Objective

Anaerobic reactor Methane leak risk management

The Project

Aerial and Terrestrial survey to locate, quantify and report methane gas emissions from an anaerobic reactor.

Increase Methane Recovery to improve process efficiency
Eliminate methane loss from the reactor cover tapping points and perimeter seal.
Increase Methane recovery flow rates to reactor cover take-off points through quantitative monitoring of a crust minimisation program.

Potentially explosive methane gas mixture due to known leaks to atmosphere from the reactor cover.
Presence of Hydrogen sulphide in the environment as a by-product of the anaerobic reaction process.

Highly aerated liquid inside the reactor presents a drowning risk to personnel if the cover fails while walking to survey process gas tapping points on top of the reactor cover

Methane gas is invisible
Methane leaks are highly buoyant and disperse quickly which affects accurate Methane gas leak concentration measurement.
Remote measurement of methane plume density in the atmosphere above the leak source in ppm/m

Medium wave cooled infrared optical gas imaging (OGI) sensor to locate and visualise methane gas leaks.

Laser absorption spectroscopy sensor to validate and quantify Methane emissions in ppm/m while remaining outside the potentially hazardous environment.

We integrated an optical gas imaging sensor and a laser absorption spectroscopy sensor onto our industrial survey drone platform.

The AIS industrial survey drone eliminated drowning risk by being able to survey all potential leak sources while flying over the entire reactor cover.
Visually locate Methane gas leak locations from the reactor cover using Optical Gas Imaging
Laser Absorption Spectroscopy enabled methane plume density measurement in parts per million per metre (ppm/m) of atmosphere while flying above leak locations.

AIS deployed medium wave infrared thermography sensors to locate and visualise the extent of crust formation below the cover.
Radiometric infrared images for each methane collection point formed the base-line against which follow-up “crust” surveys will be compared.

Follow-up leak surveys gauge the effectiveness of crust inhibition measures by visually comparing crust location and growth rates between surveys.

AIS merged the output from different data sets into a user-friendly visual 3-Dimensional report interface.
This allowed non-technical personnel to visualise leak risk context by visually locating and comparing methane emissions from various locations on the anaerobic reactor cover.
Comparison of Radiometric thermal imagery between follow-up surveys provides visual indication of the effectiveness of crust minimisation programs.

Flare condition inspection and monitoring programs.
Airborne Thermographic anomaly surveys of critical process equipment that is out of reach.
Regulated Methane Leak Detection And Risk Management (LDAR) monitoring programs (NGERS, OGMP2)
Ultrasonic Leak Detection – Hydrocarbon and Inert Gas- Instrument Air, Compressed Air.
Plant maintenance work-pack development through digital twin reality capture services.
Confined space asset surveys using drones.
Leak risk minimisation during plant start-up after schedule maintenance work.