Apparatus for estimating locality of leaking spot in pipeline

Abstract

An apparatus for estimating the locality of a leaking spot in a pipeline which conveys a fluid, the apparatus comprising: a pair of detectors located on the pipeline at positions spaced from each other by a certain distance l and adapted to detect pressures P.sub.1 and P.sub.2 and pressure gradients .differential.P.sub.1 /.differential.x and .differential.P.sub.2 /.differential.x at the respective positions; and an operating unit adapted to calculate the locality of a leaking spot on the basis of the pressure gradients .differential.P.sub.1 /.differential.x and .differential.P.sub.2 /.differential.x and mean pressures P.sub.1 and P.sub.2 as obtained by memory-holding the pressures P.sub.1 and P.sub.2, by an operation of ##EQU1## wherein ##EQU2## E: estimated value x: distance from upstream detector to leaking spot n: pressure drop index number (n=1 for liquid, n=2 for isothermal gas and 1<n<2 for gas-liquid mixture which is determined experimentally depending upon the gas-liquid mixture ratio).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.