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The study aimed to analyse detection methods of ammonia leakage by various electrical methods. Rapid detection of the escape of hazardous technical gases is extremely important in large chemical plants. The basis of the research was the use of a specialized camera, model FLIR GF306, to detect a leak of selected gases in a narrow infrared band. In laboratory conditions, the controlled emission of gaseous ammonia at various concentrations was simulated, and gas detection was performed: a) using a narrow infrared thermography method, and b) by a portable electrochemical detector dedicated to detecting ammonia. The turbulent flow of gas into the environment and high thermal contrast between the expanding gas and the background are the conditions for effective gas detection with a thermal imaging camera operating in a narrow infrared band.

One of the crucial aspects of the environmental protection is continuous monitoring of environment. Specific aspect is estimation of the bird species population. It is particularly important for bird species being in danger of extinction. Avian monitoring programs are time and money consuming actions which usually base on terrain expeditions. Certain remedy for this can be automatic acoustical avian monitoring system, described in the paper. Main components of the designed system are: digital audio recorder for bird voices acquisition, computer program automatically recognizing bird species by its signals emitted (voices or others) and object-relational database accessed via the Internet. Optional system components can be: digital camera and camcorder, bird attracting device, wireless data transmission module, power supply with solar panel, portable weather station. The system records bird voices and sends the recordings to the database. Recorded bird voices can be also provoked by the attracting device. Application of wireless data transmission module and power supply with solar panel allows long term operation of digital sound recorder in a hard accessible terrain. Recorded bird voices are analysed by the computer program and labelled with the automatically recognized bird species. Recognition accuracy of the program can be optionally enhanced by an expert system. Besides of labelled sound recordings, database can store also many other information like: photos and films accompanying recorded bird voices/ sounds, information about localization of observation/ recordings (GPS position, description of a place of an observation), information about bird features and behaviour, meteorological information, etc. Database on the base of geographical/ geological digital maps can generate actual maps of bird population (presence, number of individuals of each species). Moreover data-base can trigger alerts in case of rapidly decreasing bird population. It is also possible to obtain new knowledge about bird species with data mining methods. The paper presents collected data on observed bird species (audio recordings, photos and films) as well as results of experiments testing particular components of the automatic acoustical avian monitoring system.

In this paper, the research methodology and the results of the analysis carried out using the acoustic emission (AE) and thermal imaging for a selected oil power transformer are presented. The basis for the research, by means of the AE method, was the author’s patented research method. The AE descriptor maps on the side walls of the tested transformer along with the location of areas with increased AE activity and an analysis of the properties of AE signals recorded at the measurement points located in these areas have been performed. The results showed no partial discharges that could threaten further operation of the tested transformer as well as three areas where increased magnetoacoustic emission occurred. Thermal imaging studies were carried out in the 7.5 μm < λ < 13 μm band. Three areas were located on the calculated thermograms: the entire upper surface of the transformer tank and two areas on the side walls of the tested transformer in which increased IR radiation occurred. The results of the analysis of the research results for the two methods correspond with each other, having a common part, and complement each other giving a broader description of studied phenomena.

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