PIPELINE MONITORING SYSTEM

• US 3,711,689 A
• Filed: 08/16/1971
• Issued: 01/16/1973
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/1971
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: James E. Park
• Original Assignee: James E. Park
• Inventors: Park, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Morrison, Malcolm A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dildine, Jr., R. Stephen
• Application Number:
  US05/171,859
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• Field of Search: 73/3,4.5R,196 137/551 235/151.34
• US Class Current: 702/46
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/00 Measuring the volume flow or mass flow of fluid or fluent solid material wherein the fluid passes through a meter in a continuous flow measuring a proportion of the volume flow G01F5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/0755 involving digital counting
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/2807 for pipes G01M3/2892, G01M3/30 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8158 With indicator, register, recorder, alarm or inspection means

Abstract

There is disclosed herein an electronic monitoring system for pipelines and the like utilizing counting techniques for determining the difference between fluid volume supplied into a pipeline and the fluid volume removed from the pipeline. An error factor is employed and, based upon the volume difference, provides compensation for normal difference between the input and output volume measuring devices. This error factor then compensates for the normal difference between input and output volume. Abnormal deviations can then be detected to determine fluid leaks and the like for actuating alarm and control circuits for providing an alarm and/or terminating fluid flow in the pipeline system. There is also disclosed herein the manner in which the present electronic system can be utilized for monitoring a pipeline system with multiple input meters or outputs meters. There is also disclosed herein methods for precisely determining the normal difference between input and output meters.

Claims

1. A pipeline monitoring system for monitoring the flow of fluid into and out of a pipeline having coupled with the pipeline in spaced apart relationship an input meter and an output meter for measuring flow volume, comprising first pulse generator means coupled with an input meter for providing first output pulses representing units of flow volume, second pulse generator means coupled with an output meter for providing second output pulses indicative of units of flow volume, preset counter means for counting said first output pulses from said first generator means and providing an output signal upon receipt of a predetermined number of said pulses from said first generator means, said predetermined number being representative of an error value, bidirectional counting means having inputs for receiving signals indicative of the number of first and second pulses signals from said first and second generator means, and means to algebraically sum the output of said preset counter means at one of said inputs of said bidirectional counter means.

2. A system as in claim 1 wherein said means for algebraically summing selectively adds the output of said preset counter with the input of said bidirectional counter indicative of output meter volume units from said second generator means or with the input of said bidirectional counter indicative of input volume units from said first generator means as a result of respective loss or gain of a volume unit difference over a period of time as indicated by the output pulses of said first and second generator means.

3. A system as in claim 1 including a plurality of input meters coupled with said pipeline and a plurality of first pulse generator means respectively coupled therewith, and sampling means for selectively sampling the outputs of the respective first generator means.

4. A system as in claim 1 including a plurality of output meters coupled with said pipeline and a plurality of second pulse generator means respectively coupled therewith, and sampling means for selectively sampling the outputs of the respective second generator means.

5. A system as in claim 1 including a plurality of input and output meters coupled with said pipeline and a plurality of first and second pulse generator means respectively coupled therewith, and sampling means coupled with said pulse generator means for selectively sampling the outputs thereof.

6. A system as in claim 1 including output means coupled with said bidirectional counter means for providing an output signal upon the occurence of a predetermined difference in count accumulation by said bidirectional counter means.

7. A system as in claim 1 inclUding pulse storage means coupled with the outputs of said first and second pulse generators and said preset counter means, and having first and second outputs, and means coupling said first and second outputs of said pulse storage means with said bidirectional counter means.

8. A system as in claim 7 wherein said coupling means comprises shift register means having a pair of inputs for receiving the outputs from said pulse storage means, and having a pair of outputs coupled with the inputs of said bidirectional counting means, said means to algebraically sum being coupled to receive signals indicative of the output of said preset counter means, and being coupled with the inputs of said shift register means.

9. A system as in claim 7 including error determining means coupled to control the operation of said preset counter means and being responsive to said bidirectional counting means.

10. A system as in claim 1 wherein the output signal of said preset counter means is coupled with pulse storage means, and an output of said pulse storage means is coupled as an input to said means to algebraically sum.

11. A pipeline monitoring system for monitoring a flow condition of a pipeline comprising local meter means and remote meter means coupled with said pipeline for metering flow therein, each of said meter means providing a plurality of output pulses representing units of flow volume, storage means coupled with said meter means for receiving pulses therefrom and providing first and second output signals, bidirectional counter means coupled with said storage means for receiving said first and second signals, and counter and error selector means responsive to one of said meter means for providing an error signal selectively addable with the first or second signals applied to said bidirectional counter means.

12. A method of monitoring a flow condition of a pipeline for detecting abnormal conditions such as a fluid leak and the like, comprising the steps of measuring the volume units of fluid into the pipeline at a first location and providing a plurality of electrical pulses related to said volume units, measuring the volume units of fluid output from the pipeline at a second location and providing a second plurality of pulses representing said latter volume units, applying said first and second pulses to means for detecting a difference therein, and selectively algebraically adding an error factor with said first or second pulses, said error factor being in the form of an electrical signal representing a normal deviation between input and output volume units as distinguished from an abnormal deviation as a pipeline fluid leak and the like.

13. A method as in claim 12 wherein said error factor is selectively added with said first pulses where said second pulses exceed said first pulses in number during the application of a given number of volume units applied to said pipeline.

14. A method as in claim 12 wherein said error factor is added with said second pulses where said first pulses exceed said second pulses in number during the application of a given number of volume units applied to said pipeline.

15. A method as in claim 12 including the step of providing an alarm when the difference between said first and second pulses after the algebraic summation of said error factor exceeds a predetermined value.

16. A method of determining an error factor for a pipeline monitoring system including input meter means for measuring the volume units applied to the pipeline and providing first pulses representative thereof and second meter means for measuring the volume units of fluid removed from the pipeline and providing second signals representative thereof, comprising the steps of applying said first and second pulses to inputs of bidirectional counter means, enabling predetermining counter means to count said first pulses upon a first predetermined change in state of said bidirectional counter means, disabling said predetermining counter means upon a successive second predetermined change of state of said bidirectional counter means, and sensing the contents of said predetermining counter means totaled between said first and second changes of state of said bidirectional counter means for use as said error factor.

17. A method as in claim 16 for determining a combined factor for said second meter means wherein the combined factor for said input meter means is known, comprising the steps of totaling said first pulses and totaling said second pulses, and deriving a correction factor by dividing one total by the other, and multiplying said correction factor by said combined factor for said input meter means to obtain a combined factor for said second meter means.

18. A method for use in a pipeline monitoring system, including first meter means for measuring the volume units applied to the pipeline and providing first pulses representabive thereof and second meter means for measuring the volume units removed from the pipeline and providing second signals representative thereof, of obtaining a combined meter factor for said second meter means comprising the steps of totaling a predetermined number of said second pulses, and totaling said first pulses during totaling of said second pulses, dividing said first total by said second total, and multiplying the result of said division by the combined factor for said first meter means to obtain a combined meter factor for said second meter means.