Taking Gas Detection to New Heights with UAVs

Using infrared cameras for detecting various gases in industrial settings has been commonplace for decades. Newer, however, is the use of drones to aid with inspections inside and outside facilities.

Today, facilities for oil & gas operations, wastewater treatment plants, and manufacturing factories are putting aerial drones to use for maintenance inspections, providing vantage points that were previously never seen before, or hard to get to manually. Even better, using drones in this way keeps humans out of potentially dangerous situations.

Rome, NY-based unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developer Microdrones is all-in with this practice, as the company is releasing a trio of new UAVs for professionals, including one specifically tailored for gas detection. The three new UAVs are based on the company’s existing md4-3000 aircraft that is built for LiDAR, photogrammetry and inspection projects.

As part of the new offerings, Microdrones has updated its mdTEctor1000CH4 LR quadcopter with a Pergam Laser Methane Falcon sensor for detecting Methane and methane-containing gases from the sky.

Offering users the ability to see what the laser is detecting in real-time, the drone can effectively be used for manufacturing, oilfield, mapping, and utility environments. The company states the mdTector1000CH4 LR can be used for natural gas line surveys, tank inspections, gas well testing, landfill emission monitoring and plant safety — all areas humans could otherwise be subjected to dangerous conditions.