FLIR optical gas detection (OGI) cameras are highly specialized thermal cameras with spectral filters to detect specific gas leaks. Although FLIR OGI cameras are extremely sensitive and can detect gas leaks up to hundreds of meters away, sometimes a leak that is particularly small or distant requires something extra to be imaged. With a feature called High Sensitivity Mode (HSM), operators can detect even the smallest leaks.
How to improve gas leak detection
High Sensitivity Mode is a patented image subtraction video processing technique that enhances the thermal sensitivity of the camera. The HSM function subtracts a percentage of individual frame pixel signals in the video stream from subsequent frames. This improves inter-frame differences and makes leakage stand out more clearly in the resulting images.
Using HSM mode gives the user control over the amount of compensation applied to the video sequence and thus over the degree of increase in thermal sensitivity. In the following video, for example, the vapors emitted by the hand sanitizer become much more apparent when the camera is switched to HSM:
Hand sanitizer containing ethyl alcohol releases visible vapors that can be visualized with a gas leak detection camera: FLIR G320.
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Of course, camera operators generally look for gas leaks from sources much farther away than what is shown in this video, either because it is impractical to get close or because hazardous conditions prevent getting close to the source of the leak. Unlike other inspection tools, OGI or Gas Finder cameras offer the ability to view unsafe conditions from a safe distance. HSM allows the user to view smaller leaks from a greater distance compared to the "normal" infrared mode:
The FLIR G620 can detect methane and other volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from a safe distance.
Saves time in the field
To achieve the required results in optical gas imaging, it is usually essential to set the appropriate level (midpoint) and temperature range. (A wide range will provide less image detail, while a narrow, tighter range will provide more detail). In fact, HSM mode allows the user to perform gas searches without having to set the image level before narrowing the range.
As setting the ambient temperature level is a complicated process and is not possible for more than one environment at a time, HSM mode allows maintenance engineers or operators to save a lot of time and make gas leak searches easier and faster. This is done in real time, greatly improving the stability and sensitivity of the gas detection cameras.
The increased stability also means that, in HSM, the camera can be moved while in use, rather than needing a tripod to stabilize.
Thanks to the high-sensitivity mode, operators can save time in the field, inspect equipment from a safe distance and detect even the smallest gas leaks from afar.
Learn more about FLIR OGI cameras featuring HSM: See the FLIR G-Series
Detecting gas leaks with a FLIR OGI camera
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