Chemical Leak Inspection System

Abstract

A method of visually detecting a leak of a chemical emanating from a component. The method includes: aiming a passive infrared camera system towards the component; filtering an infrared image with an optical bandpass filter, the infrared image being that of the leak; after the infrared image passes through the lens and optical bandpass filter, receiving the filtered infrared image with an infrared sensor device; electronically processing the filtered infrared image received by the infrared sensor device to provide a visible image representing the filtered infrared image; and visually identifying the leak based on the visible image. The passive infrared camera system includes: a lens; a refrigerated portion including therein the infrared sensor device and the optical bandpass filter (located along an optical path between the lens and the infrared sensor device). At least part of a pass band for the optical bandpass filter is within an absorption band for the chemical.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of detecting the difference between background radiation and signal radiation that passes through a gas comprising any one or more chemical species of a group of species under ambient conditions, the method comprising:
 filtering received background radiation and signal radiation with a single filter configuration, including an optical bandpass filter fixed along an optical path;   detecting the filtered background and signal radiation with an infrared sensor device to produce a signal corresponding to the differences in the detected radiation;   cooling both the single filter configuration and the infrared sensor device with a refrigeration system; and   processing the signal from the infrared sensor device to construct an image of the gas.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further including displaying the image. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving further includes receiving the radiation through a lens assembly including a lens. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein cooling further includes cooling both the single filter configuration and the infrared sensor device with a closed-cycle Stirling cryocooler. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further including recording the image of the gas leak on a storage medium. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further including visually displaying the image of the gas leak at a time other than when recorded. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , further including recording an audio signal along with the image. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further including powering with the infrared sensor device with a portable power source. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further including visually displaying the leak of more than one chemical. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the chemical is a gas. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further including processing more than one image of the chemical leak to produce a video of the leak. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein processing further includes processing in real time. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more chemicals includes at least one of refrigerant; fuel; water vapor; methane; ethane; propane; butane; hexane; ethylene; propylene; o-xylene; toluene; benzene; acetylene; alcohol; ethanol; methanol; xylene; benzene; formaldehyde; 1,2 butadiene; 1,3 butadiene; butadiene; acetone; gasoline; diesel fuel; petroleum; petrochemicals; petroleum by-product; volatile organic compound; volatile inorganic compound; crude oil products; crude oil by-products; a hydrocarbon; and compounds and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising transmitting the image to another location remote from the component. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , further including recording the image along with inspection information, wherein the inspection information is at least one of inspection location name; inspection location address; component name; component identification information; global positioning coordinates; a date; a time of day; an inspector's name; an inspection company's name; one or more setting values relating to the lens assembly, single filter configuration, infrared sensor device; and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1  further including being performed from a moving vehicle such as at least one of a truck, a car, a motorcycle, a bicycle, a boat, a ship, a personal watercraft, a fixed-wing airplane, a rotary wing vehicle, a powered paraglider, an ultralight aircraft, a powered glider, a glider, a balloon, a blimp, a remotely controlled vehicle, an unmanned vehicle, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , further including being performed from a moving helicopter and the component is a pipeline. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising moving the lens assembly, the single filter configuration, the infrared sensor device, and the closed-cycle Stirling cryocooler to a second location and visually displaying a second leak. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , further including receiving the radiation from a component on Earth through a lens assembly on a satellite orbiting the Earth. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 1 , further including receiving the radiation from a component through a boundary defined by a fence. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , further including receiving the radiation from a component on a moving vehicle, wherein the lens assembly, single filter configuration, and infrared sensor device are at a location different from the moving vehicle. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the gas is leaking from a component located at, on, within, or above a building, a processing plant, a ship, an offshore rig, a majority of a structure, a vehicle, a pipe, a compressor, an engine, a valve, a container, a tank, a switch, a reservoir, a fitting, a connector, a hose, a flare, an exhaust outlet, a machine, a vent for a blow-off valve, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , further including cooling both the single filter configuration and the infrared sensor device to a temperature below about 100 K. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the any one or more chemical species comprises at least one of refrigerant, fuel, water vapor, methane, ethane, propane, butane, hexane, ethylene, propylene, acetylene, alcohol, ethanol, methanol, xylene, benzene, butadiene, acetone, gasoline, diesel fuel, petroleum, petroleum by-product, volatile organic compound, volatile inorganic compound, a hydrocarbon, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein filtering includes allowing a band of infrared radiation between 3250 nm and 3500 nm in the aggregate to pass through the single filter configuration. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein filtering includes allowing a band of infrared radiation: (1) with a full width at half maximum transmittance being less than about 600 nm in the aggregate; and (2) of at least 200 nm in the aggregate to pass through the single filter configuration. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein filtering includes allowing a band of infrared radiation from about 3100 nm to about 3600 nm and at about 200 nm to pass through the single filter configuration. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein filtering includes allowing a band of infrared radiation from about 3200 nm to about 3500 nm, 200 nm, and with a center wavelength located between about 3320 nm and about 3440 nm to pass through the single filter configuration. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein filtering includes allowing a band of infrared radiation about 200 nm in the aggregate to pass through the single filter configuration. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 1 , further including locating both the single filter configuration and the infrared sensor device in an interior of a insulated housing. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 1 , further including analyzing the image with a computer. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , further including triggering an alarm when the computer detects the leak. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 1 , further including visually displaying an image of a leak more than one half mile away from the infrared sensor device. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 1 , further including detecting the filtered background and signal radiation while the single filter configuration and the infrared sensor device are moving at a speed of more than sixty miles per hour relative the gas. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 1 , further including being performed with more than one single filter configuration, infrared sensor device, and refrigeration system. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 1 , further being performed as part of an inspection procedure. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the inspection procedure is subject to government regulations. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 1 , further including permanently mounting the single filter configuration, infrared sensor device, and refrigeration system at a location. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising transmitting the signal corresponding to the differences in the detected radiation to another location remote from the component. 
     
     
         40 . A method of visually displaying a leak of a gas of any one or more chemical species of a group of chemical species, the leak emanating from a component and producing passive infrared radiation, the method including:
 receiving infrared radiation received from the leak under normal operating and ambient conditions for the component through a lens assembly;   filtering the received infrared radiation with a single filter configuration including an optical bandpass filter fixed along an optical path;   detecting the filtered infrared radiation of the gas leak with an infrared sensor device to produce a signal corresponding to the detected radiation;   cooling both the single filter configuration and the infrared sensor device with a refrigeration system including a closed-cycle Stirling cryocooler;   electronically processing the signal from the cooled infrared sensor device; and   displaying a visible image of the chemical leak based on the processed signal.   
     
     
         41 . A system for producing a visible image of a leak of a gas comprising any one or more chemical species of a group of chemical species, the leak emanating from a component, including:
 a passive infrared camera system including:
 a lens; 
 a refrigerated portion including an interior; 
 a refrigeration system to cool the refrigerated portion interior; 
 an infrared sensor device located in the refrigerated portion interior; 
 a single filter configuration located in the refrigerated portion interior and including an optical bandpass filter fixed along an optical path between the lens assembly and the infrared sensor device; 
 wherein at least part of the pass band for the single filter configuration is within an absorption band for each of the chemicals; 
 wherein the aggregate pass band for the single filter configuration is at least about 100 nm; and 
 a processor to process a signal representing the filtered infrared image captured by the infrared sensor device under variable ambient conditions of the area around the leak and produce a visible image of the chemical emanating from the component. 
   
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 41 , wherein an operational energy of the passive infrared camera system is low enough to keep the atmosphere surrounding the passive infrared camera system from igniting. 
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 41 , wherein the lens, infrared sensor device, and processor are capable of producing a visible image of the leak with the passive infrared camera system more than one half mile away from the leak. 
     
     
         44 . The system of  claim 41 , wherein the processor is capable of producing a visible image of the leak with the passive infrared camera system moving at a speed of more than sixty miles per hour relative to the leak.