Survey area indicators for gas leak detection

• US 9,645,039 B1
• Filed: 01/03/2013
• Issued: 05/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Picarro, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Picarro, Inc.
• Inventors: Tan, Sze Meng, Rella, Chris W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Toatley, Gregory J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ishizuka, Yoshihisa
• Application Number:
  US13/733,864
• Time in Patent Office: 1,587 Days
• Field of Search: 702 51
• CPC Class Codes: F02M 65/006 Measuring or detecting fuel leakage of fuel injection apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/00 Investigating fluid-tightness of structures
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/007 Leak detector calibration, standard leaks G01M3/207 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/04 by detecting the presence of fluid at the leakage point
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/16 using electric detection means G01M3/045, G01M3/06, G01M3/12, G01M3/20, G01M3/24, G01M3/26 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/24 using infrasonic, sonic, or ultrasonic vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/26 by measuring rate of loss or gain of fluid, e.g. by pressure-responsive devices, by flow detectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/28 for pipes, cables or tubes; for pipe joints or seals; for valves ; for welds
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/2807 for pipes G01M3/2892, G01M3/30 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/2892 for underground fuel dispensing systems G01M3/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/38 by using light G01M3/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01W 1/00 Meteorology
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/00 Digital computers in general details G06F1/00 – G06F13/00; Data processing equipment in general
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/29 Geographical information databases

Abstract

In some embodiments, content is generated that includes a street map, at least one path on the map indicating a route of travel by a mobile gas measurement device, and at least one indicator on the map that indicates a survey area for a potential gas leak source. The survey area adjoins the path and extends in a substantially upwind direction from the path. The survey area has a boundary determined such that if the potential gas leak source is located in the survey area and has a rate of leakage meeting a minimum leak rate condition, then an estimated probability of detection of a gas leak from the potential source at one or more measurement points along the path satisfies a probability condition.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

performing a gas leak detection survey by

measuring one or more gas concentration values at one or more measurement points using a gas concentration measurement device carried by a moving vehicle along a survey path, and

determining one or more geospatially-referenced locations of the one or more measurement points using a positioning device carried by the moving vehicle; and

displaying on a display device content generated according to a result of performing the gas leak detection survey, the content including a street map, a representation of the survey path on the map, and at least one indicator on the map that indicates a survey area for at least one potential gas leak source, wherein the survey area adjoins the survey path and extends upwind from the survey path, and wherein the survey area has a boundary determined according to a maximum detection distance value representative of an estimated maximum distance from the potential gas leak source at which gas leak from the potential gas leak source is detectable by the survey.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein performing the gas leak detection survey further comprises measuring one or more wind direction values using a wind direction determination device carried by the moving vehicle, and wherein the boundary of the survey area is further determined according to the wind direction values.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the boundary of the survey area is further determined according to an estimated probability of detection of the gas leak at the one or more of the measurement points, wherein the probability of detection is estimated according to an angle subtended by a segment of the survey path relative to a candidate point for the potential gas leak source, the segment of survey path being positioned within a distance of the candidate point that is less than or equal to the estimated maximum distance.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the probability of detection is further estimated according to a cumulative probability of wind directions with respect to the subtended angle.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the cumulative probability of wind directions is determined according to a representative wind direction and a wind direction variability calculated from the wind direction values.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the representative wind direction comprises a mean, median, or mode of the wind direction values, and wherein the wind direction variability comprises a variance or standard deviation of the wind direction values.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the maximum detection distance value is determined according to data representative of wind speed at the one or more measurement points.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the maximum detection distance value is further determined according to data representative of atmospheric stability conditions at the one or more measurement points.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising converting to the wind direction values and data representative of wind speed from values relative to the moving vehicle to values relative to ground.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the wind direction values comprise a plurality of wind direction measurements taken at time intervals corresponding to times of gas concentration measurements at the measurement points, each of the time intervals being less than or equal to 2 minutes.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the boundary is determined such that if the potential gas leak source is located in the survey area and has a rate of leakage meeting a minimum leak rate condition, then an estimated probability of detection of a gas leak from the potential gas leak source along the survey path satisfies a probability condition, wherein the probability condition satisfied is an estimated probability of detection greater than or equal to a threshold, the threshold being greater than or equal to 70%.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a gas concentration measurement device configured to measure one or more gas concentration values at one or more measurement points along a survey path traveled by a moving vehicle conducting a gas leak detection survey, the vehicle carrying the gas concentration measurement device;

a positioning device configured to determine one or more geospatially-referenced locations of the one or more measurement points; and

at least one hardware processor connected to the gas concentration measurement device and the positioning device and programmed to generate content to be displayed according to a result of performing the gas leak detection survey, the content including a street map, a representation of the survey path on the map, and at least one indicator on the map that indicates a survey area for at least one potential gas leak source, wherein the survey area adjoins the survey path and extends upwind from the survey path, and wherein the survey area has a boundary determined according to a maximum detection distance value representative of an estimated maximum distance from the potential gas leak source at which a gas leak from the potential gas leak source is detectable by the survey.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a wind direction determination device connected to the at least one hardware processor and configured to measure one or more wind direction values, wherein the boundary of the survey area is further determined according to the wind direction values.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the boundary of the survey area is further determined according to a probability of detection at the one or more of the measurement points, wherein the probability of detection is estimated according to an angle subtended by a segment of the survey path relative to a candidate point for the potential gas leak source, the segment of the survey path being positioned within a distance of the candidate point that is less than or equal to the estimated maximum distance.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the probability of detection is further estimated according to a cumulative probability of wind directions with respect to the subtended angle.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the cumulative probability of wind directions is determined according to a representative wind direction and a wind direction variability calculated from the wind direction values.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the representative wind direction comprises a mean, median, or mode of the wind direction values, and wherein the wind direction variability comprises a variance or standard deviation of the wind direction values.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the maximum detection distance value is determined according to data representative of wind speed at the one or more measurement points.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the maximum detection distance value is further determined according to data representative of atmospheric stability conditions at the one or more measurement points.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the at least one hardware processor is programmed to convert the wind direction values and data representative of wind speed from values relative to the moving vehicle to values relative to ground.

21. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the wind direction values comprise a plurality of wind direction measurements taken at time intervals corresponding to times of gas concentration measurements at the measurement points, each of the time intervals being less than or equal to 2 minutes.

22. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the boundary is determined such that the potential gas leak source is located in the survey area and has a rate of leakage meeting a minimum leak rate condition, then an estimated probability of detection of a gas leak from the potential gas leak source along the survey path satisfies a probability condition, wherein the probability condition satisfied is an estimated probability of detection greater than or equal to a threshold, the threshold being greater than or equal to 70%.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoding instructions which, when executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to:

receive a result of performing a gas leak detection survey performed by

measuring one or more gas concentration values at one or more measurement points using a gas concentration measurement device carried by a moving vehicle along a survey path, and

determining one or more geospatially-referenced locations of the one or more measurement points using a positioning device carried by the moving vehicle; and

generate content to be displayed according to the result of performing the gas leak detection survey, the content including a street map, a representation of the survey path on the map, and at least one indicator on the map that indicates a survey area for at least one potential gas leak source, wherein the survey area adjoins the survey path and extends upwind from the survey path, and wherein the survey area has a boundary determined according to maximum detection distance value representative of an estimated maximum distance from the potential gas leak source at which a gas leak from the potential gas leak source is detectable by the survey.