Positive displacement pump apparatus and methods for detection of leaks in pressurized pipeline systems
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for detecting a leak in a pressurized pipeline system containing a liquid product by measuring the change in flow rate while compensating for thermally-induced volume changes, comprising:
- (a) displacement means for displacing a known volume of product in said pipeline system by adding or removing a known volume of product from said pipeline system;
(b) storage means for storing product removed from or added to said pipeline system;
(c) connection means for connecting said displacement means to said pipeline system such that the pressure within said pipeline system can be held at an approximately constant pressure;
(d) pressure adjustment means for adjusting the pressure within the pipeline system so that the apparatus can be operated at multiple pressures;
(e) pressure regulating means for maintaining approximately constant pressure within the pipeline system at each pressure that the apparatus is operated;
(f) sensing system means for measuring a first volume change at a first approximately constant pressure and for measuring a second volume change at a second approximately constant pressure; and
(g) comparison means for comparing said volume changes at said first and said second pressures, whereby a leak is determined to be present if the difference between said volume changes exceeds a predetermined threshold.
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Abstract
The positive-displacement pump apparatus and method for detection of leaks in pressurized pipelines disclosed herein measures volume changes at different pressures to determine thermally compensated leak rates. The apparatus uses a positive-displacement pump apparatus to precisely determine volume changes.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. An apparatus for detecting a leak in a pressurized pipeline system containing a liquid product by measuring the change in flow rate while compensating for thermally-induced volume changes, comprising:
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(a) displacement means for displacing a known volume of product in said pipeline system by adding or removing a known volume of product from said pipeline system; (b) storage means for storing product removed from or added to said pipeline system; (c) connection means for connecting said displacement means to said pipeline system such that the pressure within said pipeline system can be held at an approximately constant pressure; (d) pressure adjustment means for adjusting the pressure within the pipeline system so that the apparatus can be operated at multiple pressures; (e) pressure regulating means for maintaining approximately constant pressure within the pipeline system at each pressure that the apparatus is operated; (f) sensing system means for measuring a first volume change at a first approximately constant pressure and for measuring a second volume change at a second approximately constant pressure; and (g) comparison means for comparing said volume changes at said first and said second pressures, whereby a leak is determined to be present if the difference between said volume changes exceeds a predetermined threshold. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method for measuring the change in the temperature-compensated flow rate produced by a leak while compensating for thermally induced volume changes in a pressurized pipeline system containing a liquid product, comprising:
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(a) pressurizing said pipeline system to a first pressure and measuring with displacement means those changes in the volume of product in said pipeline that are required to maintain approximately constant pressure over a first measurement period; (b) changing the pressure in said pipeline to a second pressure and measuring with said displacement means those changes in the volume of product in said pipeline that are required to maintain approximately constant pressure over a second measurement period equal in duration to the first measurement period; (c) computing the temperature-compensated change of volume by subtracting the change of volume during the second measurement period from the change of volume during the first measurement period; and (d) computing the rate of change of temperature-compensated volume and dividing by the duration of the first measurement period. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification