US 6,567,006 B1 · Monitoring vibrations in a pipeline network

Abstract

The invention relates to acoustic detection of leaks in a pipeline using locally-intelligent, data-adaptive monitors deployed for a period of time. Monitors are initialized by a base station. Following deployment, monitors receive vibration signals at programmed times, process the vibration signals to detect and characterize abnormal vibrations, and save the processed data in the monitor. Monitors may communicate digitally with a base station, sending processed data and receiving instructions. Alternatively, monitors may be removed from the pipeline and placed in a docking station prior to initialization and subsequent re-deployment on a pipeline. A procedural step of re-synchronization corrects for any mis-alignments in time that may occur among received vibration signals from different monitors. Received vibration signals from two or more monitors may then be analyzed using a correlative method to localize the position of any leaks present in the pipeline.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A method for monitoring vibrations in a pipeline network, the method comprising:

providing a set of two or more monitors, each monitor comprising a sensor, a timer, a processor, a memory unit, and a digital communication device;
initializing the monitors;
applying the sensors of the monitors to a pipeline network, the sensors detecting vibrations in the pipeline network and producing corresponding vibration signals;
receiving vibration signals from the sensors at one or more programmed times under the control of processors of the monitors;
digitally processing the received vibration signals with processors of the monitors and saving the processed data in the memory unit of the monitor;
digitally communicating the processed signals between the monitors and a base station using the digital communication devices;
measuring temporal drift between timers of the monitors;
and
analyzing the processed signals using the measured temporal drift to obtain measures of any leaks present in the pipeline network.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Monitoring vibrations in a pipeline network

Life of this patent

Monitoring vibrations in a pipeline network

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims18