Device for conveying a substance provided with an optical leak detector
AssigneeGenesis France
InventorsPaul Coudray, Jean-Pascal Biaggi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device for conveying a substance that comprises: a first duct for containing the substance; an optical fiber connected to the first duct and extending along the duct, the optical fiber including several detection members spaced along its length, each detection member having a separate reflection spectrum that varies with the presence of the substance to be detected; a control device including a light source capable of emitting a light in the reflection spectrum of each detection member, a light receiver capable of detecting the light amplitude in the detection spectrum of each detection member, and an analysis module capable of determining the presence of a leak of the substance based on the light amplitude provided by the light receiver.
Claims13
A device for transporting a substance, the device comprising:
- a first pipe configured to contain the substance;
- an optical fiber connected to and extending along an axial direction of the pipe;
- several detection members spaced along a length of the optical fiber, each detection member including:
- a sensitive part having a respective reflection spectrum that varies with a presence of the substance which is transported and thus being optically sensitive to the presence of the substance, and
- a reference sensitive part optically insensitive to the presence of the substance;
- a control device including:
- a light source positioned and operable to emit light in the respective reflection spectrum of each detection member, and
- a light receiver positioned and operable to detect a light amplitude in the respective reflection spectrum of each sensitive part and the reference sensitive part of each detection member;
- an analysis module operable to determine a presence of a leak of the substance from the first pipe based on the light amplitude detected by the light receiver;
- a thermal insulation sheath coating the first pipe, the optical fiber passing through the sheath;
- and
- a second pipe surrounding the insulation sheath and forming with the sheath a passage communicating with the sensitive part of each detection member;
- wherein a pumping device is operable to cause a flow of inert gas in the passage,
- wherein the reference part of each detection member is insulated from direct communication with the flow of the inert gas in the passage.
A method of detecting a leak of a substance from a pipe transporting the substance, the method comprising the steps:
- injecting, by successive pulses, light into an optical fiber extending along the pipe, the optical fiber including several detection members spaced along a length of the optical fiber,
- wherein each detection member includes a sensitive part that has a reflection spectrum that varies with a presence of the substance and is thus optically sensitive to the presence of the substance, and a reference sensitive part optically insensitive to the presence of the substance, the successive light pulses covering the reflection spectrum of each detection member,
- wherein a thermal insulation sheath coats the first pipe, and the optical fiber passes through the sheath, a second pipe surrounds the insulation sheath and forms with the sheath a passage communicating with the sensitive part of each detection member;
- causing a flow of inert gas in the passage,
- wherein the reference part of each detection member is insulated from direct communication with the flow of the inert gas in the passage;
- detecting the light amplitude in the reflection spectrum of the sensitive part and the reference sensitive part of each detection member;
- and
- determining the presence of a leak of the substance according to the detected light amplitude.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.