Pipeline breakage sensing system and sensing method

A pipeline breakage sensing method for sensing breakage occurring in a pipeline network formed by pipelines installed so as to form a network, said pipeline breakage sensing method comprising the steps of:

• installing, on said pipelines, a leak detector comprising a communication circuit connected to each of a plurality of pressure sensors for supplying pressure wave data sensed by any of the plurality of pressure sensors to a predetermined pressure sensor, said plurality of pressure sensors detecting pressure of a fluid flowing through each pipeline wherein each pressure sensor includes a microprocessor for calculating statistical presumption of any possible breakage;
• in response to detection of a pressure change of at least a predetermined value in said fluid by one of said pressure sensors, inputting information relating to a pressure change of another predetermined pressure sensor to the microprocessor of said one of said pressure sensors for the purpose of performing a correlating and comparing step on the pressure change outputs of the two predetermined pressure sensors;
• sensing a breakage location of the pipelines by using the inputted information and detected information;
• and
• wherein a dedicated seismometer type of pressure sensor which has felt at least a predetermined seismic intensity is also connected into the plurality of said pressure sensors used to sense a breakage location of a pipeline.

A pipeline breakage sensing system having a plurality of pressure sensors installed on pipelines forming a network, pressure of a fluid flowing in said pipelines being measured by said plurality of pressure sensors, said pipeline breakage sensing system comprising:

• each of said pressure sensors having a microprocessor that calculates an output signal presuming a breakage location in cooperation with timed correlated output signals of other neighboring sensors on the basis of a pressure change of said fluid and transmitting information relating to the presumed breakage location;
• a managing center for sensing a breakage location on the basis of information transmitted from respective pressure sensors;
• each of said pressure sensors comprising:
• a buffer for temporarily holding time series data of measured pressure;
• a wave memory, responsive to a change of at least a predetermined value in the pressure of said fluid, for storing, out of time series data stored in said buffer, time series data measured before the change of pressure and time series data measured after the change of pressure;
• a processor, responsive to storage into said wave memory, for presuming a breakage location of said pipeline and a leak quantity caused by the breakage on the basis of the time series data stored in said wave memory and time series data stored in wave memories of sensors neighboring said pressure sensor;
• and
• wherein each of said pressure sensors comprises a seismometer, responsive to feeling of at least a predetermined seismic intensity, for starting storage of said time series data into said wave memory.

A pipeline breakage sensing system having a plurality of pressure sensors installed on pipelines forming a network, pressure of a fluid flowing in said pipelines being measured by said plurality of pressure sensors, said pipeline breakage sensing system comprising:

• each of said pressure sensors having a microprocessor that calculates an output signal presuming a breakage location in cooperation with timed correlated output signals of other neighboring sensors on the basis of a pressure change of said fluid and transmitting information relating to the presumed breakage location;
• a managing center for sensing a breakage location on the basis of information transmitted from respective pressure sensors;
• each of said pressure sensors comprising:
• a buffer for temporarily holding time series data of measured pressure;
• a wave memory, responsive to a change of at least a predetermined value in the pressure of said fluid, for storing, out of time series data stored in said buffer, time series data measured before the change of pressure and time series data measured after the change of pressure;
• a processor, responsive to storage into said wave memory, for presuming a breakage location of said pipelines and a leak quantity caused by the breakage or the basis of the time series data stored in said wave memory and time series data stored in wave memories of sensors neighboring said pressure sensor;
• and
• wherein said managing center comprises:
• a seismometer for sensing occurrence of an earthquake and generating a data holding output signal;
• and
• a leak information accumulator, responsive to a signal supplied from said seismometer, for accumulating pressure data stored in said wave memory.