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US 10,914,653 B2Granted
Infrared imaging systems and methods for oil leak detection
AssigneeQuantum Ir Technologies, LLC
InventorMark Israelsen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for detecting an oil leak can include: at least one infrared imaging sensor; and an imaging analysis computer operably coupled with the at least one infrared imaging sensor. The imaging analysis computer can be configured to control any infrared imaging sensor and acquire infrared images therefrom at any rate and in any duration. The imaging analysis computer can be configured to analyze the infrared images in order to detect an oil leak. The imaging analysis computer can be configured to detect oil on a surface (e.g., solid surface or water surface) where oil should not be (or is not present in a baseline) in order to determine that there is an oil leak in the vicinity.
Claims30
A system for detecting an oil leak, comprising:
- at least one infrared imaging sensor;
- an imaging analysis computer operably coupled with the at least one infrared imaging sensor, wherein the imaging analysis computer is configured to:
- obtain at least one baseline infrared image of a fixed field of view without oil being present;
- determine a distribution of baseline temperature values for each pixel of the at least one baseline infrared image;
- determine an allowable variable difference in temperature that is a range of temperatures within a defined distance from the distribution of the baseline temperature values for each pixel of the at least one baseline infrared image;
- obtain at least one subsequent infrared image of the fixed field of view;
- determine a subsequent temperature value for each pixel of the at least one subsequent infrared image;
- analyze all pixels in the fixed field of view for changes from the distribution of baseline temperature values of each pixel in the at least one baseline infrared image to the subsequent temperature value of each pixel in the at least one subsequent infrared image;
- identify variable differences in temperatures for each pixel in the field of view between the at least one baseline infrared image and the at least one subsequent infrared image;
- identify one or more first pixels in the at least one subsequent infrared image having a first variable difference in temperature that is outside the range of temperatures of the allowable variable difference in temperature for the one or more first pixels in the at least one subsequent infrared image compared to the allowable variable difference in temperature for the one or more first pixels in the at least one baseline infrared image;
- determine the one or more first pixels as being oil based on the first variable difference in temperature of the one or more first pixels being greater than the allowable variable difference in temperature of the one or more first pixels in the fixed field of view;
- and
- generate an alert that identifies oil being present in the fixed field of view.
10 more elements
A method for detecting an oil leak, the method comprising:
- providing a system for detecting an oil leak comprising at least one infrared imaging sensor and an imaging analysis computer operably coupled with the at least one infrared imaging sensor, wherein the imaging analysis computer is configured to detect an oil leak;
- obtaining at least one baseline infrared image of a fixed field of view without oil being present;
- determining a distribution of baseline temperature values for each pixel of the at least one baseline infrared image;
- determining an allowable variable difference in temperature that is a range of temperatures within a defined distance from the distribution of the baseline temperature values for each pixel of the at least one baseline infrared image;
- obtaining at least one subsequent infrared image of the fixed field of view;
- determining a subsequent temperature value for each pixel of the at least one subsequent infrared image;
- analyzing all pixels in the fixed field of view for changes from the distribution of baseline temperature values of each pixel in the at least one baseline infrared image to the subsequent temperature value of each pixel in the at least one subsequent infrared image;
- identifying variable differences in temperatures for each pixel in the field of view between the at least one baseline infrared image and the at least one subsequent infrared image;
- identifying one or more first pixels in the at least one subsequent infrared image having a first variable difference in temperature that is outside the range of temperatures of the allowable variable difference in temperature for the one or more first pixels in the at least one subsequent infrared image compared to the allowable variable difference in temperature for the one or more first pixels in the at least one baseline infrared image;
- determining the one or more first pixels as being oil based on the first variable difference in temperature of the one or more first pixels being greater than the allowable variable difference in temperature of the one or more first pixels in the fixed field of view;
- and
- generating an alert that identifies the presence of oil in the fixed field of view.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.