Methane is a highly potent greenhouse gas that has been historically poorly measured. There is an increasing demand for portable, sensitive, and cost-effective instruments to better understand the emission of methane and its effect on the changing climate. As a mechatronics engineer at the National Research Council (NRC) between 2021 and 2024, I developed a laser-based methane sensor that allows climate scientists to accurately measure methane emissions with an ultra-light-weight, UAV deployable package.
Mechanical, Electrical, and Optical Design
Physical Assembly
The physically assembled sensor with slightly extended form factor but identical electronics and optical design. The fully assembled sensor weighs less than 1kg and measures at a sensitivity less than 1 parts-per-billion, making it easily deployable on mid-sized commercial UAVs.
Upgrade From Previous Design
Two versions of the sensor, the open cell version Phantom II (right) and close cell version Chameleon (left) sitting on top of the previous NRC methane sensor. The weight was reduced from 25KG to 3KG for the closed cell sensor with no sacrifice in sensitivity due to highly custom electronics and embedded software.
Deployment
The device has been deployed across Canada including near oil & gas facilities in Northern Alberta and the Arctic coast in collaboration with Geological Survey Canada and Environmental & Climate Change Canada to quantify total methane emissions in the country. The sensor seen here is mounted on a DJI Matrice 300 drone as it is prepared to take measurements.
Results
This is the result of a single collection done by the sensor mounted on an UAV measuring methane emissions in the Mackenzie Delta region of Northern Canada. The heatmap is the result of a fusion between GPS data, ambient conditions, and concentration measurement. Higher concentrations are shown in green around the slump site.
Associated Publications
M. Beattie, C. Sun, R. MacLeod, N. Sabourin, P. Morse, J. Corbin, J. Oliaee, “Ultra-Lightweight Mid-IR Methane Sensor for UAV-based measurements”, Journal of Optical Express, Submitted for review
J. Oliaee, R. MacLeod, C. Sun, M. Beattie, S. Dallimore, P. Morse, “Measurement of natural methane emissions in the western Canadian arctic using an ultra-lightweight laser spectroscopic sensor aboard a small UAV”, CabCH4 symposium, Ottawa, Canada, May 2024
C. Sun, J. Oliaee, N. Sabourin, G. Smallwood, “Development of a Lightweight UAV-Mountable Open-Cell Methane Sensor Using Mid-Infrared Tunable Diode Laser Interfaced with a Low-Cost Embedded Platform.” Onboard Sensing, Analysis, and Reporting (OSAR) conference. Riverside, CA, March 2023
