# US 2019/0170900 A1 · Hub and Spoke System for Detecting and Locating Gas Leaks > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0170900 A1 - Document ID: US20190170900A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/263,540 - Filed: 2019-01-31 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2015-05-12 - Assignees: The Regents of the University of Colorado, a body corporate; Government of the United States of America, AS Represented By the Secretary of Commerce - Applicants: The Regents of the University of Colorado, a body corporate; Government of the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of Commerce - Inventors: Gregory B. Rieker; Ian Coddington; Nathan R. Newbury; Kuldeep Prasad; Anna Karion - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190170900A1 ## CPC - G01W 1/00: Meteorology - G01J 3/021: {using plane or convex mirrors, parallel phase plates, or particular reflectors} - G01J 3/42: Absorption spectrometry; Double beam spectrometry; Flicker spectrometry; Reflection spectrometry (beam switching arrangements G01J3/08) - G01M 3/202: {using mass spectrometer detection systems} - G01N 21/3504: for analysing gases, e.g. multi-gas analysis - G01N 2021/3513: {Open path with an instrumental source} - G01N 2201/1211: for temperature - G01N 2201/1214: for humidity - G01W: METEOROLOGY (radar, sonar, lidar or analogous systems, designed for meteorological use G01S13/95, G01S15/88, G01S17/95) - G01J: MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY (light sources F21, H01J, H01K, H05B; investigating properties of materials by optical means G01N) - G01M: TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES OR STRUCTURES; TESTING OF STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) ## Abstract A system for detecting gas leaks and determining their location and size. A data gathering portion of the system utilizes a hub and spoke configuration to collect path-integrated spectroscopic data over multiple open paths around an area. A processing portion of the system applies a high-resolution transport model together with meteorological data of the area to generate an influence function of possible leak locations on gas detector measurement paths, and applies an inversion model to the influence function and the spectroscopic data to generate gas source size and location. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system that determines a location and a size of a gas source within a geographic area, comprising: an optical source configured to transmit an optical beam to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) while the UAV flies through the geographic area; an optical detector configured to generate path-integrated spectroscopic data from the optical beam after the UAV retroreflects the optical beam toward the optical detector while flying through the geographic area; and a processor configured to receive the path-integrated spectroscopic data, apply a high-resolution transport model to meteorological data for the geographic area, and apply an inversion model to the high-resolution transport model and the received path-integrated spectroscopic data to determine the location and the size of the gas source. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, the optical beam being a dual comb spectroscopy laser beam, wherein the system implements dual comb spectroscopy of the gas source. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising the UAV. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, the UAV including a retroreflector configured to continuously retroreflect the optical beam while the UAV flies through the geographic area. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, the UAV being configured to fly along a fixed path through the geographic area. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, the UAV being configured to periodically fly along the fixed path. ### Claim 7 A method that determines a location and a size of a gas source within a geographic area, comprising: collecting path-integrated spectroscopic data from an optical beam retroreflected by a UAV while the UAV flies through the geographic area; and determining the location and the size of the gas source by: applying a high-resolution transport model to meteorological data for the geographic area; and applying an inversion model to the high-resolution transport model and the collected path-integrated spectroscopic data. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising transmitting the optical beam to the UAV while the UAV flies through the geographic area. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, the optical beam being a dual comb spectroscopy laser beam. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein collecting the path-integrated spectroscopic data includes detecting the retroreflected optical beam while the UAV flies through the geographic area. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein determining the location and the size of the gas source includes calculating the location and the size of the gas source with a processor that also receives the path-integrated spectroscopic data. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, further comprising retroreflecting the optical beam with the UAV while the UAV flies through the geographic area. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein retroreflecting the optical beam includes retroreflecting the optical beam with a retroreflector of the UAV. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further including tracking the retroreflector of the UAV, while the UAV flies through the geographic area, to set a direction of the transmitting of the optical beam to the retroreflector. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising flying the UAV through the geographic area. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein flying the UAV through the geographic area includes flying the UAV along a fixed path through the geographic area. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein flying the UAV along a fixed path includes periodically flying the UAV along the fixed path. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein flying the UAV through the geographic area includes flying the UAV through the geographic area based on a previously-determined location and size of the gas source. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein flying the UAV through the geographic area includes flying the UAV along a path based on a previously-determined location and size of the gas source. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, further comprising determining the path based on the previously- determined location and size of the gas source.