Tech Briefs Magazine - August 2022 - 12

5Ws
Who
Researchers at University of Colorado Boulder and LongPath
Technologies have developed lasers that can detect
natural gas leaks in real time, mitigating the oil and gas industry's
impact on climate change.
What
As concerns rise about methane, a CU startup is working
toward plugging the leaks. LongPath has developed lasers,
called frequency comb lasers, which can sniff out even the
faintest traces of methane - and could prove critical in
combating climate change. Frequency combs are known
for producing thousands of colors of infrared light at once,
and since different molecules each absorb different colors,
the laser is used to identify each molecule's fingerprint -
which then allows the laser to detect each molecule's presence
in the air. While previous methods for leak detection
required operators to look for leaks using video cameras or
aerial surveillance, frequency comb lasers are unmanned
and can operate 24/7. They were modeled off laser-based
precision spectroscopy, initially developed by Colorado
physicist Jan Hall to explore how atoms work.
LongPath Technologies methane detection monitoring in Greeley,
Colorado. (Image: Casey A. Cass/University of Colorado).
Where
Boulder, Colorado
of Unmanned Lasers
for Methane Detection
Why
Greenhouse gases like methane are invisible to the naked
eye, making it difficult to detect leaks for oil and gas companies.
These leaks are harmful to the environment and
costly to repair. LongPath's laser system can mitigate roughly
80 million cubic feet of methane emissions per year.
Comb-like spikes on a computer screen illustrate measurements
of methane, water, and carbon dioxide. (Image: LongPath
Technologies)
When
Currently, 23 lasers are in use in the U.S., covering nearly 300,000 acres in Colorado, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and
Texas. This year, researchers will install one over a patch of frozen soil near Fairbanks, Alaska. They're hoping to
measure how much methane gas leaks out from that soil as it warms because of climate change.
Contact Media Relations team at cunews@colorado.edu or 303-735-0122.
12
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Tech Briefs, August 2022

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Tech Briefs Magazine - August 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Tech Briefs Magazine - August 2022

Tech Briefs Magazine - August 2022 - Intro
Tech Briefs Magazine - August 2022 - Sponsor
Tech Briefs Magazine - August 2022 - Cov1
Tech Briefs Magazine - August 2022 - Cov2
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Tech Briefs Magazine - August 2022 - Cov3
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Tech Briefs Magazine - August 2022 - MD-Cov1
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