System and method for remote quantitative detection of fluid leaks from a natural gas or oil pipeline

• US 6,822,742 B1
• Filed: 12/19/2003
• Issued: 11/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Exelis Incorporated (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Kalayeh, Hooshmand M., Spoonhower, John P., Paz-Pujalt, Gustavo R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Font, Frank G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Sang H.
• Application Number:
  US10/740,879
• Time in Patent Office: 340 Days
• Field of Search: 356/432-444, 250/338.1, 250/339.1, 250/339.11, 250/339.05, 250/338.5, 733/350.1, 73/405.A, 735/92
• US Class Current: 356/437
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/38 by using light G01M3/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/1793 Remote sensing
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/1797 in landscape, e.g. crops
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/394 DIAL method
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/31 Investigating relative effect of material at wavelengths characteristic of specific elements or molecules, e.g. atomic absorption spectrometry G01N21/72 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3504 for analysing gases, e.g. multi-gas analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/39 using tunable lasers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0047 for organic compounds

Abstract

A system for remote quantitative detection of fluid leaks from a natural gas or oil pipeline by use of an airborne platform; including at least one laser light source for nearly simultaneous illuminating two or more target fluids and a background, wherein the two or more target fluids are characterized by two or more absorption wavelengths, and wherein the background has a different wavelength than either of the two or more target fluids. The illumination source is pointed based on a positioning system while in a geometric area along a path two or more target fluids are scanned for using the illumination sources. A signal detector detects the two or more target fluids using quantitative signal processing. Also included are a controller, a path planning and path finding tool for the positioning of the airborne platform, and a communicator for communicating the presence of the detected leak.

Claims

1. A system for remote quantitative detection of fluid leaks from a natural gas or oil pipeline by use of an airborne platform;

comprising;

a) at least one laser light source for nearly simultaneous illuminating essentially a same target area of two or more target fluids and a background, wherein the two or more target fluids are characterized by two or more absorption wavelengths, and wherein the background has a different wavelength than either of the two or more target fluids;

b) means for pointing the illumination source based on a positioning system;

c) means for scanning for the two or more target fluids in a geometric area along a path using the illumination source;

d) means for signal detection such that a quantitative processing of detection of the two or more target fluids is accomplished;

e) means for controlling operation of the system;

f) signal processing means for the remote quantitative detection of the two or more target fluid leaks;

g) means for path planning and path finding for the positioning of the airborne platform; and

h) means for communicating presence of the detected leak from the natural gas or oil pipeline.

2. The system claimed in claim 1, wherein the system uses two or more laser light sources.

3. The system claimed in claim 1, wherein the two or more target fluids are gases having absorption characteristics of gases.

4. The system claimed in claim 3, wherein the gases are methane and ethane.

5. The system claimed in claim 4, wherein the at least one laser light source having a wavelength is tuned to the absorption characteristics of methane, ethane, and reflectance characteristics of the background such that the wavelengths of the at least one laser light source are selected from the group consisting of 3336.8 nanometers (for ethane), 3389 nanometers (for the background), and 3429 nanometers (for methane) with a tolerance of ±

1.0 nanometer for each selected wavelength.

6. The system claimed in claim 5, wherein methane, ethane, and the background are detected for natural gas pipeline leaks.

7. The system claimed in claim 3, wherein the gases have absorption wavelengths in the medium wave infrared.

8. The system claimed in claim 1, wherein the system is tunable for detection of hydrocarbon gases.

9. The system claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one laser light source having a wavelength is tuned to the absorption characteristics of the two or more target fluids.

10. The system claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for signal detection includes an electronic sensor selected from the group consisting of charge coupled device (CCD), complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS), photomultiplier tube, and photodiodes.

20. The method claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for signal detection includes an electronic sensor selected from the group consisting of charge coupled device (CCD), complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS), photomultiplier tube, and photodiodes.

11. A method for remote quantitative detection of fluid leaks from a natural gas or oil pipeline by use of an airborne platform;

comprising;

a) nearly simultaneously illuminating essentially a same target area of two or more target fluids and a background with at least one laser light source as an illumination source, wherein the two or more target fluids are characterized by two or more absorption wavelengths, and wherein the background has a different wavelength than either of the two or more target fluids;

b) pointing the illumination source relative to a positioning system;

c) scanning for the two or more target fluids in a geometric area along a path using the illumination source;

d) detecting the two or more target fluids using quantitative signal processing;

e) controlling operation of the system;

f) positioning of the airborne platform using path planning and path finding means; and

g) communicating presence of the detected leak from the natural gas or oil pipeline.

12. The method claimed in claim 11, wherein the method employs two or more laser light sources.

13. The method claimed in claim 11, wherein the two or more target fluids are gases having absorption characteristics of gases.

14. The method claimed in claim 13, wherein the gases are methane and ethane.

15. The method claimed in claim 14, wherein the at least one laser light source having a wavelength is tuned to the absorption characteristics of methane, ethane, and reflectance characteristics of the background such that the wavelengths of the at least one laser light source are selected from the group consisting of 3336.8 nanometers (for ethane), 3389 nanometers (for the background), and 3429 nanometers (for methane) with a tolerance of ±

1.0 nanometer for each selected wavelength.

16. The method claimed in claim 15 wherein methane, ethane, and the background are detected for natural gas pipeline leaks.

17. The method claimed in claim 13, wherein the gases have absorption wavelengths in the medium wave infrared.

18. The method claimed in claim 11, wherein the method is tunable for detection of hydrocarbon gases.

19. The method claimed in claim 11, wherein the at least one laser light source having a wavelength is tuned to the absorption characteristics of the two or more target fluids.