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Detecting seal leaks in installed valves

  • US 6,289,723 B1
  • Filed: 02/29/2000
  • Issued: 09/18/2001
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/04/1999
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for use with a fluid transport system, the system having an upstream pipe, a downstream pipe and a valve connected between the upstream pipe and the downstream pipe for controlling fluid flow through the system, the valve having at east one upstream seal, at least one downstream seal and an inner cavity effectively isolated by the seats from the fluid flow stream the apparatus for detecting the presence of a leak in at least one of the seals and for determining the magnitude of a detected leak, tile apparatus comprising:

  • a mechanism for generating random pressure pulses which appear in the inner cavity;

    a first sensor for detecting the onset of each pressure pulse which exceeds a predetermined magnitude and for generating a trigger signal for each such detected pressure pulse;

    a second sensor in fluid communication with the inner cavity for sensing pressure pulses within the inner cavity and for generating a representative second signal as a function of time for each such sensed pressure pulse;

    a third sensor in fluid communication with the fluid flow stream, the third sensor being located at one of (1) a predetermined distance upstream of the upstream seal and (2) a predetermined distance downstream of the downstream seal, the third sensor for sensing pressure pulses and for generating a representative third signal as a function of time for each such sensed pressure pulse;

    analysis circuitry for receiving the trigger signals and the second and third sigeals, for sampling the second and third signals at predetermined times following the receipt of a trigger signal, for synchronously averaging each of the sampled signals over multiple records to produce synchronously averaged waveforms, and for using the two resulting synchronous averaged waveforms to determine the existence and the magnitude of a seal leak in at least one of the seals.

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