Automated gas detection and reporting system

• US 10,060,578 B2
• Filed: 05/16/2016
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Battaglini, Roberto, Fox, Jeremy R., Kluger, Leo, Reilly, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ha, Nguyen
• Application Number:
  US15/156,055
• Publication Number:
  US 20170328522A1
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 5/02 Preventing, monitoring, or locating loss
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 5/06 using electric or acoustic means
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/243 for pipes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/38 Transceivers, i.e. devices in which transmitter and receiver form a structural unit and in which at least one part is used for functions of transmitting and receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/38 for collecting sensor information

Abstract

An embodiment of the invention provides a method for monitoring for and detecting a leak in a line where a mobile detector having an audio sensor and an odor sensor transiting along the line. A sample audio reading is obtained by the audio sensor; and, a sample odor reading is obtained by the odor sensor. A processor compares the sample audio reading to a baseline audio reading to determine whether the line is leaking. The processor compares the sample odor reading to a baseline odor reading to determine whether the line is leaking. The location of the mobile detector is identified by a GPS device on the mobile detector when the processor determines that the line is leaking. The location of the mobile detector, the sample audio reading, and the sample odor reading is sent to a central monitoring center by a communications device on the mobile detector.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring and detecting a leak, said method comprising:

transiting along a line by a mobile detector having an audio sensor and an odor sensor;

obtaining a sample audio reading by the audio sensor;

obtaining a sample odor reading by the odor sensor;

comparing the sample audio reading to a baseline audio reading to determine whether there is at least one leak in the line;

comparing the sample odor reading to a baseline odor reading to determine whether there is at least one leak in the line;

identifying a location of the mobile detector when at least one leak in the line is detected;

maintaining an electronic database of sample audio readings, sample odor readings, and leak events;

analyzing the electronic database to identify leak trends; and

predicting timing and location of future leaks based on said analyzing the electronic database.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising sending the sample audio reading and the sample odor reading to a central monitoring center by a communications device on the mobile detector.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the sample audio reading includes a frequency and a duration.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining a smell type classification of the sample odor reading; and

sending the smell type classification to the central monitoring center by the communications device on the mobile detector.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining leakage flow rates of multiple leaks in the line based on the sample audio reading; and

prioritizing repairs of the multiple leaks based on the determined leakage flow rates.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the audio sensor includes an array of microphones, and wherein said obtaining of the sample audio reading includes:

pointing the microphones in different directions;

obtaining a sample audio reading in each of the microphones;

identifying the volume of each sample audio reading;

identifying at least one microphone in the array of microphones with an audio reading having the highest volume;

identifying a direction that the identified microphone is pointed towards;

identifying the direction that the identified microphone is pointed towards as the location of the at least one leak.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

compensating the sample audio readings for each focus point by an associated propagation delay; and

summing and normalizing the sample audio readings by the number of microphones in the array of microphones to determine distance to the at least one leak.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said comparing of the sample audio reading to the baseline audio reading includes determining presence of at least one leak when the sample audio reading differs from the baseline audio reading by a threshold degree, and

wherein said comparing of the sample odor reading to the baseline odor reading includes determining presence of at least one leak when the sample odor reading differs from the baseline odor reading by a threshold degree.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein said odor sensor includes a tunable diode laser absorption spectrometer (TDLAS), and wherein said obtaining of the sample odor reading includes:

tuning the TDLAS to a gas carried in the line;

directing a laser beam from a laser emitter in the TDLAS towards a sensor in the TDLAS;

identifying presence of the gas when a reduction in intensity of the laser beam is detected; and

calculating a concentration of the gas based on the reduction in intensity of the laser beam.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein said odor sensor includes a conducting polymer gas sensor, and wherein said obtaining of the sample odor reading includes:

detecting an increase in electrical resistance in the conducting polymer gas sensor due to expansion of a polymer composite in the conducting polymer gas sensor, the expansion of a polymer composite being caused by exposure of the polymer composite to the gas;

measuring the increase in electrical resistance;

translating the measured increase in electrical resistance into a voltage level change through a circuit in the conducting polymer gas sensor; and

calculating the concentration of the gas based on the voltage level change.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining a sample temperature reading by a thermometer on the mobile detector;

comparing the sample temperature reading to a baseline temperature reading; and

determining presence of at least one leak when the sample temperature reading exceeds the baseline temperature by a threshold level.

12. A method for monitoring and detecting a leak, said method comprising:

transiting along a line by a mobile detector having an audio sensor and an odor sensor;

obtaining a sample audio reading by the audio sensor;

obtaining a sample odor reading by the odor sensor;

obtaining a sample humidity reading by a hygrometer on the mobile detector;

comparing the sample audio reading to a baseline audio reading to determine whether there is at least one leak in the line;

comparing the sample odor reading to a baseline odor reading to determine whether there is at least one leak in the line;

comparing the sample humidity reading to a baseline humidity reading;

determining presence of at least one leak when the sample humidity reading exceeds the baseline humidity reading by a threshold level; and

identifying a location of the mobile detector when the line is determined to have at least one leak.

13. A method for monitoring and detecting a leak, said method comprising:

transiting along a line by a mobile detector having an audio sensor and an odor sensor;

obtaining a sample audio reading by the audio sensor;

obtaining a sample odor reading by the odor sensor;

comparing the sample audio reading to a baseline audio reading to determine whether the line is leaking;

comparing the sample odor reading to a baseline odor reading to determine whether the line is leaking;

identifying a location of the mobile detector by a GPS device on the mobile detector when the line is determined to be leaking;

sending the location of the mobile detector, the sample audio reading, and the sample odor reading to a central monitoring center by a communications device on the mobile detector, the sample audio reading includes a frequency and a duration;

maintaining an electronic database of sample audio readings, sample odor readings, and leak events;

analyzing the electronic database to identify leak trends; and

predicting timing and location of future leaks based on said analyzing the electronic database.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

determining a smell type classification of the sample odor reading; and

sending the smell type classification to the central monitoring center by the communications device on the mobile detector.

15. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

determining leakage flow rates of multiple leaks in the line based on the sample audio reading; and

prioritizing repairs of the multiple leaks based on the determined leakage flow rates.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the audio sensor includes an array of microphones, and wherein said obtaining of the sample audio reading includes:

pointing the microphones in different directions;

obtaining a sample audio reading in each of the microphones;

identifying the volume of each sample audio reading;

identifying a microphone in the array of microphones with an audio reading having the highest volume;

identifying a direction that the identified microphone is pointed towards;

identifying the direction that the identified microphone is pointed towards as the location of a leak.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

compensating the sample audio readings for each focus point by an associated propagation delay; and

summing and normalizing the sample audio readings by the number of microphones in the array of microphones to determine distance to a leak.

18. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

obtaining a sample temperature reading by a thermometer on the mobile detector;

comparing the sample temperature reading to a baseline temperature reading;

obtaining a sample humidity reading by a hygrometer on the mobile detector;

comparing the sample humidity reading to a baseline humidity reading; and

determining presence of a leak when the sample humidity reading exceeds the baseline humidity reading by a threshold level and when the sample temperature reading exceeds the baseline temperature by a threshold level.

19. A computer program product for monitoring and detecting leaks, said computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having stored thereon;

first program instructions executable by a device to cause the device to transit along a line;

second program instructions executable by the device to cause the device to obtain a sample audio reading;

third program instructions executable by the device to cause the device to obtain a sample odor reading;

fourth program instructions executable by the device to cause the device to compare the sample audio reading to a baseline audio reading to determine whether there is a leak in the line;

fifth program instructions executable by the device to cause the device to compare the sample odor reading to a baseline odor reading to determine whether there is a leak in the line;

sixth program instructions executable by the device to cause the device to identify a location of the device when the device determines that there is a leak in the line;

seventh program instructions executable by the device to cause the device to maintain an electronic database of sample audio readings, sample odor readings, and leak events;

eighth program instructions executable by the device to cause the device to analyze the electronic database to identify leak trends;

ninth program instructions executable by the device to cause the device to predict timing and location of future leaks based on analysis of the electronic database; and

tenth program instructions executable by the device to cause the device to send the location of the device to a central monitoring center.