AUTOMATED TANK LEAK DETECTION USING OPTICAL GAS IMAGING

Opgal’s Ram Hashmonay looks at the benefits of long-range technology Optical gas imaging (OGI) technology has proved to be a very effective tool for locating small leaks and fugitive emissions in petroleum refineries and other oil and gas facilities. Traditionally, OGI technology is primarily portable, mid-wave infrared (MWIR), cryogenically cooled detector cameras, for imaging volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Since its inception in the early 2000s, OGI technology has gradually developed along with the slow regulatory process and acceptance. OGI technology is currently the preferred technology for detecting leaks and emissions of hydrocarbon compounds worldwide. The technology is based on thermal cameras with a spectral bandpass filter device in the spectral range of thermal absorption for all VOCs. US state and federal regulation frameworks are transitioning from conventional methods (sniffers), to simulating leaks and detection using OGI cameras for leak detection and repair (LDAR) applications1. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) federal regulation, ‘Quad Oa’ (OOOOa) regulations2, approved in 2016, states that this is the best technology for emission...