What is the title of your research project?
BAFA E-cargo bike funding – Mobile gas leak detection using an e-cargo bike (PROMPT)
Who is involved in the project?
Project leader: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Matthias Ehrnsperger. Research assistants: Kai Jannsen, Lorenz Kopp, Anna Linhuber and other student assistants
What is your funded project?
In the PROMPT research project, OTH Regensburg is developing a mobile sensor system capable of detecting methane emissions and leaks in gas networks. An electrically assisted cargo bike serves as the initial mobile measurement platform: a photoacoustic measurement cell, sensors and other measuring instruments are integrated into its transport box. This allows the measurement technology to be taken directly to domestic connections and along gas pipelines, where it can be tested under real-world conditions. The aim is to support the currently time-consuming process of inspecting gas networks and to be able to carry out measurements more quickly and efficiently in future.
What excites you about the project?
What is particularly exciting is the combination of modern sensor technology with a comparatively simple and sustainable mobile platform. An electric cargo bike is transformed into a mobile measurement laboratory that can take measurement equipment directly to where it is needed. In urban areas in particular, many domestic connections are difficult to reach with larger measurement vehicles. At the same time, new legal requirements for methane monitoring mean that checks on the gas infrastructure are becoming more frequent. Through our research, we aim to investigate how such measurements can be carried out more efficiently, flexibly and with less manpower in future.
How can findings from the project be applied in practice?
Gas network operators must regularly check their infrastructure for potential methane emissions and leaks. Due to stricter legal requirements, these inspections will be needed more frequently in future, whilst domestic connections in particular are still often checked on foot – a process that is time-consuming and labour-intensive. A mobile measurement platform based on an electric cargo bike could transport measuring equipment directly along the gas infrastructure whilst also serving as a carrier for the sensor technology. This would enable larger areas to be surveyed more efficiently and would also allow access to hard-to-reach inner-city measurement sites.
On our website, you will find an overview of OTH Regensburg’s current funded projects.
