Systems and methods for determining a survey area for gas leak detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10466132-B1
Application number	US-201916450606-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jun 24, 2019
Priority date	May 14, 2012
Publication date	Nov 5, 2019
Grant date	Nov 5, 2019

Abstract

In some embodiments, at least one processor is employed to determine a boundary of a survey area. Data representative of the locations of measurement points adjacent to or outside of the survey area is received, as well as data representative of wind direction at the measurement points. The boundary of the survey area is determined according to the data representative of wind direction and a maximum detection distance value representative of an estimated maximum distance from a potential gas leak source at which a gas leak from the potential source can be detected.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
employing at least one hardware processor to determine a maximum detection distance value for one or more measurement points along a survey path of a vehicle-borne gas concentration measurement device used to perform a gas leak detection survey, the maximum detection distance value being determined according to data representative of wind direction at the one or more measurement points, wherein the maximum detection distance value is representative of an estimated maximum distance from a potential gas leak source at which a gas leak from the potential gas leak source is detectable by the survey at the one or more measurement points;
employing the least one hardware processor to determine a boundary of a survey area for the gas leak detection survey according to the maximum detection distance value, wherein the boundary of the survey area is determined according to a probability of detection of the gas leak at the one or more of the measurement points; and
employing the at least one hardware processor to generate content to be displayed along at least part of a map showing the one or more measurement points, the content being generated according to the survey area, the content graphically highlighting at least part of the survey area relative to an area outside the survey area.

2. The method of claim 1 , the probability of detection at the one or more of the measurement points 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.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the probability of detection is further estimated according to a cumulative probability of wind directions with respect to the subtended angle.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the data representative of wind direction comprises a plurality of wind direction measurements, and wherein the cumulative probability of wind directions is determined according to a representative wind direction and a wind direction variability calculated from a set of wind direction measurements characterizing the survey.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the representative wind direction comprises a mean, median, or mode of the wind direction measurements, and wherein the wind direction variability comprises a variance or standard deviation of the wind direction measurements.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the maximum detection distance value is determined according to data representative of wind speed at the one or more measurement points.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the maximum detection distance value is further determined according to data representative of atmospheric stability conditions at the one or more measurement points.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising employing the vehicle-borne gas concentration measurement device to perform the gas leak detection survey.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein performing the gas leak detection survey comprises performing a set of wind measurements using a vehicle carrying the vehicle-borne gas concentration measurement device, for generating the data representative of wind direction.

10. An apparatus comprising at least one hardware processor programmed to:
determine a maximum detection distance value for one or more measurement points along a survey path of a vehicle-borne gas concentration measurement device used to perform a gas leak detection survey, the maximum detection distance value being determined according to data representative of wind direction at the one or more measurement points, wherein the maximum detection distance value is representative of an estimated maximum distance from a potential gas leak source at which a gas leak from the potential gas leak source is detectable by the survey at the one or more measurement points;
determine a boundary of a survey area for the gas leak detection survey according to the maximum detection distance value, wherein the boundary of the survey area is determined according to a probability of detection of the gas leak at the one or more of the measurement points; and
generate content to be displayed along at least part of a map showing the one or more measurement points, the content being generated according to the survey area, the content graphically highlighting at least part of the survey area relative to an area outside the survey area.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , the probability of detection at the one or more measurement points 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.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the probability of detection is further estimated according to a cumulative probability of wind directions with respect to the subtended angle.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the data representative of wind direction comprises a plurality of wind direction measurements, and wherein the cumulative probability of wind directions is determined according to a representative wind direction and a wind direction variability calculated from a set of wind direction measurements characterizing the survey.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the representative wind direction comprises a mean, median, or mode of the wind direction measurements, and wherein the wind direction variability comprises a variance or standard deviation of the wind direction measurements.

15. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the maximum detection distance value is determined according to data representative of wind speed at the one or more measurement points.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the maximum detection distance value is further determined according to data representative of atmospheric stability conditions at the one or more measurement points.

17. The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising the gas concentration measurement device.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , further comprising a wind measurement device configured to perform a set of wind measurements for generating the data representative of wind direction.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoding instructions which, when executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to:
determine a maximum detection distance value for one or more measurement points along a survey path of a vehicle-borne gas concentration measurement device used to perform a gas leak detection survey, the maximum detection distance 6 value being determined according to data representative of wind direction at the one or more measurement points, wherein the maximum detection distance value is representative of an estimated maximum distance from a potential gas leak source at which a gas leak from the potential gas leak source is detectable by the survey at the one or more measurement points;
determine a boundary of a survey area for the gas leak detection survey according to the maximum detection distance value, wherein the boundary of the survey area is determined according to a probability of detection of the gas leak at the one or more of the measurement points; and
generate content to be displayed along at least part of a map showing the one or more measurement points, the content being generated accord

Assignees

• Picarro Inc

Inventors

• Tan Sze M
• Rella Chris W

Classifications

• G01M3/24

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• G01M3/28 Primary

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• F02M65/006

  Measuring or detecting fuel leakage of fuel injection apparatus · CPC title

• G01M3/16

  using electric detection means ({G01M3/045,} G01M3/06, G01M3/12, G01M3/20, G01M3/24, G01M3/26 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01M3/00 Primary

  Investigating fluid-tightness of structures · CPC title