Gases leaking from a polyethene plant and a cracker plant were visualized with the gas-correlation imaging technique. Ethene escaping from flares due to incomplete or erratic combustion was monitored. A leakage at a high-pressure reactor tank could be found and visualized by scanning the camera system over the industrial site. The image processing methods rely on the information from three simultaneously captured images. A direct and a gas-filtered infrared image are recorded with a split-mirror telescope through a joint band-pass filter. The resulting path-integrated gas concentration image, derived from the two infrared images, is combined with a visible image of the scene. The gas-correlation technique also has the potential to estimate the flux in the gas plume by combining a wind vector map, derived by cross-correlating the images in time, with a calibrated gas path-integrated concentration image. The principles of the technique are outlined and its potential discussed.

© 2004 Optical Society of America

1. J. Sandsten, H. Edner, and S. Svanberg, �??Gas imaging by infrared gas-correlation spectrometry,�?? Opt. Lett. 21, 1945 (1996). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
2. J. Sandsten, P. Weibring, H. Edner, and S. Svanberg, �??Real-time gas-correlation imaging employing thermal background radiation,�?? Opt. Express 6, 92 (2000); <a href= "http://www.opticsexpress.org/abstract.cfm?URI=OPEX-6-4-92"> http://www.opticsexpress.org/abstract.cfm?URI=OPEX-6-4-92</a>. [CrossRef] [PubMed]
3. P. Weibring, H. Edner, and S. Svanberg, �??Versatile mobile lidar system for environmental monitoring,�?? Appl. Opt. 42, 3583 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
4. H. Edner, S. Svanberg, L. Unéus, and W. Wendt, �??Gas-correlation lidar,�?? Opt. Lett. 9, 493 (1984). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
5. T. J. Kulp, P Powers, R. Kennedy, and U-B. Goers, �??Development of a pulsed backscatter-absorption gas-imaging system and its application to the visualization of natural gas leaks,�?? Appl. Opt. 37, 3912 (1998). [CrossRef]
6. P. Weibring, M. Andersson, H. Edner, and S. Svanberg, �??Remote monitoring of industrial emissions by combination of lidar and plume velocity measurements,�?? Appl. Phys B 66, 383 (1998). [CrossRef]
7. P. E. Powers, T. J. Kulp, and R. Kennedy, �??Demonstration of differential backscatter absorption gas imaging,�?? Appl. Opt. 39, 1440 (2000). [CrossRef]
8. J. Sandsten, �??Development of infrared spectroscopy techniques for environmental monitoring,�?? Lund Reports on Atomic Physics LRAP-257, 2000.
9. OSLO, Optics Software for Layout and Optimization, Ver 5.4, Sinclair Optics 2000.
10. P. S. Andersson, S. Montán, and S. Svanberg, �??Multi-spectral system for medical fluorescence imaging,�?? IEEE J. Quantum Electron. QE-23, 1798 (1987). [CrossRef]
11. Camera system specifications; Detector: MCT Sprite Stirling, 4�??13 µm, NET = 80 mK, Filterwheel with 5 positions; Visualised gases: Methane, Ethene, Ammonia, Nitrous Oxide; Ammonia: Detection limit 30 ppm �? m at �?T = 18 K with split-image telescope (present), Range and resolution: 10-1000 meters, 136 �? 136 pixels gas image combined with high resolution visible image; Frame rate: 15 images/s.

Appl. Opt.

• P. Weibring, H. Edner, and S. Svanberg, �??Versatile mobile lidar system for environmental monitoring,�?? Appl. Opt. 42, 3583 (2003). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• T. J. Kulp, P Powers, R. Kennedy, and U-B. Goers, �??Development of a pulsed backscatter-absorption gas-imaging system and its application to the visualization of natural gas leaks,�?? Appl. Opt. 37, 3912 (1998). [CrossRef]
• P. E. Powers, T. J. Kulp, and R. Kennedy, �??Demonstration of differential backscatter absorption gas imaging,�?? Appl. Opt. 39, 1440 (2000). [CrossRef]

Appl. Phys B

• P. Weibring, M. Andersson, H. Edner, and S. Svanberg, �??Remote monitoring of industrial emissions by combination of lidar and plume velocity measurements,�?? Appl. Phys B 66, 383 (1998). [CrossRef]

IEEE J. Quantum Electron.

• P. S. Andersson, S. Montán, and S. Svanberg, �??Multi-spectral system for medical fluorescence imaging,�?? IEEE J. Quantum Electron. QE-23, 1798 (1987). [CrossRef]

Lund Reports on Atomic Physics LRAP-257

• J. Sandsten, �??Development of infrared spectroscopy techniques for environmental monitoring,�?? Lund Reports on Atomic Physics LRAP-257, 2000.

Opt. Express

• J. Sandsten, P. Weibring, H. Edner, and S. Svanberg, �??Real-time gas-correlation imaging employing thermal background radiation,�?? Opt. Express 6, 92 (2000); <a href= "http://www.opticsexpress.org/abstract.cfm?URI=OPEX-6-4-92"> http://www.opticsexpress.org/abstract.cfm?URI=OPEX-6-4-92</a>. [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Lett.

• J. Sandsten, H. Edner, and S. Svanberg, �??Gas imaging by infrared gas-correlation spectrometry,�?? Opt. Lett. 21, 1945 (1996). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• H. Edner, S. Svanberg, L. Unéus, and W. Wendt, �??Gas-correlation lidar,�?? Opt. Lett. 9, 493 (1984). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Other

• OSLO, Optics Software for Layout and Optimization, Ver 5.4, Sinclair Optics 2000.
• Camera system specifications; Detector: MCT Sprite Stirling, 4�??13 µm, NET = 80 mK, Filterwheel with 5 positions; Visualised gases: Methane, Ethene, Ammonia, Nitrous Oxide; Ammonia: Detection limit 30 ppm �? m at �?T = 18 K with split-image telescope (present), Range and resolution: 10-1000 meters, 136 �? 136 pixels gas image combined with high resolution visible image; Frame rate: 15 images/s.

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