US 5,279,147 AGranted

Method for locating disruptions in electrical cable

AssigneeDow Corning Corporation

InventorsGlen J. Bertini, Miguel J. Chavez, Dean F. Kawa

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Abstract

An apparatus and method for locating an obstruction, leak or fault in an electrical cable segment, and determining the extent thereof, comprising a method and apparatus for supplying an interruptible pressurized gas to the cable's interstitial void space, first and second valves for directing the flow of the gas, a first device for acquiring data on the flow rate of gas to or from the interstitial void space and generating a first electronic signal proportional thereto, the first flow data acquisition device being in gaseous communication with the first valve, a second device for acquiring data on the flow rate of gas to or from the interstitial void space and generating a second electronic signal proportional thereto, the second flow data acquisition device also in gaseous communication with the second valve, and a method and apparatus for numerically relating the first and second electronic signals generated by the first and second data acquisition devices to determine the location and extent of the leak or blockage.

Claims8

Dependent claims

A method for identifying a leak or blockage in a segment of an electrical cable, said cable segment having an interstitial void space, said cable segment further having fitted thereon first and second valves respectively fitted on first and second ends of said cable segment, said first and second valves have opened and closed positions, first and second flow data acquisition means respectively fitted to said first and second valves, said first and second flow data acquisition means each able to measure a gas flow to or from said interstitial void space of said cable segment, comprising the steps of:

introducing a gas flow to said first flow data acquisition means and measuring the flow of said gas as said gas passes through said first flow data acquisition means;
permitting said gas to flow from said first flow data acquisition means into the interstitial void space of said cable segment;
measuring the flow of said gas as said gas passes from said cable segment through said second flow data acquisition means;
creating a backflow through said first and second flow data acquisition means;
measuring said backflow through said first and second data acquisition means;
and
numerically relating the data obtained from said first and second flow data acquisition means to determine the volume of said gas influxing and effluxing through said cable segment, thereby determining the nature of the leak or blockage and approximating the location of the leak or blockage on said cable segment in relation to the first and second ends of said cable segment.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.