Chemical Leak Inspection System

摘要

A method of visually detecting a leak of a chemical emanating from a component 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 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.

主权项

1. A system for producing an image of a fugitive emission of a gas comprising any one or more chemical species of a group of chemical species, the fugitive emission emanating from a component, the system 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 along an optical path between the lens and the infrared sensor device and including an optical bandpass filter fixed along an optical path between the lens and the infrared sensor device, wherein an aggregate pass band for the single filter configuration is at least about 100 nm and less than about 500 nm and at least part of the aggregate pass band is within an absorption band for each of the chemicals; and a processor communicably coupled with the infrared sensor device to receive and process a signal representing the filtered infrared image captured by the infrared sensor device under non-artificially controlled conditions of the component or the area around the fugitive emission and produce an image of the gas emanating from the component.