Pressure testing of equipment
AssigneeIon Pro Services, LLC
InventorKenneth Breaux
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method enable pressure testing a specimen with a portable module for deployment to a field site of the specimen, such as a pipeline. The module includes a processor capable of controlling various devices, such as valves and pumps, and recording sensed data from multiple sources, such as pressure/temperature/flow sensors, cameras and weather feed. The processor may receive input operation specifications for execution to perform the testing with limited human interaction through pressurization, hold and depressurization phases of the testing. The module includes safety features that may avoid over pressurization, require operator identifiers or initiate interlock protocols upon the processor detecting an anomaly. The processor then outputs notifications and reports of desired parameters from the test.
Claims22
A system for conducting a pressure operation with a specimen, comprising:
- a housing defining an exterior of a portable module with a supply port from the housing for coupling with the specimen to input fluid medium from the module into the specimen, wherein the fluid medium is provided to a location inside the portable module via one of:
- an inlet port into the housing and a self-contained supply of the fluid medium disposed in the housing;
- a conduit disposed in the housing connecting the supply port with the location inside the portable module where the fluid medium is provided;
- a valve disposed in the housing to control flow through the conduit;
- a pressure sensor disposed to sense pressure of the fluid medium in the conduit;
- a flow meter disposed to sense flow through the conduit;
- and
- a processor configured to:
- execute an operation specification inputted into the module for controlling the valve to adjust pressure in the specimen;
- record data from the flow meter and the pressure sensor;
- and output a report.
A method of conducting a pressure operation with a specimen, comprising:
- transporting a portable module to a site of the specimen;
- connecting the module to the specimen, wherein the specimen and the module are connected to a source for a fluid medium;
- inputting an operation specification into a processor disposed in the module;
- passing the fluid medium though a valve inside the module and then into the specimen;
- executing the operation specification with the processor that then controls the valve thereby adjusting pressure in the specimen through pressurization, hold pressure and depressurization phases in accordance with the operation specification;
- sensing pressure and flow of the fluid medium within the module to provide measured data;
- and
- outputting from the processor a report containing the measured data.
A system for conducting a pressure operation with a specimen, comprising:
- a housing in shape of a case to define an exterior of a portable module;
- a source line coupling an inlet port into the housing with a fluid medium;
- a supply line coupling a supply port from the housing with the specimen to input the fluid medium from the module into the specimen;
- inlet, outlet and isolation valves disposed along a conduit in the housing through which the inlet port and the supply port are in fluid communication;
- flow and pressure sensors disposed in the housing along the conduit to measure properties of the fluid medium input into the specimen;
- and
- a processor disposed in the housing and configured to:
- execute an operation specification inputted into the module by controlling the valves in order to fill the specimen with the fluid medium and raise, hold and lower pressure within the specimen without additional input;
- record data from the sensors;
- and output a report.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.