Methods and Apparatus for Determining the Position of an Obstruction in a Passage
First Claim
1. A method of determining the position of a blockage (192,392) in a passage (15,313) having a first end and a second end, said method comprising blowing a sealing device (200) into said passage to form a seal adjacent said blockage (192,392), then blowing a gas into said passage from said first end, making at least one measurement concerning said gas blown into said passage from said first end and determining a distance D between said first end and said sealing device using said at least one measurement.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method of determining the position of a blockage (192, 392) in a passage (15, 313) having a first end and a second end. The method comprises blowing a sealing device (200) into the passage to form a seal adjacent the blockage (192, 392), then blowing a gas into the passage from the first end, making at least one measurement concerning the gas blown into the passage from the first end and determining a distance D between the first end and the sealing device using the at least one measurement.
-
Citations
22 Claims
- 1. A method of determining the position of a blockage (192,392) in a passage (15,313) having a first end and a second end, said method comprising blowing a sealing device (200) into said passage to form a seal adjacent said blockage (192,392), then blowing a gas into said passage from said first end, making at least one measurement concerning said gas blown into said passage from said first end and determining a distance D between said first end and said sealing device using said at least one measurement.
-
21. A method of determining the position of a blockage (192) in a passage (15) having a first end and a second end, the method comprising:
-
providing sealing adjacent said blockage by blowing a sealing device (200) along said passage;
connecting a pressure reservoir (32,132) having a known volume V1 with the first end (38) of the passage;
releasing a gas at a known pressure P1 from said pressure reservoir (32,132) into said passage;
determining a pressure P2 of the gas that is in a portion of said passage (15) between said first end and said sealing after said release of gas;
determining the volume V2 of said portion of said passage by reference to said known volume V1, known pressure P1 and determined pressure P2; and
determining a length at least representative of a distance D between said first end and said sealing by reference to said determined volume V2 and a diameter of said passage.
-
-
22. A method of determining the position of a blockage (392) in a passage (313) having a first end and a second end, the method comprising:
-
providing sealing (200) said blockage by blowing a sealing device (200) along the passage;
connecting a compressor with said first end of the passage;
supplying a gas at a substantially constant pressure P1 and substantially constant flowrate Vf from said compressor into said passage until a predetermined pressure P2 exists in said passage between said first end and said sealing;
determining the time period tf during which said gas was supplied into said passage;
determining a volume Vd indicative of a volume defined by said passage between said first end and said sealing by determining a pumped gas volume V1 by multiplying said flowrate Vf by said time period tf and the relationship and determining a distance D at least representative of the distance between said first end and said sealing by reference to said volume Vd and a diameter of said passage.
-
Specification