Apparatus for estimating locality of leaking spot in pipeline

• US 4,306,446 A
• Filed: 03/13/1980
• Issued: 12/22/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Agency of Industrial Science & Technology (Government of Japan)
• Original Assignee: Agency of Industrial Science & Technology (Government of Japan)
• Inventors: Fukuda, Toshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Goldberg, Gerald
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROSKOS, JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US06/129,842
• Time in Patent Office: 649 Days
• Field of Search: 73/40.5 R
• US Class Current: 73/40.50R
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/2815 using pressure measurements

Abstract

An apparatus for estimating the locality of a leaking spot in a pipeline which conveys a fluid, the apparatus comprising: a pair of detectors located on the pipeline at positions spaced from each other by a certain distance l and adapted to detect pressures P₁ and P₂ and pressure gradients ∂P₁ /∂x and ∂P₂ /∂x at the respective positions; and an operating unit adapted to calculate the locality of a leaking spot on the basis of the pressure gradients ∂P₁ /∂x and ∂P₂ /∂x and mean pressures P₁ and P₂ as obtained by memory-holding the pressures P₁ and P₂, by an operation of ##EQU1## wherein ##EQU2## E: estimated value x: distance from upstream detector to leaking spot

n: pressure drop index number (n=1 for liquid, n=2 for isothermal gas and 1<n<2 for gas-liquid mixture which is determined experimentally depending upon the gas-liquid mixture ratio).

Claims

1. An apparatus for estimating the locality of a leaking spot in a pipeline which conveys a fluid, said apparatus comprising:

a pair of detectors located on said pipeline at positions spaced from each other by a given length l and adapted to detect pressures P₁ and P₂ and pressure gradients ∂

P₁ /∂

x and ∂

P₂ /∂

x; and

an operating unit adapted to calculate the locality of a leaking spot on the basis of said pressure gradients ∂

P₁ /∂

x and ∂

P₂ /∂

x and mean pressures P₁ and P₂ as obtained by memory-holding said pressures P₁ and P₂, respectively, by an operation of ##EQU15## wherein ##EQU16## E;

estimated value x;

distance from upstream detector to leaking spot

n;

pressure drop index number (n=1 for liquid, n=2 for isothermal gas and 1<

n<

2 for gas-liquid mixture which is determined experimentally depending upon the gas-liquid mixture ratio).