A method of detecting natural gas releases that includes the step of traversing a target area with a gas-filter correlation radiometer having a field of view oriented towards the target area. The gas-filter correlation radiometer receives reflected radiation in a passband from the target area and produces gas-filter correlation radiometer signals from the received reflected radiation. A surface reflectivity spectral profile of the target area is determined. The presence of methane in the target area is then determined based upon the received reflected radiation and the surface reflectivity spectral profile of the target area.

A method and a system to quantify gas in a thermal imaging device, said method comprising obtaining a gas-absorption-path-length image as a scene difference infrared image based on a gas infrared image and a scene background infrared image substantially depicting the same scene and generating a quantified scene difference infrared image based on said scene difference infrared image and a predefined gas-quantifying relation.

A system for monitoring a petrochemical installation is disclosed. The system can include an optical imaging system comprising an array of optical detectors. The system can comprise processing electronics configured to process image data detected by the optical imaging system. The processing electronics can be configured to detect a target species based at least in part on the processed image data. The processing electronics can further be configured to, based on a detected amount of the target species, transmit an alarm notification to an external computing device over a communications network indicating that the target species has been detected at the petrochemical installation.

Methods, apparatuses, and systems for improving gas detecting apparatuses are provided. An example gas detecting apparatus may comprise at least one imaging sensor; and a controller component, wherein the controller component is configured to: obtain image data comprising at least a first frame and a second frame, identify a number of matching features between the first frame and the second frame, and in an instance in which the number of matching features satisfies a predetermined threshold number of matching features, estimate a transformation between the first frame and the second frame, and perform one or more vibration correction operations.

This invention consists of sensors and algorithms to image, detect, and quantify the presence of hydrocarbon gas (for example from leaks) using a short-wave infrared radiation detector array with multiple spectral filters under natural sunlight or artificial illumination, in combination with the hydrodynamics of turbulent gas jets and buoyant plumes. Multiple embodiments are recited and address detection and quantification of methane gas leaks. Quantification includes gas column densities, gas concentration estimates, total mass, hole size estimates, and estimated emission flux (leak rate) of gas from holes and cracks in pressurized vessels, pipes, components, and general gas infrastructure, and from surface patches (for example due to gas leaks in underground pipes) under the action of buoyancy and wind. These and similar embodiments are applicable more generally to natural gas and other hydrocarbon gases, liquids, emulsions, solids, and particulates, and to emissions monitoring of greenhouse gases methane and carbon dioxide.

In order to accurately detect a subject to be detected and reduce manufacturing or maintenance costs, this optical detection device determines whether there is a subject to be detected by determining a correction coefficient for correcting data from an image captured by a capturing sensor through a filter unit with an image data estimation value from when an image is captured without the filter unit, and comparing an image data estimation value obtained through correction using the correction coefficient from the image data with captured data obtained by capturing a detection area in a state where the filter unit is not in front of the capturing sensor.

Systems and methods disclosed herein, in accordance with one or more embodiments provide for imaging gas in a scene, the scene having a background and a possible occurrence of gas. In one embodiment, a method and a system adapted to perform the method includes: controlling a thermal imaging system to capture a gas IR image representing the temperature of a gas and a background IR image representing the temperature of a background based on a predetermined absorption spectrum of the gas, on an estimated gas temperature and on an estimated background temperature; and generating a gas-absorption-path-length image, representing the length of the path of radiation from the background through the gas, based on the gas image and the background IR image. The system and method may include generating a gas visualization image based on the gas-absorption-path-length image to display an output image visualizing a gas occurrence in the scene.

Provided are a gas detection device, an information processing device, and a program which enable a user himself/herself to easily determine whether a gas leak has occurred. The gas detection device includes: a first imaging section configured to capture an image of an inspection region in an infrared region; a second imaging section configured to capture an image of the inspection region in a wavelength range that is not influenced by light absorption by gas; and a hardware processor configured to perform image processing for detecting a gas in a first image captured by a first imaging section, and to perform control to simultaneously display various types of images on a display section from a display target image group including the first image, a second image captured by a second imaging section, and a third image subjected to the image processing.

In one embodiment, 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 an optical focal plane array (FPA) unit. 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. Said optical system and said processing unit can be contained together in a data acquisition and processing module configured to be worn or carried by a person.

A freeform imaging system with a spectrometer and telescope components optically connected and optimized to increase the spectral and spatial resolution capabilities. Many embodiments of the system are capable of producing a spectral resolution of approximately 1 nm and a spatial resolution less than 30 m such that the imaging system can be used to accurately capture and measure point source plumes of various atmospheric gases including CH.sub.4, CO.sub.2, CO, N.sub.2O, and H.sub.2O.