Method for determining a leak in a pond liner of electrically insulating sheet material

The method of determining the location of a leak in a pond liner made of a sheet of electrically insulating material supported by a medium which is electrically conductive which comprises the steps of:

• introducing a single power electrode to said pond at a predetermined location and establishing therewith an electric potential between an electrically conductive fluid within said pond and said supporting medium,
• introducing to said pond detector means comprising a pair of electrically connected, spaced, electrically conductive probes having associated therewith means for measuring the electric current flowing through said probes,
• while maintaining said power electrode at said predetermined location rotating said detector means to a position which produces a maximum current reading by said current measuring means, and
• causing the probes of said detector means to traverse over the bottom of said pond adjacent said liner in a direction away from said power electrode while maintaining the relative position of said probes with respect to said power electrode to maintain a maximum flow of current through said probes until a point is reached during said traverse where the current substantially changes in value and which thereby is indicative of the leak location.

The method of determining the unknown location of a leak in a pond liner made of a sheet of electrically insulating material supported by an electrically conductive medium comprising the steps of:

• energizing the pond by applying a voltage source to a single power electrode immersed in an electrically conductive fluid in the pond at a well-defined location therein, and a ground electrode connected to the supporting medium, whereby there is established within said fluid an electric field having a substantial horizontal component directed along a path between the unknown location of the leak and the power electrode;
• immersing in said fluid detector means comprising electrically connected spaced probe electrodes having connected thereto current measuring means for measuring the current flowing through said probe electrodes, rotating said detector means to orient said probe electrodes in an imaginary horizontal line between said power electrode and said leak as indicated by a maximum reading on the current measuring means, and then, without substantially changing the orientation of said detector means with respect to said power electrode, moving said probe electrodes along a radial path extending horizontally from said well-defined location at which the power electrode is connected to the fluid, while measuring the magnitude of the electric field gradient within said fluid, and
• locating a point within said fluid at which the traversing movement of the detector means results in the largest change in the magnitude of the measured electric field gradient, said point being the determined location of the leak.

Means for determining the location of a leak in a pond liner made of a sheet of electrically insulating material supported by a medium which is electrically conductive which comprises:

• a single power electrode immersed in electrically conductive fluid within said pond at a predetermined location,
• a ground electrode connected to said electrically conductive supporting medium,
• a source of voltage connected between said power and ground electrodes, and
• leak detector means comprising a pair of electrically connected spaced, electricaly conductive probes having associated therewith means for measuring the electric current flowing through said probes, said detector means being rotatable to cause said probes to change position relative to said power electrode and being capable of traversing over bottom of said pond with said probes immersed in said fluid adjacent said pond liner.

The method of determining the location of a leak in a layer of electrically insulating material, said layer having a configuration enabling it to act as a relatively flat reservoir for a fluid so that said fluid has a horizontal surface exposed to the atmosphere, said insulating material being supported by an electrically conductive medium which comprises the steps of:

• introducing an electrically conductive fluid to said reservoir,
• introducing a single power electrode to said fluid at a predetermined location and establishing therewith an electric potential between said fluid and said supporting medium,
• introducing to said reservior detector means comprising a pair of electrically connected, spaced, electrically conductive probes,
• while maintaining said power electrode at said predetermined location aligning said probes to obtain a maximum flow of current through said probes, and
• while maintaining said alignment of said probes causing said probes to traverse over the bottom of said reservoir adjacent said electrically insulating layer material until a point is reached where the current substantially changes in value and which thereby is indicative of the leak location.