Learn More About The EPA Method 9 Training

By Marla Mills


The method 9 training is a referential method that quantifies all visible emissions. When stationary sources discharge visible emissions in the environment they do so in a plume shape. This program is designed to estimate the opacity of the plume by professional observers. This method involves procedures that should be used in order to find the best opacity estimates. This kind of training is provided at institutions known as smoke schools.

For you to be recognized as a professional observer there are some tests you should pass. One is determining the opacity of the visible emissions from a scale of 0 to 100% and correctly feed the information into the VEO form. You also have to be able to evaluate 25% plumes of both the black smoke and the white smoke to the nearest 5%. This method requires quality training and certification of the observers in order to come up with more accurate records of the plume.

A concept by Maximillian Ringelman was the reason a system of estimating smoke opacity was brought up. Ringelman observed and noticed that the level of darkness of a particular smoke is the reason why there was poor combustion efficiency. He came up with a chart that could be used to find out how dark the smoke was. This chart had a white background and four different black grids.

A couple of decades later, many larger municipalities started using this system in estimating the level of darkness in the smoke. Decades after this there were two major adjustments made on the Maximillian charts. One of them was the addition of white smoke to be used for equivalent opacity. The other adjustment was the addition of the opacity meter. This could estimate the darkness of the smoke and made it unnecessary to have the white card.

The kind of observation made by observers depends on a several variables. In these variables some can be controlled while others cannot. One of the variables is the angle from where the observer is watching the plume from. The other variable is the angle of the observer in relation to the sun and the plume. A third variable is the point of observation of the detached steam plume. These are however not all the variables.

The first system for smoke evaluation came from a concept that was developed by Maximillian Ringelman. He had found out that black smoke from boilers were the reason of poor combustion efficiency. The darker the smoke the poorer the efficiency and thus he devised a chart with four different black grids on a white background to measure the darkness of the smoke.

When the observer is observing the smoke there are certain procedures they should also handle. The first one is that the observer should stand at a length sufficient enough to produce a very clear sight of the emissions. The sun should be oriented at a 140 degree sector at the back of the professional observer.

You can find the best smoke school for Method 9 training easily. Ensure that you do everything it takes to find the best and be the best. This is a short course.




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