Detecting a Cleaner Future with Emerging Air Quality Technology

As the need for oil and gas products increases worldwide, and efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions remains a top priority for many industries, the reliance on leak detection and repair (LDAR) services will only grow. Many new technologies are beginning to be used in conjunction with optical gas imagery (OGI) to detect emission and equipment leaks and improve LDAR programs. OGI uses a specialized sensor to detect thermal energy, allowing technicians to see gasses otherwise invisible to the naked eye. OGI-based LDAR programs have been discovered to be more efficient and detect more fugitive emissions than conventional Method 21-based LDAR programs. OGI, a cutting-edge technology, being improved upon with various new technologies, is changing the LDAR world by reducing emissions, saving time, and increasing safety for employers and employees.

One technology used to both better detect leaks and invalidate false leaks is drone flyovers at oil refineries, chemical plants, and other facilities. Deploying autonomous drones mounted with thermal imagery technology in the air alongside technicians on the ground helps clients identify and repair leaks faster, better prepares clients for the next regulatory inspection, and therefore, reduces potential non-compliance fines. Not only do drones increase company reliability, they also provide safety for technicians. There is an intrinsic risk for LDAR technicians analyzing volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Traditionally, technicians have to manually operate a handheld device, placing themselves in dangerous areas. Using these drones relieves the middle man while providing a faster, more reliable analysis.

Drone systems are used for macro detection, as they can screen large areas to determine areas of elevated emissions. Of course, within LDAR, it’s necessary to find the exact point source of emissions as well. A radically evolving micro detection technology is handheld and fixed 24/7 monitoring gas imaging cameras. Opgal Electronics, for example, has manufactured the EyeCGAS 2.0, an ultra-sensitive infrared imaging technology used to visualize methane, CO, CO2, and other VOC leaks with pinpoint accuracy. It can detect leaks as small as 0.35 g/hr (methane), becoming one of the most sensitive OGI cameras in the world. Optimizing sensitivity helps operators reduce safety concerns and supports compliance within increasing GHG regulations. Conventional Method 21 surveys screen leaks slower and with less accuracy. EyeCGas 2.0 and similar cameras both reduce the number of ghost leaks and increase efficiency with quick scans and identification within a broader visual range.

These emerging technologies become especially useful in the LDAR market within program management. Database, hardware, and software systems used to collect and manage field data are evolving with them. It is integral that data is delivered in a timely manner to quickly detect and rectify incidents, increase efficiency within impacts and savings, and enhance compliance. Previously, fixed sensors were used in and around facilities. The data from these sensors had to be manually pulled, analyzed, and distributed. Now, softwares such as Montrose’s Real Time Monitoring are revolutionizing the LDAR industry, monitoring VOC compounds 24/7, providing incident alerts, tracking events and hazards, and therefore, improving awareness within and credibility of facilities. This makes Real Time not only a software, but a decision support system. Once clients get an alert, they know an operational decision must be made. After experiencing success within the first couple weeks, they become confident in the software, and they can become handsoff. The credibility between the client and the system becomes the solution that sets Real Time Monitoring apart from other softwares. This data is not only available to the clients, but also the general public. It provides a transparency that manual databases do not, linking the environmental relationship between private corporations and surrounding communities.

Due to an increasing public awareness of air quality importance, there are constantly changing state and federal regulations. One of the biggest goals of any LDAR program is detecting the lowest level of compounds in hopes of complying with current and future regulatory oversight. Within improving program management, both low detection and quick reporting are necessary to stay on top of LDAR technology. Montrose’s Proton Transfer Reaction Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (PTR-TOFMS) Mobile Laboratory combines both of these needs. The PTR-TOF-MS is enabled with triangulation platforms that pull in methane leak data down to the parts per trillion and at a rate of up to one data point per half-second. This technology differentiates itself from competitors through its advanced software. Montrose uses a highly advanced algorithm to triangulate the origin of a methane leak, built to consider wind trajectory and velocity, signal strength, at least two vectors for an intersection point, and meteorological conditions.

These emerging technologies are not only revolutionizing LDAR programs, but they are paving the path for a future where our communities can breathe cleaner, healthier air. They are advocating for stronger air quality laws, fighting to curb climate change, and finally achieving pristine air.