A system and methods for optically detecting a target atmospheric gas are disclosed and described. An imaging system can include a narrow-band optical interference filter with a center wavelength that corresponds to a feature in an absorption spectrum of a target gas at a normal angle of incidence. An optical component can receive incoming light from the target gas that has passed through the narrow-band optical interference filter, wherein the narrow-band optical interference filter is tilted relative to the optical component, which tilt shifts the wavelength of light from each target point that is able to pass through the narrow-band optical interference filter. A camera can receive the incoming light that has been focused by the optical component. Multiple image frames are collected for different orientations of the system with respect to the target and analyzed to perform hyperspectral characterization of target gas absorption.

A method is provided for detecting a property of a gas comprising: emitting a light, comprising a plurality of wavelengths covering a plurality of absorption lines of the gas, along a first axis, the light being scattered by particles of the gas resulting in a scattered light, generating a sensor image using a detection arrangement configured to receive the scattered light and comprising: an optical arrangement having an optical plane and being configured to direct the scattered light on to a light sensor, the light sensor having at least one pixel columns, wherein the pixel columns are aligned to an image plane and configured to output a sensor image, wherein the first axis, the optical plane, and the image plane intersect such that a Scheimpflug condition is achieved, determining, from the sensor image, properties of the gas at a plurality of positions along the first axis.

A system comprises an optical air data system that measures aerosol and molecular scattering of light, and an optical instrument that measures aerosol and/or molecular scattering of light. A processor receives data from the air data system and from the optical instrument. The processor performs one or more signal analysis and data fusion methods comprising: (a) determining aerosol and/or molecular concentration from the received data, modifying a data analysis algorithm to optimize any remaining unknown parameters, and outputting enhanced air data parameters; (b) determining aerosol concentration from the received data, dynamically optimizing hardware settings in the air data system to enhance a signal level and avoid system saturation, and outputting enhanced air data parameters; or (c) determining aerosol and/or molecular concentration from the received data, estimating a confidence level of an air data algorithm, verifying optical health of the air data system, and reporting the optical health to a user.

A spectroscopy system including a base station having a reflecting telescope and a laser light source coupled to the telescope, the laser providing an outgoing light signal; at least one Unmanned Aerial Vehicle containing a mobile retroreflector configured to receive the light signal from the laser and return a light signal back to the telescope; a detector to record the intensity of the returning light signal; and optical components for spectroscopic measurements, the optical components utilizing the intensity of the returning light signal, revealing the presence of a chosen narrow band for the purpose of detecting a target.

A method for correcting top-of-atmosphere reflectance data in high altitude imagery to a ground surface reflectance data. Transmission of light through Earth's atmosphere and its suspended load of aerosol particles degrades light within the visible through near infrared portion of the spectrum. This can severely affect the quality of the data recorded by orbiting Earth observation satellites. The method first measures the degree of atmospheric effects upon reflectance, then reverses these effects to deliver surface reflectance data and imagery cleaned of haze and thin clouds.

Measurement approaches and data analysis methods are disclosed for combining 3D topographic data with spatially-registered gas concentration data to increase the efficiency of gas monitoring and leak detection tasks. Here, the metric for efficiency is defined as reducing the measurement time required to achieve the detection, or non-detection, of a gas leak with a desired confidence level. Methods are presented for localizing and quantifying detected gas leaks. Particular attention is paid to the combination of 3D spatial data with path-integrated gas concentration measurements acquired using remote gas sensing technologies, as this data can be used to determine the path-averaged gas concentration between the sensor and points in the measurement scene. Path-averaged gas concentration data is useful for finding and quantifying localized regions of elevated (or anomalous) gas concentration making it ideal for a variety of applications including: oil and gas pipeline monitoring, facility leak and emissions monitoring, and environmental monitoring.

The present disclosure provides a Scheimpflug LIDAR apparatus for detecting a property of a gas comprising: a light source configured to emit a light along at least a first axis, a light detection arrangement, and an optical configuration fulfilling the Scheimpflug condition and Hinge rule. The light source comprises an expander aperture, and wherein the expander aperture and light detection arrangement are configured such that: a spot size of the emitted light along the first axis is matched to a pixel footprint of pixels configured to receive light from corresponding distances along the first axis, and an effective range resolution of at least one column of pixels or probe volume deteriorates linearly with respect to the range.

An infrared (IR) imaging system for determining a concentration of a target species in an object is disclosed. The imaging system can include an optical system including a focal plane array (FPA) unit behind an optical window. The optical system can have components defining at least two optical channels thereof, said at least two optical channels being spatially and spectrally different from one another. Each of the at least two optical channels can be positioned to transfer IR radiation incident on the optical system towards the optical FPA. The system can include a processing unit containing a processor that can be configured to acquire multispectral optical data representing said target species from the IR radiation received at the optical FPA. One or more of the optical channels may be used in detecting objects on or near the optical window, to avoid false detections of said target species.

A detector system for spatially resolved detection of a gas substance in an area is described. The detector system includes a detector comprising an image sensor; a band filter arranged in an optical beam path before the detector for transferring a beam with a wavelength spectrum including an absorption wavelength corresponding to the gas substance, a telescope, a polarizing beam splitter, and an interferometric stage including a retarder for creating an optical path difference for measuring absorption dips due to the presence of the gas substance. The retarder includes multiple birefringent media arranged with the optical axes relative to each other so that at least one increases an optical path difference and at least one decreases an optical path difference between the polarized beam components, and the thicknesses of the birefringent media are tuned to minimize a focal shift between the polarized beam components.

Provided are a method of evaluating biogas power generation suitability performed by a biogas power generation suitability evaluation server including a processor and a memory, the method comprises extracting, from satellite image data of an evaluation target area, an area corresponding to the evaluation target area, calculating a size of biogas generation facilities included in the evaluation target area based on the extracted area, calculating a biogas concentration of the evaluation target area from the satellite image data and evaluating the biogas power generation suitability based on the size of the biogas generation facilities and the biogas concentration of the evaluation target area, wherein the calculating of the biogas concentration of the evaluation target area comprises calculating an average value of biogas concentrations of area corresponding to the evaluation target area, and the evaluating of the biogas power generation suitability comprises calculating, based on the size of the biogas generation facilities that are livestock barns and the average value of the biogas concentrations of the areas corresponding to the evaluation target area, a size of livestock in the livestock barns, and calculating biogas power generation potential in the evaluation target area based on the size of livestock in the livestock barns.