Method for detecting coolant leaks in generators
First Claim
1. A method for detecting a gas leak in a generator, the method comprising:
- disposing an infrared imaging device having a cooled detector with a filter having a spectral response between 3 μ
m to 5 μ
m with a field of view encompassing at least a portion of the generator;
introducing a tracer gas into the generator, the generator is on-line and the tracer gas has an absorption spectrum of between 3 μ
m and 5 μ
m;
filtering radiation received by the infrared imaging device in the absorption spectrum of the tracer gas;
displaying a notification on a notification device, the displaying step including displaying a moving cloud on the notification device if a leak is detected, comparing one or more previous video frames with a current video frame, identifying a predetermined difference between the one or more previous video frames and the current video frame, assigning a foreground color to pixels having the predetermined difference, the foreground color having a contrast to the other pixels in a display of the notification device, displaying the pixels having the predetermined difference in the foreground color on the display, overlaid with the current video frame, and wherein the gas leak will be indicated by the notification on the notification device.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for detecting a gas leak in a generator is provided. The system includes a source of a non-corrosive tracer gas, and a subsystem for introducing the non-corrosive tracer gas into the hydrogen cooled generator. An infrared imaging device is adapted to communicate with a notification device to display an image of at least a portion of the hydrogen cooled generator and the non-corrosive tracer gas. The infrared imaging device includes a cooled detector, and a filter with a spectral response between about 3 μm and about 5 μm. The detector and/or the filter is cooled to between about −80° C. and about −200° C. The gas leak will be indicated on the notification device. The generator may hydrogen cooled, and on-line or on-grid.
-
Citations
33 Claims
-
1. A method for detecting a gas leak in a generator, the method comprising:
-
disposing an infrared imaging device having a cooled detector with a filter having a spectral response between 3 μ
m to 5 μ
m with a field of view encompassing at least a portion of the generator;introducing a tracer gas into the generator, the generator is on-line and the tracer gas has an absorption spectrum of between 3 μ
m and 5 μ
m;filtering radiation received by the infrared imaging device in the absorption spectrum of the tracer gas; displaying a notification on a notification device, the displaying step including displaying a moving cloud on the notification device if a leak is detected, comparing one or more previous video frames with a current video frame, identifying a predetermined difference between the one or more previous video frames and the current video frame, assigning a foreground color to pixels having the predetermined difference, the foreground color having a contrast to the other pixels in a display of the notification device, displaying the pixels having the predetermined difference in the foreground color on the display, overlaid with the current video frame, and wherein the gas leak will be indicated by the notification on the notification device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A method for detecting a gas leak in a generator, the method comprising:
-
disposing an infrared imaging device having a cooled detector with a filter having a spectral response between 3 μ
m to 5 μ
m with a field of view encompassing at least a portion of the generator;introducing a tracer gas into the generator, the generator is on-line and the tracer gas has an absorption spectrum of between 3 μ
m to 5 μ
m;filtering radiation received by the infrared imaging device in the absorption spectrum of the tracer gas; displaying a notification on a notification device, the displaying step including displaying a moving cloud on the notification device if a leak is detected, comparing one or more previous video frames with a current video frame, identifying a predetermined difference between the one or more previous video frames and the current video frame, assigning a foreground color to a border surrounding the pixels having the predetermined difference, the foreground color having a contrast to the other pixels in the display, displaying the border, around the pixels having the predetermined difference, in the foreground color on a display of the notification device, the border overlaid with the current video frame, and wherein the gas leak will be indicated by the notification on the notification device. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
-
-
23. A method for detecting a gas leak in a generator, the method comprising:
-
disposing an infrared imaging device having a cooled detector with a filter having a spectral response between 3 μ
m to 5 μ
m with a field of view encompassing at least a portion of the generator;introducing a tracer gas into the generator, the generator is on-line and the tracer gas has an absorption spectrum of between 3 μ
m and 5 μ
m;filtering radiation received by the infrared imaging device in the absorption spectrum of the tracer gas; displaying a notification on a notification device, the displaying step including displaying a moving cloud on the notification device if a leak is detected, comparing one or more video frames with an adjacent video frame, identifying a predetermined difference between the one or more video frames and the adjacent video frame, assigning at least one of, a foreground color to pixels having the predetermined difference or a foreground color to a border surrounding the pixels having the predetermined difference, the foreground color having a contrast to other pixels in the display, displaying at least one of, the pixels having the predetermined difference in the foreground color on a display of the notification device or the border in the foreground color on the display around the pixels having the predetermined difference, overlaid with a current video frame, and wherein the gas leak will be indicated by the notification on the notification device. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
-
Specification