System for Obtaining Information Related to Pipes, and Related Method

• US 20110036148A1
• Filed: 04/17/2009
• Published: 02/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Soletanche Freyssinet (VINCI SA)
• Original Assignee: Soletanche Freyssinet (VINCI SA)
• Inventors: Basile, Bernard, Hovhanessian, Gilles, Stubler, Jerome
• Granted Patent: US 8,307,725 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/40.5R
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/005 using pigs or moles G01M3/246, G01M3/2823 take precedence

Abstract

The invention proposes a system for obtaining information relating to a pipe (4) conveying a flow of fluid (28), and/or relating to the fluid. This system comprises a module (1;30) comprising means (10) of acquiring data, subsequent analysis of which makes it possible to obtain information relating to the pipe and/or the fluid, and means (11) of storing the data which said data acquisition means acquire, the self-contained module being arranged to be pushed by the fluid flow after being introduced into the pipe. It also comprises a mechanical link (2) which is connected to the self-contained module and accessible from outside the pipe.

Claims

1. A system for obtaining information relating to a pipe conveying a flow of fluid, and/or relating to the fluid, the system comprising:

a module which is self-contained in terms of data storing and energy supply, comprising means of acquiring data, subsequent analysis of which makes it possible to obtain information relating to the pipe and/or the fluid, and means of storing the data which said data acquisition means acquire, the self-contained module being arranged to be pushed by the fluid flow after being introduced into the pipe, and

a mechanical link which is connected to the self-contained module and accessible from outside the pipe, said mechanical link having no properties for transmitting the data which the self-contained module acquires to outside the pipe, and having no properties for supplying energy to the self-contained module from outside the pipe.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the self-contained module includes means of transmitting and/or receiving signals.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the self-contained module includes means of measuring the tensile stress between the self-contained module and the mechanical link.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the self-contained module includes means of detecting position relative to at least one internal wall of the pipe.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the self-contained module includes means of movement in the direction of the height and/or width of the pipe.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the self-contained module includes at least one of:

an inertial unit, means of measuring pressure, means of measuring speed and a magnetometer.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the self-contained module includes an internal clock, which is synchronised with an external clock outside the pipe and used as a time reference.

8. The system according to claim 1, preceding claims, wherein the self-contained module is arranged so that after it is introduced into the pipe, the fluid flow offers it variable resistance as a function of its speed relative to the fluid.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the self-contained module includes an on board current generation system, e.g. a rechargeable battery.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the mechanical link is equipped with means so that when it is inside the pipe, the fluid flow offers it variable resistance as a function of its speed relative to the fluid.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the length of the mechanical link is of the order of ten kilometres.

12. The system according to claim 1, also including means of pushing the mechanical link into the pipe, arranged to overcome the stresses resulting from friction of the mechanical link inside the pipe.

13. The system according to claim 1, including means of measuring the length of the mechanical link which is introduced into the pipe as the self-contained module is pushed by the fluid flow, and/or means of measuring the length of the mechanical link which is extracted from the pipe by traction.

16. The system according to claim 9, wherein the on board current generation system is a rechargeable battery.

14. A method of obtaining information relating to a pipe conveying a fluid flow, and/or relating to the fluid, the method including the following steps:

introducing into the pipe a module which is self-contained in terms of data storing and energy supply, comprising means of acquiring data, subsequent analysis of which makes it possible to obtain information relating to the pipe and/or the fluid, and means of storing the data which said data acquisition means acquire, a mechanical link which is accessible from outside the pipe being connected to the self-contained module, said mechanical link having no properties for transmitting the data which the self-contained module acquires to outside the pipe, and having no properties for supplying energy to the self-contained module from outside the pipe; and

acquiring the data using said data acquisition means and storing said data using said storing means, while the self-contained module is pushed by the fluid flow.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the information which is obtained about the pipe relates to detection of a leak in said pipe, and/or characteristics of said pipe.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the characteristics of said pipe include at least one of diameter, ovality, internal fouling, internal furring, discontinuity of an internal surface of said pipe, coherence of surrounding ground, opening of joints, profile in plan and/or elevation, the presence of a magnetic element, internal pressure, and speed of fluid flow within said pipe.