Millennium Projects
Technical Details
Millennium Project Number: M-2002-014
Project Title: PFT Tracer
Project Start Date: 2003
Projected End Date: 2006
Technical Details:
Current gas leak detection and pinpointing is based on sampling gas-in-air mixtures individually drawn from holes strategically drilled in roadway and sidewalk areas. This method relies on portable flame ionization instruments to determine methane concentration. In many cases this labor intensive and time consuming method can result in multiple costly excavations where no leak is found since subsurface congestion or long-term soil saturation of methane mask the actual leak source.
The objective of this initial phase is to conduct a feasibility study to optimize the detection sensitivity to perfluorocarbon tracers (PFT’s) for detection of natural gas leaks using the reverse electron attachment detection (READ) method. Injection of this new tracer from a service tee while driving around the suspected area of the leak will pinpoint the leak source the first time with minimal manpower and no excavation required.
The utility adaptation toward commercialization of NASA’s READ technology will be managed by Femto Trace to 1) demonstrate its use for rapid, real-time identification of gas leaks, 2) focus the development effort at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) for a suitable instrument for field use, and 3) complete the initial phases of design work and software development for an “alpha” prototype unit and eventual commercialization.