Measurement of gas flow rate
AssigneeQLM Technology Ltd
InventorsMurray Keith Reed, Xiao Ai
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for detecting and measuring gas flow are disclosed in which lidar distance information, acquired during the detection of gas using a lidar sensor, is used together with prevailing wind data to determine local wind data for the leak location. This local wind data, which may comprise one or more vectors or a 3D wind model, is used in the determination of flow rate.
Claims12
A method of detecting and measuring a gas flow, the method comprising:
- receiving gas detection data from a field of view of a lidar sensor;
- receiving distance information relating to solid structures in the field of view;
- using the distance information to obtain 3D structure information relating to the solid structures;
- determining a location of the detected gas;
- receiving prevailing wind data for the location of the detected gas;
- determining local wind data for the location of the detected gas based on the prevailing wind data and the distance information;
- determining the rate of flow of the gas using the lidar gas detection data and the local wind data;
- and
- determining gas concentration pathlengths for points in the field of view based on the gas detection data and the distance information,
- wherein determining a location of the detected gas comprises determining a location of a source of the detected gas, and wherein the location of the source of the detected gas is determined from the gas concentration pathlengths, and
- wherein determining the location of the source of the detected gas comprises identifying an area of the field of view in which a gas concentration pathlength exceeds a threshold, and wherein determining the location of the source of the detected gas comprises determining the location of the source of the detected gas from the sensor location and determining the lidar range from the sensor to the area.
The method ofclaim 1, wherein obtaining the gas detection data and obtaining the distance information are repeated in successive data acquisition periods, wherein the local wind data is determined at multiple instances during a data acquisition period, and wherein the local wind data determined at multiple instances during a data acquisition period is used to determine constant local wind data for the acquisition period.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.