Systems and Methods for Sensitive Open-Path Gas Leak and Detection Alarm

• Main Author: FRISH MICHAEL B
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 26.02.2015
• Subjects: BLASTING; HEATING; LIGHTING; MEASURING; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; PHYSICS; PIPE-LINE SYSTEMS; PIPE-LINES; STORING OF DISTRIBUTING GASES OR LIQUIDS; TESTING; TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES ORSTRUCTURES; TESTING STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; WEAPONS

An apparatus for detecting leaks from a gas pipeline or storage system includes a light source configured to emit a beam with at least one spectral component capable of interacting with pipeline gas, a reflector configured to reflect a portion of the beam, an optical detector configured to detect the reflected beam, a signal processing module coupled to the output of the optical detector configured to analyze the detected beam and output a measured concentration value that characterizes the amount of target gas in the beam path, and a statistical processing module coupled to the signal processing module configured to store and analyze the measured concentration value. The statistical processing module is further configured to compute a value based on statistical information associated with the stored plurality of concentration values and compare the computed value to a first predetermined threshold, and transmit a first alarm signal if the computed value is greater than the first predetermined threshold.