HYDROGEN SULFIDE IMAGING SYSTEM

• US 20160349228A1
• Filed: 05/26/2016
• Published: 12/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rebellion Photonics, Inc. (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rebellion Photonics, Inc. (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Kester, Robert Timothy, Hagen, Nathan Adrian
• Granted Patent: US 10,648,960 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2003/1247 Tuning
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2003/2826 Multispectral imaging, e.g. filter imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2003/2869 Background correcting
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2005/0077 Imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 2005/604 bandpass filtered
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0208 using focussing or collimating elements, e.g. lenses or mirrors; performing aberration correction
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/021 using plane or convex mirrors, parallel phase plates, or particular reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0286 Constructional arrangements for compensating for fluctuations caused by temperature, humidity or pressure, or using cooling or temperature stabilization of parts of the device; Controlling the atmosphere inside a spectrometer, e.g. vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/2803 using photoelectric array detector
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/2823 Imaging spectrometer
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/32 Investigating bands of a spectrum in sequence by a single detector
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/36 Investigating two or more bands of a spectrum by separate detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/42 Absorption spectrometry; Double beam spectrometry; Flicker spectrometry; Reflection spectrometry beam switching arrangements G01J3/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0014 for sensing the radiation from gases, flames
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0806 Focusing or collimating elements, e.g. lenses or concave mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0808 Convex mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/0896 using a light source, e.g. for illuminating a surface
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/53 Reference sources, e.g. standard lamps; Black bodies
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 5/602 using selective, monochromatic or bandpass filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/3531 without instrumental source, i.e. radiometric
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3504 : for analysing gases, e.g. multi-gas analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0044 : for H2S, sulfides
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/002 : for television cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 : Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

Various embodiments disclosed herein describe an infrared (IR) imaging system for detecting a gas. The imaging system can include an optical filter that selectively passes light having a wavelength in a range of 1585 nm to 1595 nm while attenuating light at wavelengths above 1600 nm and below 1580 nm. The system can include an optical detector array sensitive to light having a wavelength of 1590 that is positioned rear of the optical filter.

Claims

1. (canceled)

3-16. -16. (canceled)

19-47. -47. (canceled)

48. An infrared (IR) imaging system for detecting hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) gas, the imaging system comprising:

an optical detector array; and

an optical filter that selectively transfers light within a band of IR wavelengths to the optical detector array,

wherein, within the band of IR wavelengths, a convolution of the optical filter with an absorption spectrum of H₂S gas is greater than a convolution of the optical filter with an absorption spectrum of carbon dioxide (CO₂), or methane (CH₄), or sulfur dioxide (SO₂), or water (H₂O).

49. The system of claim 48, wherein the optical filter selectively passes light having a wavelength in a range of 1585 nm to 1595 nm while attenuating light at wavelengths above 1600 nm and below 1580 nm.

50. The system of claim 48, wherein, within the band of IR wavelengths, the convolution of the optical filter with the absorption spectrum of H₂S gas is at least ten times greater than the convolution of the optical filter with the absorption spectrum of carbon dioxide (CO₂), or methane (CH₄), or sulfur dioxide (SO₂), or water (H₂O).

71. The system of claim 48, further comprising processing electronics configured to process image data detected by the optical detector array, the processing electronics configured to identify whether the image data comprises infrared spectra representative of hydrogen sulfide gas.

72. The system of claim 48, wherein the optical detector array comprises an optical focal plane array (FPA) unit and a plurality of spatially and spectrally different optical channels to transfer infrared (IR) radiation from a scene towards the optical FPA unit, each optical channel positioned to transfer a portion of the IR radiation incident on the imaging system from the scene towards the optical FPA unit.

77. The system of claim 48, further comprising an illumination source configured to provide illumination to a scene to be imaged.

101. The system of claim 48, wherein the optical filter selectively passes light having a wavelength in a range of 1550 nm to 1650 nm, while attenuating light at wavelengths above 1650 nm and below 1550 nm.

51-70. -70. (canceled)

73-76. -76. (canceled)

78-99. -99. (canceled)

100. An infrared (IR) imaging system for imaging a scene, the imaging system comprising:

an optical system comprising an optical focal plane array (FPA) unit and a plurality of spectrally different optical channels to transfer IR radiation from the scene towards the optical FPA unit, each optical channel positioned to transfer a portion of the IR radiation incident on the optical system from the scene towards the optical FPA unit, wherein the plurality of spectrally different optical channels are coupled to or integrally formed with the optical FPA unit,

wherein at least one of the plurality of optical channels is in the short-wavelength infrared (SWIR) spectral range,

wherein the imaging system is configured to acquire a first video image of the scene in the short-wavelength infrared spectral range.

17. The system of claim 100, further comprising processing electronics configured to process image data detected by the optical FPA unit, the processing electronics configured to identify whether the image data comprises infrared spectra representative of hydrogen sulfide gas.

102-149. -149. (canceled)

150. An infrared (IR) imaging system for detecting hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) gas, the imaging system comprising:

an optical system comprising an optical detector array and one or more optical channels that transfer infrared radiation to the optical detector array; and

processing electronics configured to process image data received by the optical detector array, the processing electronics configured to detect H₂S gas based on the captured image data.

2. The system of claim 162, wherein the optical filter selectively passes light having a wavelength in a range of 1500 nm to 1700 nm, while attenuating light at wavelengths above 1700 nm and below 1500 nm.

18. The system of claim 150, wherein the optical detector array comprises an optical focal plane array (FPA) unit and a plurality of spatially and spectrally different optical channels to transfer infrared (IR) radiation from a scene towards the optical FPA unit, each optical channel positioned to transfer a portion of the IR radiation incident on the imaging system from the scene towards the optical FPA unit.

151. The system of claim 150, wherein the processing electronics are configured to distinguish H₂S gas from one or more of carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), or water (H₂O) in an imaged object.

154. The system of claim 150, wherein a first channel of the one or more optical channels comprises an H₂S channel that transfers a first signal to the optical detector array that is representative of H₂S gas.

155. The system of claim 154, wherein a second channel of the one or more optical channels comprises a background channel that transfers a second signal to the optical detector array that is representative of broadband background radiation, wherein the processing electronics are configured to identify H₂S gas based at least in part on a difference between the first signal and the second signal.

157. The system of claim 155, wherein a third channel of the one or more optical channels selectively transfers a third signal to the optical detector array that is representative of carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), or water (H₂O), and wherein the processing electronics are configured to identify at least one of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and water (H2O) based at least in part on a difference between the third signal and the second signal.

161. The system of claim 150, wherein the one or more optical channels comprises one or more imaging lenses.

162. The system of claim 150, wherein the one or more optical channels comprises an optical filter.

164. The system of claim 150, further comprising processing electronics configured to detect H₂S gas at concentrations in a range of 1 ppm·

m to 5,000 ppm·

m.

152. (canceled)

153. (canceled)

156. (canceled)

158. (canceled)

159. (canceled)

160. (canceled)

163. The system of 162, wherein, within a band of IR wavelengths, a convolution of the optical filter with an absorption spectrum of H₂S gas is greater than a convolution of the optical filter with an absorption spectrum of carbon dioxide (CO₂), or methane (CH₄), or sulfur dioxide (SO₂), or water (H₂O).

165. (canceled)

166. (canceled)

167. (canceled)