METHOD FOR HELIUM SURVEY ON WATER BODIES Russian patent published in 2013 - IPC G01V9/00 

FIELD: chemistry.

SUBSTANCE: water body is profiled. Water samples are collected from a given depth by sucking. The sample is fed for separation by a continuous stream. The gas phase of the sample is separated while discharging the degassed liquid. The gas phase of the sample is fed into a gas analyser. The desired gas is extracted from the gas phase of the sample. Its concentration in the sample is measured. The investigated area of the water body is mapped based on data on concentration of the desired gas. The desired gas used is helium. The gas analyser used is a membrane type helium leak detector. Water samples are collected near the bottom of the water body while controlling the depth at which the samples are collected. Helium concentration is measured by at least two helium leak detectors successively in cyclic mode. Duration of the measurement cycle is established based on the condition of excluding the effect of drift of the helium leak detector on the measurement. The interval between measurements in the cycle is established based on data on the geologic structure of the bottom of the investigated water body. Duration of each measurement in the cycle is selected greater than the period of time for measuring background concentration of helium in water. Background concentration of helium in the water is determined before profiling the water body.

EFFECT: high efficiency of mapping a water body via helium survey, high accuracy of analysing bottom water samples.

2 cl, 3 dwg