Application of pulsed photoacoustics in water at high pressure

The application of pulsed photoacoustics to the study of liquids at pressur es of up to 350 bars is discussed. The design and development of an in-line sensor for the subsea monitoring of crude oil concentrations in water is r eported. Crude oil detection sensitivities at parts per million concentrati ons were achieved with prototype instrumentation. A comparison of experimen tal results and a theoretical prediction of the pressure dependence of the pulsed photoacoustic response from water is outlined. The results demonstra te that existing models that describe pulsed photoacoustic generation in li quids are applicable to high-pressure conditions. (C) 1999 Optical Society of America. OCIS codes: 010.0010, 140.0140, 110.5120, 120.1880, 010.7340, 0 10.4450.