwind, downwind and lateral to San Antonio. The suite of instrumentation has been selected to quantify key oxygenated volatile organic carbon species (OVOC) and nitrogen containing species (e.g. alkyl nitrates) to pinpoint and apportion ozone within broad categories of VOC emission sectors. The instrument payload will also directly quantify the instantaneous production rate of ozone to determine whether the chemical regime is NOx limited or VOC limited. An additional component of this research project will be to characterize emission sources associated with oil and natural gas production in the Eagle Ford Shale play, including active medium to large processing flares, as well as oil and condensate tanks at wellpads.

The project will provide scientific insight into the VOCs that are contributing to the ozone in central Texas. The effectiveness of mitigation strategies will be informed by these results. This work will isolate ozone production due to VOC oxidation from biogenic sources, refinery emissions, emissions from oil producing well pads and emissions from natural gas production. The dataset will inherently contain regional transport of emissions and processed air. The project will quantify local ozone production rates and evaluate the ozone sensitivity regime.

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Research

Research

FY 2016 - 2017

Project Number: 17-053