SENSOR AND TRANSMITTER SYSTEM FOR COMMUNICATION IN PIPELINES

• US 20110247416A1
• Filed: 06/21/2011
• Published: 10/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: Lawrence Livermore National Security LLC (Government of the United States of America)
• Inventors: Burnham, Alan K., Cooper, John F.
• Granted Patent: US 8,362,919 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/587
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 13/00 Transmission systems characterised by the medium used for transmission, not provided for in groups H04B3/00 - H04B11/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/11 Automated chemical analysis
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/117497 with a continuously flowing sample or carrier stream
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/193333 In aqueous solution

Abstract

A system for sensing and communicating in a pipeline that contains a fluid. An acoustic signal containing information about a property of the fluid is produced in the pipeline. The signal is transmitted through the pipeline. The signal is received with the information and used by a control.

Claims

1. An apparatus for sensing and communicating in a pipeline containing a fluid wherein the fluid is water, oil, gas, an aqueous solution, or a chemical mixture, comprising:

a sensor connected to the pipeline that senses at least one property of the fluid and produces in the pipeline a signal related to said property, said property comprising a biological property or a chemical property or a temperature property or a density property or a thermal conductivity property or a heat capacity property or an electrical resistivity property or a sound property or a speed property or a viscosity property or an optical property or a magnetic property or an absorbance-on-a-surface property,

a receiver connected to the pipeline for receiving said signal related to said property,

a control connected to said pipeline, said control producing an output function, and

a system for transmission of said signal related to said property from said receiver to said control.

2. The apparatus for sensing and communicating in a pipeline containing a fluid of claim 1 wherein said chemical property is specific molecular composition or specific ion concentration or oxidation potential.

3. The apparatus for sensing and communicating in a pipeline of claim 1 including the step of sensing elemental chlorine or oxidative oxy-halogen compounds or ozone or oxygen or peroxydisulfate or strong reducing agents or hyposulfite or thiosulfate or sulfide or H₂S or cyanide or selenium or lead sensor or mercury or arsenic or nerve agents or blistering or Lewisite or G-agents or phosgene or gas or actinides or radioactive isotopes or radioactive iodine or radioactive cesium or radioactive strontium sensor or thorium or radioactive cobalt or radioactive thorium in the fluid.

4. The apparatus for sensing and communicating in a pipeline containing a fluid of claim 1 wherein said optical property is absorbance or attenuation or polarization rotation or light scattering or turbidity.

5. The apparatus for sensing and communicating in a pipeline containing a fluid of claim 1 wherein said magnetic property is magnetic susceptibility or magnetic moment relaxation or nuclear magnetic resonance.

6. The apparatus for sensing and communicating in a pipeline containing a fluid of claim 1 wherein said surface absorption property is measured by changes in resistance of a polymer or changes in a surface acoustic wave or changes in an evanescent light wave property or bending of a cantilever or changes in a cantilever vibrational property or changes in an optical reflection property.

7. The apparatus for communication in a pipeline containing a fluid of claim 1 wherein said control unit is a central control unit and wherein said sensor provides ultrasonic communication to communicate to said receiver.

8. The apparatus for communication in a pipeline containing a fluid of claim 1 wherein said sensor produces an ultrasonic signal in the pipeline.

9. The apparatus for communication in a pipeline containing a fluid of claim 1 wherein said sensor is an acoustic signal generator.

10. The apparatus for communication in a pipeline containing a fluid of claim 1 wherein said sensor is an acoustic signal generator that is a pinger.

11. The apparatus for communication in a pipeline containing a fluid of claim 1 wherein said sensor is an acoustic signal generator that is a digital pulse generator.

12. The apparatus for communication in a pipeline containing a fluid of claim 1 wherein said sensor is an acoustic signal generator that is a binary pulse generator.

13. The apparatus for communication in a pipeline containing a fluid of claim 1 wherein said sensor is an acoustic signal generator that is an octal pulse generator.

14. The apparatus for communication in a pipeline containing a fluid of claim 1 wherein said sensor is an acoustic signal generator that is amplitude modulated.

15. The apparatus for communication in a pipeline containing a fluid of claim 1 wherein said sensor is an acoustic signal generator that is frequency modulated.

16. The apparatus for communication in a pipeline containing a fluid of claim 1 wherein said sensor produces acoustic pulses and numerical value of information transmitted is related to the time between said acoustic pulses.

17. The apparatus for communication in a pipeline containing a fluid of claim 1 wherein said sensor is introduced into the pipe by a robot.

18. The apparatus for communication in a pipeline containing a fluid of claim 1 wherein said sensor is introduced into the pipe by a robot and fixed to the inside of the pipe by a mechanical fastener installed by said robot.

19. The apparatus for communication in a pipeline containing a fluid of claim 1 wherein said sensor is introduced into the pipe by a robot and fixed to the inside of the pipe by an adhesive material installed by said robot.

20. The apparatus for communication in a pipeline containing a fluid of claim 1 wherein said sensor is introduced into the pipe through a threaded hole in the pipe.

21. The apparatus for communication in a pipeline containing a fluid of claim 1 wherein said sensor is introduced into the pipe through a fire hydrant.

22. The apparatus for communication in a pipeline containing a fluid of claim 1 wherein said sensor is introduced into the pipe through a fire hydrant with a tether comprised of a flattened tape of metal, a steel cable, or a polymer cable.

23. The apparatus for communication in a pipeline containing a fluid of claim 1 wherein said sensor produces acoustic pulses and numerical value of information transmitted is related to the time between said acoustic pulses.

24. A method of sensing and communicating in a pipeline containing fluid, comprising the steps of:

sensing information about at least one property of the fluid, said at least one property comprising a biological property or a chemical property or a temperature property or a density property or a thermal conductivity property or a heat capacity property or an electrical resistivity property or a sound property or a speed property or a viscosity property or an optical property or a magnetic property,

producing an acoustic signal in the pipeline containing said information,

transmitting said information through the pipeline,

receiving said information from the pipeline,

taking action based upon said information.

25. The method of sensing and communicating in a pipeline of claim 24 wherein the fluid is water, oil, gas, an aqueous solution, or a chemical mixture.

26. The method of sensing and communicating in a pipeline of claim 24 wherein said step of producing an acoustic signal produces an ultrasonic signal in the pipeline.

27. The method of sensing and communicating in a pipeline of claim 24 wherein said step of producing an acoustic signal produces is produced by an acoustic signal generator.

29. The method of sensing and communicating in a pipeline of claim 24 wherein said step of producing an acoustic signal produced by a pinger.

30. The method of sensing and communicating in a pipeline of claim 24 wherein said step of producing an acoustic signal produces is produced by a digital pulse generator.

31. The method of sensing and communicating in a pipeline of claim 24 wherein said step of producing an acoustic signal produces is produced by a binary pulse generator.

32. The method of sensing and communicating in a pipeline of claim 24 wherein said step of producing an acoustic signal produces is produced by an acoustic signal generator that is an octal pulse generator.

33. The method of sensing and communicating in a pipeline of claim 24 wherein said step of producing an acoustic signal produces is produced by an acoustic signal generator that is amplitude modulated.

34. The method of sensing and communicating in a pipeline of claim 24 wherein said step of producing an acoustic signal produces is produced by an acoustic signal generator that is frequency modulated.

35. The method of sensing and communicating in a pipeline of claim 24 wherein said step of sensing information produces acoustic pulses and numerical value of information transmitted and said acoustic pulses and numerical value of information is related to the time between said acoustic pulses.

36. The method of sensing and communicating in a pipeline of claim 24 including the step of sensing chemical properties of the fluid.

37. The method of sensing and communicating in a pipeline of claim 24 including the step of sensing biochemicals or sporulated bacteria or viral organisms or microbial organisms in the fluid.

38. The method of sensing and communicating in a pipeline of claim 24 including the step of sensing elemental chlorine or oxidative oxy-halogen compounds or ozone or oxygen or peroxydisulfate or strong reducing agents or hyposulfite or thiosulfate or sulfide or H₂S or cyanide or selenium or lead sensor or mercury or arsenic or nerve agents or blistering or Lewisite or G-agents or phosgene or gas or actinides or radioactive isotopes or radioactive iodine or radioactive cesium or radioactive strontium sensor or thorium or radioactive cobalt or radioactive thorium in the fluid.

39. The method of sensing and communicating in a pipeline of claim 24 wherein said optical property is absorbance or attenuation or polarization rotation or light scattering or turbidity.

40. The method of sensing and communicating in a pipeline of claim 24 wherein said magnetic property is magnetic susceptibility or magnetic moment relaxation or magnetic resonance.

41. The method of sensing and communicating in a pipeline of claim 24 wherein said surface absorption property is measured by changes in resistance of a polymer or changes in a surface acoustic wave or changes in an evanescent light wave property or bending of a cantilever or changes in a cantilever vibrational property or changes in an optical reflection property.

42. The method of sensing and communicating in a pipeline of claim 24 including the step of introduced a sensor into the pipe through a fire hydrant.

43. The method of sensing and communicating in a pipeline of claim 24 including the step of introduced a sensor into the pipe through a fire hydrant with a tether comprised of a flattened tape of metal, a steel cable, or a polymer cable.