Duct leakage control
AssigneeBrinker Technology Limited
InventorIan Kenneth McEwan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention provides an apparatus and methods for duct leakage control wherein a sealing element is introduced into the duct and is automatically drawn or otherwise guided to the locality of a leak, the element being caused, by reason of a pressure differential attributable to the leak, to move into and stem or seal the leak. The sealing element may comprise a plurality of individual members of differing buoyancy, each capable of being carried along at a predetermined level in the duct by the flow of fluid therein. The sealing element may carry a tagging device which can be used to assist in locating the leakage site.
Claims16
A method of controlling leakage of fluid from a duct along which said fluid is constrained to flow, wherein a plurality of individual sheet sealing elements are introduced into the duct and carried along the duct by the flow of said fluid;
- and
- wherein, at the locality of a leak, at least one of said sheet sealing elements is captured by a pressure differential associated with the leak and is thereby drawn to and held in position at the leak for stemming or sealing the leak.
Apparatus for controlling leakage of fluid from a duct along which said fluid is constrained to flow, said apparatus comprising a plurality of individual sheet sealing elements for introduction into the duct and capable of being carried along the duct by the flow of said fluid, wherein, at the locality of a leak, at least one of said sheet sealing elements is capable of being captured by a pressure differential associated with the leak and thereby drawn to and held in position at the leak for stemming or sealing the leak.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.