Application of sonic signals to detect buried, underground utilities

• US 6,690,617 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2001
• Issued: 02/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gas Technology Institute
• Original Assignee: Gas Research Institute (GTI Energy)
• Inventors: Cribbs, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pihulic, Daniel T.
• Application Number:
  US09/904,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20020172093A1
• Time in Patent Office: 943 Days
• Field of Search: 367/103, 367/11, 367/7, 367/99, 736/02, 735/94, 735/98
• US Class Current: 367/99
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/04 Systems determining presence of a target
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/88 Sonar systems specially adapted for specific applications seismic or acoustic prospecting or detecting G01V1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: G01V 1/003 Seismic data acquisition in general, e.g. survey design G01V1/3808, G01V1/42 take precedence

Abstract

An apparatus and method for detecting utilities buried in the ground wherein an array of sonic receivers are arranged in rows and ranks against the ground and a corresponding array of sonic transmitters are arranged relative to the array of sonic receivers so that a distance between each sonic transmitter and each adjacent sonic receiver is the same. Echoes generated by the apparatus may then be normalized, averaged and compared to the original echoes to develop a profile of the buried utility.

Claims

1. A device for detecting utilities buried in the ground comprising:

an array of a plurality of sonic transmitters generating a transmitted signal and a plurality of sonic receivers spaced apart from said sonic transmitters positioned against the ground, each said sonic receiver associated with a corresponding said sonic transmitter;

an actuator for actuating the transmitted signal;

an amplifier for amplifying echoes generated by the transmitted signal;

a processor for processing the echoes generated by the transmitted signal into echo patterns; and

a display for displaying the echo patterns.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the array is arranged in a matrix pattern.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the array is a one-dimensional array.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the sonic transmitters and sonic receivers are spaced apart from each other by less than one wavelength.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the each said sonic transmitter and its associated sonic receiver constitute a transmitter/receiver pair, each said transmitter/receiver pair spaced apart an equal distance from each other transmitter/receiver pair.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein a distance between each said transmitter/receiver pair is less than a depth of the utility buried in the ground.

7. A method for detecting utilities buried in the ground comprising:

positioning an array of sonic receivers arranged in rows and ranks against the ground; and

positioning a corresponding array of separate sonic transmitters against the ground and relative to the array of sonic receivers so that a distance between each adjacent sonic receiver of the array of sonic receivers and each sonic transmitter of the array of sonic transmitters is equal.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

sending a sonic signal into the ground using the array of sonic transmitters;

processing a return signal created by an echo of the sonic signal to determine a location of the utility.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

normalizing the echo received by each sonic receiver of the array of sonic receivers;

determining an average of the normalized echoes received by each sonic receiver; and

comparing the average of the normalized echoes to the return signal to eliminate distortion created by imperfections in the ground.

10. A device for detecting utilities buried in the ground comprising:

an array of sonic receivers arranged in rows and ranks and positioned against the ground; and

a corresponding array of separate sonic transmitters positioned against the ground and connected with respect to and interposed within the array of sonic receivers, each sonic transmitter of the corresponding array of sonic transmitters positioned equidistant from each directly adjacent sonic receiver of the array of sonic receivers.

11. The device of claim 10 further comprising:

a signal generator for producing a signal based upon an echo pattern between the array of sonic receivers and the corresponding array of sonic transmitters.

12. The device of claim 10 further comprising:

one or more switches for providing a selectable on/off condition for at least one sonic transmitter of the corresponding array of sonic transmitters.

13. The device of claim 10 wherein each sonic transmitter is positioned at a distance from each directly adjacent sonic receiver less than a depth of the utility buried in the ground.

14. The device of claim 10 further comprising:

an amplifier for amplifying echoes generated by the array of sonic transmitters;

a processor for processing the echoes into echo patterns; and

a display for displaying echo patterns.

15. A device for detecting a utility buried in soil comprising:

a linear array of sonic transmitters positioned against the ground;

a corresponding linear array of sonic receivers positioned against the ground and connected with respect to the linear array of sonic transmitters, each sonic receiver of the corresponding linear array of sonic receivers positioned a distance from each sonic transmitter of the linear array of sonic transmitters, the distance between each corresponding sonic receiver and sonic transmitter being equal.

16. The device of claim 15 further comprising:

a signal generator for producing a signal based upon an echo pattern between the array of sonic receivers and the corresponding array of sonic transmitters.

17. The device of claim 15 wherein the distance is less than a depth of the utility buried in the ground.

18. The device of claim 15 further comprising:

an amplifier for amplifying echoes generated by the linear array of sonic transmitters;

a processor for processing the echoes into echo patterns; and

a display for displaying echo patterns.

19. A method or detecting a utility buried in soil comprising:

sending a sonic signal into the soil using an array of a plurality of sonic transmitters;

processing a return signal received by a plurality of sonic receivers spaced apart from said sonic transmitters, where each said sonic transmitter is associated with a corresponding said sonic eceiver to determine a location of the utility.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

establishing an x, y and z grid with the array; and

recording the x-y position o each transmitting element and each recording element.