Non-invasive pipeline inspection system
AssigneeThe Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
InventorsRobert Tingley, Claude P. Brancart
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Abstract
The invention is directed to a system and method for non-invasive pipeline inspection. According to one embodiment, the system includes a processor, an analyzer, and a wave launcher. The wave launcher is adapted to transmit an input wideband waveform having a selected input energy into the pipeline along a longitudinal axis, and to receive from the pipeline a reflected component of the input waveform having a reflected energy. The analyzer is adapted to generate the input waveform, and to receive the reflected component of the input waveform from the wave launcher. The processor is adapted to compare the input waveform with the reflected component of the input waveform to determine characteristics.
Claims56
A pipeline inspection system comprising,
- a wave launcher in communication with a pipeline and adapted to transmit an input waveform having a selected input energy along a longitudinal axis inside said pipeline, and to receive a reflected component of said input waveform from said pipeline, said reflected component having a characteristic reflected energy,
- an analyzer in communication with said wave launcher and adapted to generate said input waveform, and to receive said reflected component of said input waveform from said wave launcher, and
- a processor in communication with said analyzer and adapted to compare said input waveform with said reflected component of said input waveform to determine a characteristic of said pipeline,
- wherein the wave launcher, the analyzer, and the processor operate in a fashion that is non-invasive to the pipeline.
A method of inspecting a characteristic of a pipeline, said method comprising,
- transmitting an input waveform having a selected input energy along a longitudinal axis inside said pipeline,
- receiving a reflected component of said input waveform from said pipeline, said reflected component having a characteristic reflected energy, and
- comparing said input waveform with said reflected component of said input waveform to determine said characteristic of said pipeline,
- wherein the transmitting, receiving, and comparing steps occur in a fashion that is non-invasive to the pipeline.
The method of 29 further comprising, generating an electromagnetic waveform as said input waveform.
A method of determining a location of a point along a pipeline, said method comprising,
- transmitting an input waveform having a selected input energy along a longitudinal axis inside said pipeline,
- receiving a reflected component of said input waveform from said pipeline, said reflected component having a characteristic reflected energy, and
- comparing said input waveform with said reflected component of said input waveform to determine said location of said point along said pipeline,
- wherein the transmitting, receiving, and comparing steps occur in a fashion that is non-invasive to the pipeline.
A method of inspecting a characteristic of a pipeline, said method comprising,
- generating an input waveform,
- launching said input waveform along a longitudinal axis inside said pipeline,
- receiving from said pipeline a reflected component having a characteristic reflected energy of said input waveform,
- calculating a mathematical function of said characteristic reflected energy from said reflected component of said input waveform,
- determining a model mathematical function of model reflected energy from a model component of a model input waveform, and
- determining said characteristic of said pipeline by comparing said mathematical function of said reflected energy to said model mathematical function of said model reflected energy,
- wherein each step is performed in a fashion that is non-invasive to the pipeline.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.