Development of methane detection system for dairy farms based on remote sensing

Objective To address the limitations of fixed-point gas sensors in methane detection at dairy farms, such as limited detection points and incomplete detection, this study developed a methane remote sensing detection system using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) sensing technology. The aim was to achieve rapid and extensive detection of methane distribution in dairy farms.

Method Initially, a methane remote sensing detection sensor was designed based on the principle of spectral absorption, and its detection accuracy was verified through experiments. Subsequently, field tests were conducted at the Shengsheng Dairy Farm in Mengjin County, Luoyang City, Henan Province, to create a methane concentration distribution map within the dairy farm. The relationship between methane concentration levels in active areas of cows and the number of cows present in the area was also examined.

Result Analysis of the experimental results showed that the average unit error of the designed methane remote sensing detection module was less than 3.27 mg/m³. A significant positive correlation was found between the methane concentration in a certain area and the number of cows active in that area, with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.934.

Conclusion The designed methane remote sensing detection system exhibits high accuracy in practical applications, and is capable of meeting the demand for detection of methane distribution in dairy farms.