As evidence emerges that gas drilling and sewer systems are emitting far more greenhouse gases than previously thought, a team of Princeton researchers has developed a method to identify sources large and small for quick repairs. Their approach based on laser detection is described in detail in a published paper. Remote Sensing of the Environment can accurately detect, quantify, and pinpoint emissions that are 25 times smaller than those typically found in gas installations, using both large greenhouse gas leaks and other methods. welding with an accuracy of one meter.
Because it combines the remote sensing capabilities of lasers with the flexibility of drones, the new technology could also be used to quickly detect invisible leaks in hard-to-reach places, an innovation the researchers say offers stunning potential for atmospheric sensing.
“Current approaches to source detection rely on portable infrared cameras, which often use methods that are labor-intensive and insensitive to small resources or require extensive measurement infrastructure to be set up in advance,” said Gerard Wysocki. Assistant Professor at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and Environment. “But with a drone, you have complete freedom in how you set up the detection field.”
The researchers’ approach consists of only a small drone equipped with a retroreflector, a type of mirror that reflects incoming light directly back to the source, and a gas sensing equipment base station capable of tracking the drone’s movements during flight. By projecting a laser beam from the drone as it flies to specific points around the suspected leak, the operator can pinpoint the source of the leak and measure its intensity.
“This is truly the holy grail of leak detection,” said Mark Zondlo, co-author of the study, professor of civil and environmental engineering and associate professor at the Andlinger Center for Energy and Environment.
While drone-based atmospheric sensing methods exist, these typically require mounting a gas sensor directly on the drone. Zondlo said the app quickly encountered some serious hurdles regarding how much weight a drone can carry and how risky it is to fly. A drone overloaded with expensive sensors in dangerous environments.
“You can’t put more than one gas sensor on a drone at once, otherwise it will become too big and bulky to fly. And you probably don’t want to risk flying an expensive sensor over a lagoon.
Rather than overloading the drone with sensors, the Princeton group loaded the expensive gas sensor components into a base station that could fit on a mobile platform like a van, meaning the drone only needed to carry a small mirror. The change allowed researchers to use smaller, cheaper drones with longer flight times to collect detailed emissions data over large areas, potentially unlocking the ability to monitor entire natural gas transport and distribution facilities in a single drone flight.
“Our approach allows us to bypass the main limitations of using drones and use their full potential,” Zondlo said. Said. “This is really a paradigm shift in how we can use drones to probe the atmosphere.”
The detection method could also allow simultaneous measurement of multiple gases, which is extremely difficult in other drone-based approaches due to size, weight and power.
Adding the ability to measure methane as well as other gases such as carbon dioxide and ammonia would be as simple as adding other lasers with different wavelengths to the basic system, said Michael Soskind, first author of the study and a graduate student in electrical and computer engineering. “All you have to do is add a secondary laser to the system,” he explained. “The rest of the system is already built to work.”
Because it offers users a great deal of flexibility, Wysocki said he sees the team’s approach as a technology platform that can drive future innovations and applications beyond methane leak detection.
“The most exciting thing is that the technology we’ve developed isn’t just the ability to detect methane,” he said. “It’s really about unlocking the ability for researchers and practitioners to use drones and other remote sensing techniques to make detailed measurements of small sources and reconstruct emission clouds. It’s an effective resource that can help manufacturers save time and money while reducing the safety and environmental hazards of these sources. It is a technology that opens the door to detection and improvement.”
Source: Port Altele
