Fast, Accurate, Automated System to Find and Quantify Natural Gas Leaks - Phase 1 Handheld Methane Detector (ROW-3H)

On October 1, 2014, in partnership with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, PG&E tested a prototype of a handheld gas leak detection tool in a field demonstration which uses technology adapted from NASA’s Mars Land Rovers at PG&E’s Livermore Training Center in Livermore, California. This tool is part of a collaborative research effort at Pipeline Research Council International (PRCI) to develop technology for rapid leak detection and remediation.

Key Results

Originally intended for investigating the presence of methane on Mars, this laser-based technology is lightweight and has superior sensitivity to methane, the primary component of natural gas. The device would guide an operator’s crew using a tablet interface to possible leak locations, fast-tracking their ability to find leaks. The device will be used to complement other leak detection technologies at PG&E and is expected to be available for use in 2015. The second phase of this project aims at integrating this methane detection system on an Unmanned Air System (UAS). The funding for the next phase of the project has been approved and work will begin during the first quarter of 2015.

Figure 1. Livermore test: Used instrument to observe plumes under different conditions multiple times to build up correlations with wind speed, surface roughness, air stability.

Figure 2. Max amplitude of methane spikes fall exponentially with distance from leak. Diffuse methane gradients can be more easily observed 50+ meters away.