Gas leakage detection apparatus, gas leakage detection system, gas leakage detection method, and non-transitory computer readable medium

A gas leakage detection apparatus, comprising:

• a movement control unit that controls a movement of a moving object on which a gas sensor is mounted;
• an acquisition unit that acquires a measurement result of a target gas that is obtained by a measurement by the gas sensor while the moving object is moving over a target area and a response time from a start of the measurement until an output of the measurement result by the gas sensor;
• and
• a detection unit that detects a leakage of the target gas in the target area based on the measurement result and the response time, to identify a gas leakage spot, wherein the detection unit detects a leakage of the target gas based on a level of deviation of a gas concentration of the target gas based on the measurement result that is obtained by the measurement by the gas sensor while the moving object is moving, and the level of deviation is calculated by a degree of deviation from a statistical average of data of the gas concentration of the target gas.

A gas leakage detection method, comprising:

• controlling a movement of a moving object on which a gas sensor is mounted;
• acquiring a measurement result of a target gas that is obtained by a measurement by the gas sensor while the moving object is moving over a target area and a response time from a start of the measurement until an output of the measurement result by the gas sensor;
• and
• detecting a leakage of the target gas in the target area based on the measurement result and the response time, to identify a gas leakage spot, wherein the gas leakage detection method further comprises one of procedure (a) and procedure (b),
• wherein procedure (a) comprises:
• when a gas leakage candidate area exists in which the measurement result that is obtained by the measurement by the gas sensor, while the moving object is moving at a first velocity, satisfies a first condition, controlling the movement of the moving object such that the moving object moves over the gas leakage candidate area at a second velocity that differs from the first velocity or the moving object stops in the gas leakage candidate area;
• acquiring an additional measurement result of the target gas that is obtained by the measurement of the gas sensor while the moving object is moving at the second velocity over the gas leakage candidate area or stopped in the gas leakage candidate area;
• and
• when the additional measurement result satisfies a second condition, identifying that the gas leakage candidate area is the gas leakage spot,
• wherein procedure (b) comprises:
• when a gas leakage candidate area exists in which the measurement result that is obtained by the measurement by the gas sensor, while the moving object is moving at a first altitude, satisfies a first condition, controlling the movement of the moving object such that the moving object moves over the gas leakage candidate area at a second altitude that differs from the first altitude or the moving object stops at the gas leakage candidate area;
• acquiring an additional measurement result of the target gas that is obtained by the measurement of the gas sensor while the moving object is moving at the second altitude over the gas leakage candidate area or stopped in the gas leakage candidate area;
• and
• when the additional measurement result satisfies a second condition, identifying that the gas leakage candidate area is the gas leakage spot.