Company Develops Drone to Help Reduce Greenhouse Emissions
<p><span word="All">All</span> <span word="pipelines">pipelines</span>, <span word="including">including</span> <span word="those">those</span> <span word="carrying">carrying</span> <span word="natural">natural</span> <span word="gas">gas</span>, <span word="are">are</span> <span word="prone">prone</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="leaks">leaks</span>, <span word="causing">causing</span> <span word="revenue">revenue</span> <span word="losses">losses</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="contributing">contributing</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="global">global</span> <span word="warming">warming</span>. <span word="At">At</span> <span word="present">present</span>, <span word="most">most</span> <span word="gas">gas</span> <span word="leaks">leaks</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="found">found</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="surveyors">surveyors</span> <span word="carrying">carrying</span> <span word="hand">hand</span>-<span word="held">held</span> <span word="devices">devices</span>. <span word="But">But</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="U">U</span>.<span word="S">S</span>. <span word="company">company</span> <span word="says">says</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="flying">flying</span> <span word="drone">drone</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="task">task</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="easier">easier</span>.</p><p><span word="More">More</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="million">million</span> <span word="miles">miles</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="pipelines">pipelines</span> <span word="carry">carry</span> <span word="natural">natural</span> <span word="gas">gas</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="hundreds">hundreds</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="thousands">thousands</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="wells">wells</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="millions">millions</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="consumers">consumers</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="U">U</span>.<span word="S">S</span>. <span word="Its">Its</span> <span word="main">main</span> <span word="component">component</span>, <span word="methane">methane</span>, <span word="is">is</span> <span word="also">also</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="greenhouse">greenhouse</span> <span word="gas">gas</span>, <span word="much">much</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="potent">potent</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="carbon">carbon</span> <span word="dioxide">dioxide</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="U">U</span>.<span word="S">S</span>. <span word="Department">Department</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Energy">Energy</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="program">program</span> <span word="aimed">aimed</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="reducing">reducing</span> <span word="methane">methane</span> <span word="leaks">leaks</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="possible">possible</span>, <span word="especially">especially</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="gas">gas</span> <span word="storage">storage</span> <span word="facilities">facilities</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="wellheads">wellheads</span>.</p><p><span word="Hand">Hand</span>-<span word="held">held</span> <span word="devices">devices</span>, <span word="however">however</span>, <span word="have">have</span> <span word="limited">limited</span> <span word="capabilities">capabilities</span>.</p><p>“<span word="The">The</span> <span word="tool">tool</span> <span word="that">that</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="industry">industry</span> <span word="routinely">routinely</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="used">used</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="leak">leak</span> <span word="surveying">surveying</span>, <span word="to">to</span> <span word="locate">locate</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="leaks">leaks</span>,” <span word="according">according</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Michael">Michael</span> <span word="Frish">Frish</span>, <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Physical">Physical</span> <span word="Sciences">Sciences</span> <span word="Inc">Inc</span>.</p><p><span word="Affordable">Affordable</span> <span word="device">device</span></p><p><span word="Combining">Combining</span> <span word="infrared">infrared</span> <span word="laser">laser</span> <span word="technology">technology</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="drone">drone</span>, <span word="Physical">Physical</span> <span word="Sciences">Sciences</span> <span word="Inc">Inc</span>. <span word="is">is</span> <span word="developing">developing</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="affordable">affordable</span> <span word="device">device</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="monitor">monitor</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="larger">larger</span> <span word="area">area</span>.</p><p>“<span word="The">The</span> <span word="drone">drone</span> <span word="sits">sits</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="platform">platform</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="serves">serves</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="continuous">continuous</span> <span word="monitor">monitor</span>," <span word="said">said</span> <span word="Frish">Frish</span>. "<span word="When">When</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="detects">detects</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="leak">leak</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="whatever">whatever</span> <span word="it">it</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="monitoring">monitoring</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="drone">drone</span> <span word="takes">takes</span> <span word="off">off</span> <span word="autonomously">autonomously</span>, <span word="surveys">surveys</span> <span word="around">around</span>, <span word="measures">measures</span> <span word="how">how</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="leaking">leaking</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="locates">locates</span> <span word="where">where</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="leak">leak</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="coming">coming</span> <span word="from">from</span>.”</p><p><span word="Still">Still</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="experimental">experimental</span> <span word="phase">phase</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="drone">drone</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="covers">covers</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="area">area</span> 10 <span word="x">x</span> 10 <span word="meters">meters</span> <span word="square">square</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="researchers">researchers</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="experimenting">experimenting</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="different">different</span> <span word="configurations">configurations</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="someday">someday</span> <span word="extend">extend</span> <span word="its">its</span> <span word="reach">reach</span>.</p>
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