An airborne measurement system to detect, locate, and quantify methane emissions with attitude-based wind speed estimation

Abstract. An airborne measurement system with an onboard computer for data processing and recording that does not require constant radio communication for inspection and maintenance is presented. It detects, locates, and quantifies methane leaks using a gimbal-mounted tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) sensor. A polynomial regression model that correlates wind speed with drone attitude is presented and compared to measurements made with a 3D anemometer at varying wind speeds. The quantification of methane emissions was evaluated with the system, both in a laboratory setup and at an open-area test site.