# US 5,708,218 A · Method and device for locating accumulations of pollutants

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- Number: US 5,708,218 A
- Document ID: US5708218A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/502,076
- Filed: 1995-07-14
- Granted: 1998-01-13
- Earliest claimed: 1994-07-14
- Assignees: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
- Inventors: Peter Jax
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5708218A

## CPC

- G01M 3/04: by detecting the presence of fluid at the leakage point
- G01M 3/22: for pipes, cables or tubes; for pipe joints or seals; for valves; {for welds; for containers, e.g. radiators}
- G01M: TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES OR STRUCTURES; TESTING OF STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

A method for locating an accumulation of pollutants includes continuously guiding a conveying medium in mutually opposite directions through two legs of a pollutant-permeable collecting line, the legs being placed closely adjacent and mutually parallel as forward and return lines. A detection is performed as to whether or not the conveying medium contains a pollutant at an outlet of the collecting line. A location of an accumulation of pollutants at the collecting line is determined from a difference in time between two successive pollution detections at the outlet of the collecting line. A device for locating accumulations of pollutants includes a collecting line being permeable to a pollutant and having two legs being closely adjacent, mutually parallel and switched as forward and return lines. A continuously operating pump is connected to the collecting line for conveying a conveying medium through the collecting line. A sensor is connected to the collecting line for detecting a pollutant. An evaluation unit is connected to the sensor.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A device for locating accumulations of pollutants, comprising:
a collecting line being permeable to a pollutant and having two legs being closely adjacent, mutually parallel and connected as forward and return lines;
a continuously operating pump connected to said collecting line for continuously guiding a conveying medium through said collecting line;
a sensor connected to an outlet of said collecting line for detecting a pollutant at the outlet;
an evaluation unit connected to said sensor, said evaluation unit determining a location of an accumulation of pollutants at said collecting line from a difference in time between two successive pollution detections at the outlet of said collecting line.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein said two legs are connected in series.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, including another pump and another sensor, said two legs each being connected to a respective one of said pumps and to a respective one of said sensors as an independent conveying line, and said evaluation unit being connected to said sensors.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, wherein said legs have locations being permeable to the pollutant and remaining portions being impermeable to the pollutant, and a permeable location in one of said legs is spatially near to a permeable location in the other of said legs.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The device according to claim 1, including a feed line, and a T-element connecting said feed line to said two legs at spatially adjacent locations.

### Claim 6

A device for locating accumulations of pollutants, comprising:
a collecting line being permeable to a pollutant and having two legs being closely adjacent, mutually parallel and connected as forward and return lines;
a continuously operating pump being connected to said collecting line for conveying a conveying medium through said collecting line;
a sensor being connected to said collecting line for detecting a pollutant;
an evaluation unit being connected to said sensor; and
another pump and another sensor, said two legs each being connected to a respective one of said pumps and to a respective one of said sensors as an independent conveying line, and said evaluation unit being connected to said sensors.