Test field aims to improve methane leak detection and measurement
The MEQAL project is developing new methods to detect and measure methane emissions. During a study visit to Rovaniemi, the project team had the opportunity to test measurement equipment at a newly built test field designed to simulate methane leaks.
MEQAL is an EU-funded project under the Interreg Aurora programme, in which Mid Sweden University collaborates with the University of Oulu and Lapland University of Applied Sciences in Finland. Together, the researchers are developing new technologies to detect and quantify methane leaks, using sensors, drones and autonomous robots.
The project team recently visited Lapland University of Applied Sciences in Rovaniemi to learn more about the development work and test equipment at a specially designed test field.
During the visit, participants were introduced to drones and ground-based robots, known as rovers, which could become important components of the measurement technologies being developed within the project. They also met students working on degree projects related to MEQAL.
Test different measurement methods
The team also carried out practical tests at the test field, which contains 49 underground valves spread across an area of approximately 20 by 20 metres. The valves allow methane to be released in a controlled manner, making it possible to simulate leaks and investigate how different measurement methods perform under controlled conditions.
Among other things, the project team tested a so-called flux chamber to measure methane emissions from the ground and an optical measuring instrument designed to detect methane leaks at lower concentrations.
“This test field gives us the opportunity to verify different measurement methods and see how the equipment performs under controlled conditions. This is an important part of developing methods that can identify and quantify methane emissions more accurately,” says Göran Thungström, MEQAL project manager at Mid Sweden University.
The facility could also become a resource for companies participating in the project that want to test and further develop their measurement equipment. In the long term, the work aims to improve the ability to detect and measure methane leaks, helping to reduce emissions.