Systems and methods for monitoring remote installations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2021255113-A1
Application number	US-202117249125-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 22, 2021
Priority date	Feb 22, 2017
Publication date	Aug 19, 2021
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system for monitoring a petrochemical installation is disclosed. The system can include an optical imaging system comprising an array of optical detectors. The system can comprise processing electronics configured to process image data detected by the optical imaging system. The processing electronics can be configured to detect a target species based at least in part on the processed image data. The processing electronics can further be configured to, based on a detected amount of the target species, transmit an alarm notification to an external computing device over a communications network indicating that the target species has been detected at the petrochemical installation.

First claim

1 . A system for monitoring one or more installations, the system comprising:
a communications module configured to receive first data from one or more optical imaging systems at the one or more installations, the one or more optical imaging systems configured to capture infrared image data at the one or mole installations; and processing electronics configured to, based at least in part on the infrared image data, transmit an alarm notification to an external computing device over a communications network indicating that a target species has been detected at the one or more installations.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing electronics are configured to detect the target species based at least in part on the infrared image data.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the processing electronics are configured to:
compare a detected amount of the target species to a threshold amount, and based on determining that the detect amount exceeds the threshold amount, transmit the alarm notification to the external computing device over the communications network indicating that the target species has been detected at the one or more installations.

4 . The system of claim 3 , where in the threshold amount is in a range of 1 ppm-m to 1000 ppm-m of the target species.

5 . The system Of claim 4 , wherein the threshold amount is in a range of 25 ppm-m to 1000 ppm-m of the target species.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the threshold amount is in a range of 25 ppm-m to 750 ppm-m of the target species.

7 . The system of claim 2 , where in the target species comprises one or more of methane or hydrogen sulfide.

8 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the target species comprises one or more of a gas or a liquid.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing electronics are configured to transmit second data to the one or more optical imaging systems.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing electronics are configured to combine multiple frames of the infrared image data into a summary alarm image that presents a detection of the target species over a period of time.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the processing electronics are configured to create the summary alarm image by calculating one or more of an average concentration of the target species over a plurality of successive frames of the infrared image data and/or an average of the infrared image data representative of a concentration of the target species over the period of time.

12 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the processing electronics are configured to generate a progressive mode to sequentially present summary alarm images for successive fields of view (FOVs) of an optical imaging system of the one or more optical imaging systems.

13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing electronics are configured to create an events log comprising a plurality of events based on one or more target species detected by the processing electronics.

14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the processing electronics are configured to analyze the events log, and based on the analysis, to transmit a priority ranking of events to the external computing device.

15 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing electronics are configured to detect an unauthorized intrusion of one or more of an animal or a human into one or more petroleum installations associated with the one or more installations and, based on the detection, to transmit a second alarm notification to the external computing device over the communications network indicating the unauthorized intrusion.

16 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the communications network comprises one or more of a wireless communications network or an Ethernet communications network.

17 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing electronics are further configured to transmit information about one or more events detected at the one or more installations to the external computing device, the external computing device being configured to generate a user interface presentable to a user on a display device, wherein the user interface comprises a visible image window and an infrared image window.

18 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more optical imaging systems comprise one or more of an infrared (IR) detector array or a visible light detector array.

19 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more optical imaging systems define a plurality of optical channels being spatially and spectrally different from one another, each of the plurality of optical channels positioned to transfer radiation incident on an optical imaging system towards an array of optical detectors.

20 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing electronics are further configured to monitor a progression of a liquid leak over a period of time.

Assignees

• Rebellion Photonics Inc

Inventors

• Kester Robert Timothy
• Odintsova Margarita Sergeyevna

Classifications

• G01M3/207

  calibration arrangements · CPC title

• H04N7/183

  for receiving images from a single remote source · CPC title

• G08B13/19

  using infrared-radiation detection systems {(G08B13/194 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• G06V40/10

  Human or animal bodies, e.g. vehicle occupants or pedestrians; Body parts, e.g. hands · CPC title

• G01J5/0014

  for sensing the radiation from gases, flames · CPC title