An open source algorithm to detect natural gas leaks from mobile methane survey data

The data collected by mobile methane (CH4) sensors can be used to find natural gas (NG) leaks in urban distribution systems. Extracting actionable insights from the large volumes of data collected by these sensors requires several data processing steps. While these survey platforms are commercially...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2019-02, Vol.14 (2), p.e0212287-e0212287
Main Authors: Weller, Zachary D, Yang, Duck Keun, von Fischer, Joseph C
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Air Pollutants - analysis
Air pollution
Algorithms
Black boxes
Census of Population
Chemical detectors
Cities and towns
Climate change
Computer and Information Sciences
Computer programs
Data analysis
Data processing
Earth Sciences
Ecology and Environmental Sciences
Engineering and Technology
Environmental aspects
Environmental Monitoring
Freeware
Gas leaks
Information management
Internet
Leaks
Measurement
Methane
Methane - analysis
Natural gas
Natural Gas - analysis
Natural gas distribution
Outdoor air quality
Physical Sciences
Pipelines
Polls & surveys
Quality Control
Research and Analysis Methods
Sensors
Software
Surveys
Surveys and Questionnaires
System effectiveness
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Summary:The data collected by mobile methane (CH4) sensors can be used to find natural gas (NG) leaks in urban distribution systems. Extracting actionable insights from the large volumes of data collected by these sensors requires several data processing steps. While these survey platforms are commercially available, the associated data processing software largely constitute a black box due to their proprietary nature. In this paper we describe a step-by-step algorithm for developing leak indications using data from mobile CH4 surveys, providing an under-the-hood look at the choices and challenges associated with data analysis. We also describe how our algorithm has evolved over time, and the data-driven insights that have prompted these changes. Applying our algorithm to data collected in 15 cities produced more than 6100 leak indications and estimates of the leaks' size. We use these results to characterize the distribution of leak sizes in local NG distribution systems. Mobile surveys are already an effective and necessary tool for managing NG distribution systems, but improvements in the technology and software will continue to increase its value.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0212287