Natural gas is a highly combustible and colorless odorless substance that can be dangerous if it builds up. Carbon monoxide is odorless and tasteless, and can also be deadly. These cameras can detect both of these substances as well as other toxic gases and explosive ones like helium, hydrogen sulfide and sulfur hexafluoride. They’re also UL-Listed, which means they meet safety standards set by Underwriter Laboratories.

Real-Time Measurement

Unlike a sniffer or TVA device that presents data in ppm, an OGI camera visualizes the presence of gases. These cameras can locate and classify gas leaks quickly and accurately using American Gas Association standards. They can also help comply with environmental and safety regulations.

Optical Gas Imaging cameras can detect and quantify methane, propane and sulphur hexafluoride gases in a matter of seconds. They can also scan large sections of equipment rapidly and survey areas that are difficult to access with contact measurement tools.

Most models have features for video recording and image capture, which are useful for documentation, analysis, and reporting. Some have adjustable optics and zoom capabilities, as well as compatibility with software analysis tools. The rugged design and portable nature of these systems make them an effective tool for many different types of field conditions. They can be used by surveyors, technicians and other professionals. They are often used to locate underground and above ground fugitive sources of methane.

Non-Contact Measurement

Detecting natural gas leaks is vital for ensuring safe operations and compliance with regulations. KEYENCE’s non-contact measuring devices can help you avoid costly downtime, lost production and environmental damage. Optical gas imaging (OGI) cameras are powerful tools for detecting and visualizing invisible leaks. They can automatically detect, color and quantify methane, sulphur hexafluoride and other industrial gases in a few seconds — accurately and safely without shutting down systems.

These devices are highly effective in reducing the risk of explosions and fires, and eliminating exposure to hazardous chemicals for inspection personnel. They also enable companies to increase efficiency and realize significant cost savings.

Previous methods for OGI detection rely on traditional prospect detection and background modeling techniques [1]. In this paper, we propose a method that uses deep learning to improve the performance of these algorithms and achieve automated detection of methane leaks. Our improved model is significantly more accurate than the SegNet, FCN and PSPNet semantic segmentation models.

Detection Range

A natural gas leak detection camera can detect a wide range of gases. These include flammable gases such as methane, ethane, propane and butane. In addition, they can also detect nonflammable gases such as ethylene, formaldehyde and acetylene. They can even detect some volatile organic compounds such as vinyl chloride, styrene and acrylic acid.

The type of sensor in a Natural gas leak camara detector will determine its effectiveness. For example, a Pellistor or Cat Bead gas leak camera selectively detects combustible gases by measuring temperature differences between an inert bead and one coated with a chemical catalyst. This type of sensor is a dominant technology for industrial safety applications.

Similarly, a thermal imaging camera uses short-path TDLAS to detect methane by sensing the concentration of gas in a path between the optical device and the target surface. These cameras are ideal for walking leak surveys because they are lightweight and power efficient. In addition, they can measure gas at a distance without interfering with background ambient heat or other emissions.

Accuracy

For example, the sensitivity of an optical gas imaging camera (OGI) varies by location and weather conditions. This can affect the ability of an OGI to find and quantify a leak. Moreover, the composition of the leak can significantly influence its detection. For instance, drilled wells often release non-methane gases such as ethane and propane – also known as “wet-gas.” Those compounds can be detected using an OGI because they are more sensitive to infrared light than methane.

The emergence of these “wet-gas” leaks can have significant implications for gas facilities’ emissions mitigation programs because they could increase the amount of methane emitted by the facility. Efficacious methane leak detection and classification can make these programs more effective and cost efficient. Our automated technology simplifies the OGI survey by automatically classifying images according to their methane leak size with high accuracy. In binary and three-class classification, the model achieves over 97% accuracy at closer imaging distances.

What’s Next?

This handheld device senses a variety of explosive gases and displays their concentration on a backlit display. UL-listed, it’s ideal for plumbers, contractors, pipefitters and facility maintenance pros working on gas-related jobs. This specialized camera can see methane, sulfur hexafluoride and other industrial gases that are invisible to the naked eye. It also colorizes and quantifies the gas cloud.