Safety is the number one priority for every country. Whenever there are dangerous missions, the government will try to reduce the use of manpower and attempt to make full use of the technology. This is where drones come into place. Unlike huan, drones can perform well in extremely harsh environments such as checking gas leaks, hard to reach locations and many more.
This is why drones are great to be used in public safety, having drones to replace humans can significantly reduce the risk of losing lives.
One application will be attaching Zenmuse U10 “METHANE DETECTOR”. It is a dedicated methane detector for DJI drones. As the name suggested, it is used for detecting Methane (CH4). The detection distance can go up to 100m and it has a very fast response time, 25ms. Other specs are 5ppm.m Stationary Detection Limit and 720p visual camera.
Such a powerful device will not come in a small package, it requires a big drone to carry, hence it is only compatible with DJI M300 RTK, DJI M200 Series V2 & V1.
Detecting gas leaks in an industrial setting is a complex issue. It is extremely dangerous if gas leak is not well contained, it is even more dangerous when the gas is toxic or highly flammable. Industrial facilities contain numerous failure points where gas can potentially leak. It is challenging to identify leak points along endless miles of pipelines.
Traditional methods will involve a team of inspectors, manually traversing the network, with an array of detectors and monitoring equipment. This is time-consuming and often places people in dangerous or toxic environments. Alternatively, a helicopter will also be used, but it is an expensive inspection method.
A drone with a gas detection module is the game changer, it allows data collection to become more efficient, accurate, cost-effective and this method will not need to be placed in a dangerous environment.
Unlike humans, drones can cover large areas quickly, including hard-to-access spots and collect a vast amount of data which can be viewed and analyzed in real-time. This actionable data includes the leak’s location, concentration and type of gas.
As the drone is a cost-effective and efficient solution, it can be used for more regular and periodic inspection, helping to identify anomalies sooner before they escalate.
Reveal potential anomalies in chemical plants by periodically monitoring air pollutant distributions
Drones are able to monitor the Environment as well. Drones present a streamlined method of conducting environmental monitoring and academic research.
Using a UAV gas detection system, research teams can easily obtain rich air quality and pollution information, including the remote collection of atmospheric greenhouse gas emissions data.
Drones with gas sensors have also been used for scientific research, including for monitoring volcanoes and acquiring near-vent measurements of gasses such as carbon dioxide. Drones present a safe, efficient and more accessible solution to gather this type of data, which was previously limited through ground-based techniques, to drive a better understanding of volcanic emissions and protect local communities through more regular monitoring.
Drones can also efficiently and accurately locate suspected pollution sources in industrial areas, construction sites and ports. Hence, drones are not only applicable for agriculture and surveying use. It will be the future of all data collection industries and many more potential uses will be discovered while drones technology continues to progress.
