Method and apparatus for leak detection and pipeline temperature modelling method and apparatus
First Claim
1. Apparatus for detecting a leak in an elongated fluid conducting pipe, said apparatus comprising at least first and second flowmeter means for measuring an amount of fluid per unit time flowing within said pipe;
- said first and second flowmeter means coupled to said pipe at axially spaced locations with said second flowmeter means being downstream of said first flowmeter means;
measurement means for determining a total amount of fluid flowing through said pipe at each of said locations for equivalent periods of time;
comparison means coupled to said measurement means for comparing the total flow amounts at said first and second locations for said equivalent periods of time and for producing a volume difference value; and
output means operable in response to a predetermined volume difference value from said comparison means, and further comprising means for determining the temperature of fluid at said first and second flowmeter means, and means for correcting the flow amount determined at said second location to compensate said difference value for effects of temperature on the entire pipeline.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus of leak detection for a pipeline. The method includes dividing the pipeline into a plurality of segments, a first site station provided at the beginning of each segment and a second site station provided at the end of each segment, dividing each segment of the pipeline into a plurality of hypothetical pipeline sections, each section having the same nominal volume, measuring the liquid flow into the first section and determining a volume of liquid that has passed the first site station for a defined period, measuring the temperature of the liquid entering the first section at the first site station, measuring the liquid flow out of the last pipeline section of the segment and determining a volume of liquid that has passed the second site station for the defined period, measuring the temperature of the liquid leaving the last section at the second site station, measuring the temperature of the ambient to the pipeline at the first site station or that representative of the topography of the segment, measuring the temperature of the ambient to the pipeline at the second site station or that representative of the topography of the segment, computing the effect of the measured ambient temperatures at the first and second site stations on the sections intermediate the first and second site stations, computing the change in temperature of each section intermediate the first and second site stations due to conversion of kinetic energy into thermal energy and radiation and conduction of energy to or from the section, computing the change in volume of each section of pipeline wall and the change in volume of the liquid in each section based on the computed change in temperature of each section, determining the difference in measured volume between the volumes determined that have passed the first and second site stations for the defined period, correcting the difference in measured volume between the first and second site stations by adding or subtracting the change in the liquid and pipeline wall volume of all sections of the segment during the defined time period, comparing the corrected difference in measured volume between the first and second site stations with a threshold level, and generating an alarm signal if the difference exceeds the threshold level.
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Citations
92 Claims
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1. Apparatus for detecting a leak in an elongated fluid conducting pipe, said apparatus comprising at least first and second flowmeter means for measuring an amount of fluid per unit time flowing within said pipe;
- said first and second flowmeter means coupled to said pipe at axially spaced locations with said second flowmeter means being downstream of said first flowmeter means;
measurement means for determining a total amount of fluid flowing through said pipe at each of said locations for equivalent periods of time;
comparison means coupled to said measurement means for comparing the total flow amounts at said first and second locations for said equivalent periods of time and for producing a volume difference value; and
output means operable in response to a predetermined volume difference value from said comparison means, and further comprising means for determining the temperature of fluid at said first and second flowmeter means, and means for correcting the flow amount determined at said second location to compensate said difference value for effects of temperature on the entire pipeline. - View Dependent Claims (2)
- said first and second flowmeter means coupled to said pipe at axially spaced locations with said second flowmeter means being downstream of said first flowmeter means;
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3. Apparatus for detecting a leak in an elongated fluid conducting pipe, said apparatus comprising at least first and second flowmeter means for measuring an amount of fluid per unit time flowing within said pipe;
- said first and second flowmeter means coupled to said pipe at axially spaced locations with said second flowmeter means being downstream of said first flowmeter means;
measurement means for determining a total amount of fluid flowing through said pipe at each of said locations for equivalent periods of time;
comparison means coupled to said measurement means for comparing the total flow amounts at said first and second locations for said equivalent periods of time and for producing a volume difference value;
output means operable in response to a predetermined volume difference value from said comparison means, and further comprising means for determining the temperature of fluid at said first and second flowmeter means, and further including a plurality of additional flowmeter means disposed along the length of said pipe;
each of said plurality of flowmeter means having outputs which are provided to said measurement means for measuring the total amount of fluid in said pipe at each of said locations for equivalent periods of time;
said comparison means being coupled to said measurement means for comparing the total flow amounts at any two locations for said equivalent periods of time and for producing a volume difference value, and said output means being operable in response to exceeding a predetermined volume difference value from any two locations from said comparison means. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
- said first and second flowmeter means coupled to said pipe at axially spaced locations with said second flowmeter means being downstream of said first flowmeter means;
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12. A method for detecting a leak in an elongated fluid conducting pipe, said method comprising measuring an amount of flow of fluid per unit time flowing within said pipe at axially spaced locations with a second location being downstream of a first location;
- determining the total flow amount of said fluid in said pipe at each of said locations for equivalent periods of time;
comparing the total flow amounts at said first and second locations for said equivalent periods of time and producing a volume difference value; and
generating an output in response to a predetermined volume difference value; and
further comprising measuring the temperature of fluid at said first and second locations and correcting the flow amount determined at the second location to compensate said volume difference value for effects of temperature on the entire pipeline. - View Dependent Claims (13)
- determining the total flow amount of said fluid in said pipe at each of said locations for equivalent periods of time;
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14. A method for detecting a leak in an elongated fluid conducting pipe, said method comprising measuring an amount of flow of fluid per unit time flowing within said pipe at axially spaced locations with a second location being downstream of a first location;
- determining the total flow amount of said fluid in said pipe at each of said locations for equivalent periods of time;
comparing the total flow amounts at said first and second locations for said equivalent periods of time and producing a volume difference value;
generating an output in response to a predetermined volume difference value; and
further including providing a plurality of additional locations along the length of said pipe;
measuring the amount of said fluid flow per unit time in said pipe at each of said locations;
determining the total flow amounts at each of said locations for equivalent periods of time;
comparing the flow amounts at said first and second locations for said equivalent periods of time and producing a volume difference value; and
providing an output in response to exceeding a predetermined volume difference value. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
- determining the total flow amount of said fluid in said pipe at each of said locations for equivalent periods of time;
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23. A method of leak detection for a pipeline, comprising the steps of:
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dividing the pipeline into a plurality of segments, a first site station provided at the beginning of each segment and a second site station provided at the end of each segment; dividing each segment of the pipeline into a plurality of hypothetical pipeline sections, each section having the same nominal volume; measuring the liquid flow into the first section and determining a volume of liquid that has passed the first site station for a defined period; measuring the temperature of the liquid entering the first section at the first site station; measuring the liquid flow out of the last pipeline section of the segment and determining a volume of liquid that has passed the second site station for the defined period; measuring the temperature of the liquid leaving the last section at the second site station; measuring the temperature of the ambient to the pipeline at the first site station or that representative of the topography of the segment; measuring the temperature of the ambient to the pipeline at the second site station or that representative of the topography of the segment; computing the effect of the measured ambient temperatures at the first and second site stations on the sections intermediate the first and second site stations; computing the change in temperature of each section intermediate the first and second site stations due to conversion of kinetic energy into thermal energy and radiation and conduction of energy to or from the section; computing the change in volume of each section of pipeline wall and the change in volume of the liquid in each section based on the computed change in temperature of each section; determining the difference in measured volume between the volumes determined that have passed the first and second site stations for the defined period; correcting the difference in measured volume between the first and second site stations by adding or subtracting the change in the liquid and pipeline wall volume of all sections of the segment during the defined time period; comparing the corrected difference in measured volume between the first and second site stations with a threshold level; and generating an alarm signal if the difference exceeds said threshold level. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
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59. Leak detection apparatus for a pipeline, comprising:
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means dividing the pipeline into a plurality of segments, said dividing means comprising a first site station provided at the beginning of each segment and a second site station provided at the end of each segment; each segment of the pipeline being divided into a plurality of hypothetical pipeline sections, each section having the same nominal volume; means for measuring the liquid flow into the first section and for determining a volume of liquid that has passed the first site station for a defined period; means for measuring the temperature of the liquid entering the first section at the first site station; means for measuring the liquid flow out of the last pipeline section of the segment and for determining a volume of liquid that has passed the second site station for the defined period; means for measuring the temperature of the liquid leaving the last section at the second site station; means for measuring the temperature of the ambient to the pipeline at the first site station or that representative of the topography of the segment; means for measuring the temperature of the ambient to the pipeline at the second site station or that representative of the topography of the segment; means for computing the effect of the measured ambient temperatures at the first and second site stations on each of the sections intermediate the first and second site stations; means for computing the change in temperature of each section intermediate the first and second site stations due to conversion of kinetic energy into thermal energy and radiation and conduction of energy to or from the section; means for computing the change in volume of each section of pipeline wall and the change in volume of the liquid in each section based on the computed change in temperature of each section; means for determining the difference in measured volume between the volumes determined that have passed the first and second site stations for the defined period; means for correcting the difference in measured volume between the first and second site stations by adding or subtracting the change in the liquid and pipeline wall volume of all sections of the segment during the defined time period; means for comparing the corrected difference in volume between the first and second site stations with a threshold level; and means for generating an alarm signal if the difference exceeds said threshold level. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92)
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Specification