DEVICE FOR CONTAINER LEAKAGE DETECTION AND METHOD FOR THE SAME

• US 20140354426A1
• Filed: 05/30/2013
• Published: 12/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Andrey Luybyanitsky
• Original Assignee: Andrey Luybyanitsky
• Inventors: LUYBYANITSKY, Andrey
• Application Number:
  US13/905,366
• Publication Number:
  US 20140354426A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.26
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/00 Investigating fluid-tightness of structures
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/002 by using thermal means
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/18 for pipes, cables or tubes; for pipe joints or seals; for valves; for welds; for containers, e.g. radiators
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/22 for pipes, cables or tubes; for pipe joints or seals; for valves; for welds; for containers, e.g. radiators
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/20 responsive to moisture
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/10 using wireless transmission systems G08B25/009 takes precedence

Abstract

A mountable device and system for leakage detection and monitoring of various hazardous materials that can be stored and transported in variety of containers, including ones mounted in railroad cars, tank trailers, trucks, and other dedicated vessels. The device includes a sensor array to detect a potential leakage, wireless communication means, processor and the batteries in a single enclosure. The device can be readily mounted and dismounted using a dedicated opening in container'"'"'s valves protection box or its lid and provides communications with a respective wireless sensor network.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring a leakage of a plurality of different hazardous materials, comprising:

a tank, which comprises a valve assembly to load and unload the material;

a valve protection enclosure covering the valve assembly and making it sealed;

the enclosure having an opening for inserting a device for monitoring the leakage of different hazardous materials;

the opening adapted for ease mounting and un-mounting the device;

the device mounted in the opening and making the enclosure with mounted device is sealed;

the device having a leakage sensor positioned inside the tank enclosure in proximity of d valve assembly;

the leakage sensor detecting parameters related to the hazardous materials and outputting a sensor signal;

a positioning unit for the global positioning acquisition and outputting a position signal;

a data transceiver unit, said data transceiver unit having means for wireless communications;

the data transceiver unit transmitting the sensor signal and corresponding position signal wirelessly to a remote location processor;

the processor unit processing the sensor signal to determine if the material parameters are below a predefined threshold.

the data transceiver unit providing a feedback signal to emergency personnel if the material parameters are above the predefined threshold.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the tank is coupled with a railroad car, a tanker truck, or a maritime shipping container, further comprising sending the feedback signal to the tank operator/driver.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor is able to detect multiple parameters of the material.

4. The device of claim 1, where the sensor detecting a plurality of different hazardous materials each representing a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosive threat.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising, a memory unit for recording and storing data.

6. The device of claim 1, a battery unit providing power to the sensors and the data transceiver unit.

7. The device of claim 6, further having an energy-harvesting means that convert the ambient energy into the electrical power that charges the battery, thus reducing the power consumption of the disclosed device.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the ambient energy being a vibration energy, wind energy, or solar energy.

9. The device of claim 1, further having a wake-up system, a wake-up system provides reduced power consumption and provides a stealth feature in which the sensors only respond upon receipt of an appropriate wake-up signal.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor and the position unit operate in pulse regime, when they perform measurements periodically.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the time period between measurements depends on last measured parameter proximity to the predefined threshold;

the periods are shorter if the parameter is close to the threshold.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the tank is moving by a vehicle and the battery is chargeable from a vehicle generator or a vehicle battery.

13. The device of claim 1, further comprising a sealing sensor detecting if the enclosure is sealed, and an alarm system, the alarm system sending an alarm signal to emergency personnel if the enclosure is not sealed.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the wireless communications is satellite communications or terrestrial communication.

15. A method for monitoring transportation and storage of hazardous materials, comprising:

measuring a material parameter by a sensor positioned inside an enclosure covering a valve of a tank for transportation or storage of the hazardous materials;

spotting a tank location by a global positioning unit;

transmitting a sensor signal and a positioning signal to a processing unit at a remote location;

comparing the sensor signal and a predefined threshold at the processing unit, and providing a feedback to emergency personnel if the sensor signal is above the threshold and providing a location of the tank under investigation, wherein

the sensor is positioned in an opening in the enclosure allowing easy replacement of the sensor and providing the sealed enclosure when the sensor is inserted.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising energy-harvesting means that convert the ambient energy into the electrical power that charges the battery, thus reducing the power consumption of the sensors.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the tank is on a Vehicle, further Comprising an alarm signal to a tank operator/driver if the sensor signal is above the predefined threshold.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the alarm signal is transmitted to an operator'"'"'s cellular phone or dedicated monitoring software.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the alarm signal produces a special sound on the operator'"'"'s cellular phone, the sound being different from a usual phone call sound.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the alarm signal produces a visual signal on the vehicle panel, the signal easily seen by the operator/driver.