Chemical Leak Inspection System
First Claim
1. A method of detecting the difference between background radiation and signal radiation that passes through a gas comprising any one or more chemical species of a group of species under ambient conditions, the method comprising:
- filtering received background radiation and signal radiation with a single filter configuration, including an optical bandpass filter fixed along an optical path;
detecting the filtered background and signal radiation with an infrared sensor device to produce a signal corresponding to the differences in the detected radiation;
cooling both the single filter configuration and the infrared sensor device with a refrigeration system; and
processing the signal from the infrared sensor device to construct an image of the gas.
2 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of visually detecting a leak of a chemical emanating from a component. The method includes: aiming a passive infrared camera system towards the component; filtering an infrared image with an optical bandpass filter, the infrared image being that of the leak; after the infrared image passes through the lens and optical bandpass filter, receiving the filtered infrared image with an infrared sensor device; electronically processing the filtered infrared image received by the infrared sensor device to provide a visible image representing the filtered infrared image; and visually identifying the leak based on the visible image. The passive infrared camera system includes: a lens; a refrigerated portion including therein the infrared sensor device and the optical bandpass filter (located along an optical path between the lens and the infrared sensor device). At least part of a pass band for the optical bandpass filter is within an absorption band for the chemical.
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Citations
44 Claims
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1. A method of detecting the difference between background radiation and signal radiation that passes through a gas comprising any one or more chemical species of a group of species under ambient conditions, the method comprising:
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filtering received background radiation and signal radiation with a single filter configuration, including an optical bandpass filter fixed along an optical path; detecting the filtered background and signal radiation with an infrared sensor device to produce a signal corresponding to the differences in the detected radiation; cooling both the single filter configuration and the infrared sensor device with a refrigeration system; and processing the signal from the infrared sensor device to construct an image of the gas. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A method of visually displaying a leak of a gas of any one or more chemical species of a group of chemical species, the leak emanating from a component and producing passive infrared radiation, the method including:
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receiving infrared radiation received from the leak under normal operating and ambient conditions for the component through a lens assembly; filtering the received infrared radiation with a single filter configuration including an optical bandpass filter fixed along an optical path; detecting the filtered infrared radiation of the gas leak with an infrared sensor device to produce a signal corresponding to the detected radiation; cooling both the single filter configuration and the infrared sensor device with a refrigeration system including a closed-cycle Stirling cryocooler; electronically processing the signal from the cooled infrared sensor device; and displaying a visible image of the chemical leak based on the processed signal.
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41. A system for producing a visible image of a leak of a gas comprising any one or more chemical species of a group of chemical species, the leak emanating from a component, including:
a passive infrared camera system including; a lens; a refrigerated portion including an interior; a refrigeration system to cool the refrigerated portion interior; an infrared sensor device located in the refrigerated portion interior; a single filter configuration located in the refrigerated portion interior and including an optical bandpass filter fixed along an optical path between the lens assembly and the infrared sensor device; wherein at least part of the pass band for the single filter configuration is within an absorption band for each of the chemicals; wherein the aggregate pass band for the single filter configuration is at least about 100 nm; and a processor to process a signal representing the filtered infrared image captured by the infrared sensor device under variable ambient conditions of the area around the leak and produce a visible image of the chemical emanating from the component. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44)
Specification