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Portable remote laser sensor for methane leak detection

  • US 4,489,239 A
  • Filed: 09/24/1982
  • Issued: 12/18/1984
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/24/1982
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A portable, low wattage system for remotely detecting methane gas concentrations in the atmosphere from radiation reflected from a topographical target, said radiation including thermal and solar-type background noise, including methane-related laser wavelengths to be analyzed, said system comprising:

  • means for generating a first laser beam at a first wavelength coincident with a natural absorption line of methane gas;

    means for generating a second laser beam at a second wavelength which is not a strong absorption line of methane gas;

    means for successively interrupting said first and second laser beams;

    means for directing said first and second laser beams at a topographical target;

    collecting means for focusing a portion of said reflected laser radiation;

    narrowband optical filter means centered near said first and second wavelengths for passing said focused radiation, including the wavelengths to be analyzed and for effectively reducing said thermal and solar-type background noise;

    optical detector means for detecting the intensity of incident laser radiation and generating a detector signal representative of such intensity;

    signal processing means synchronized to the operation of said means for interrupting said laser beams for performing processing of the data from said optical detector to effectively cancel out the background noise while providing an output signal indicative of the relative intensity of said radiation at said first wavelength.

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