Description

LASER FALCON | DRONE-BASED REMOTE METHANE LEAK DETECTOR

Laser Falcon is a very lightweight laser-type methane gas detector. The dramatically reduced weight of the product allows variety of new applications of the device including airborne methane monitoring and robotic instrumentation. This device can detect methane that exists about 100 meters away instantly. Measurement data is sent through a communication port and is backed up in a micro SD card. Power supply through the external power connector enables continuous operation of the device.

Use remote methane detector+drone integrated system for natural gas pipeline surveys, tank inspections, landfill emission monitoring, gas well testing, and plant safety audits.

HOW IT WORKS

• Mount the methane-leak-detection kit onto the drone
• Plan survey mission with UgCS
• Receive data during flight
• Generate a report with location of detected methane leaks

The system consists of the drone integrated with methane detector Laser Falcon by PERGAM. The full integration is ensured by adding the onboard computer UgCS SkyHub to the system.

KEY FEATURES

• High sensitivity Detection limits are from 1 to 50’000 ppm×m within 20m distance
• Transmission range Data transmission is enabled withing 5km distance
• Survey rate Flight time up to 25 minutes covering 5x larger area than by foot
• Terrain following 3D maps of UgCS allow planning flight missions in terrain-following mode. Adding UgCS SkyHub and an altimeter to the system will enable flying in True Terrain Following mode.

THE INTEGRATED SYSTEM

Laser Falcon is sensitive only to methane, so no false readings of other gases are possible. It is a class 3R eye-safe laser.

The concept is based on Infrared Absorption Spectroscopy. The laser emits light (spectral range of 1,65 ?m), which reflects back and is captured by the sensor. The outgoing and incoming signals are compared with the built-in reference cell. If methane is present along the laser path, the laser light is partially absorbed. An algorithm calculates the gas concentration in ppm×m (parts per million multiplied by meter). The value is instantly transferred to the remote control (RC) of the drone pilot and to UgCS software.

UGCS SKYHUB

The onboard computer UgCS SkyHub is the key element that enables the full integration of the drone, laser methane detector, and ground control software UgCS. The UgCS SkyHub, designed by SPH Engineering, saves the gas detector’s data in .csv format and transfers it instantly to the drone pilot’s remote control and the desktop software UgCS. This way, the operator detects leaks in real-time and ensures faster response time.

The UgCS SkyHub also enables adding a radar altimeter to allow the flight in True Terrain Following mode: the drone (UAV) accurately follows the terrain during the flight, based on data received from the radar altimeter. True Terrain Following makes the drone fly at constant AGL altitude without importing a precise Digital Elevation Model (DEM) height-map into UgCS.

SUPPORTED DRONES

UgCS SkyHub is compatible with DJI M300, M210 / M210 v2 and off-the-shelf or custom-built UAV based on DJI A3 flight controller, i.e., DJI M600 / M600 Pro.

DJI M600 offers extended flight time and a 5-kilometer-long range of data transmission.

DJI M300, the most recent addition to the list of the drones compatible with UgCS SkyHub, boasts better endurance, greater take-off weight, and increased safety while still being compact and portable. New carefully designed mountings for UgCS SkyHub and Falcon allow to use cameras like DJI H20 and H20T with the methane detector.