Conduit network system

• US 6,778,100 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2003
• Issued: 08/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Automatika, Inc. (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Automatika, Inc. (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Schempf, Hagan
• Primary Examiner(s): EDWARDS JR, TIMOTHY
• Application Number:
  US10/383,114
• Publication Number:
  US 20030167919A1
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: 340/870.07, 340/870.11, 738/612.3, 73/11.6, 73/13.5, 73/14, 738/617.7, 137/825
• US Class Current: 340/870.07
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 3/01 for controlling, signalling, or supervising the conveyance of a product

Abstract

A conduit network system includes at least one, and typically multiple, node elements in communication with an inner area of a conduit, which is used to transfer material therein. The node element can receive, process and communicate data signals that are representative of user-desired information. A system control mechanism is in communication with the node elements and receives the data signals from these node elements. A method for communicating data in a conduit system is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A conduit network system, comprising:

a plurality of spaced node elements in communication with an inner area of a conduit used to transfer material therein, each of the plurality of node elements configured to receive, process, communicate and relay data signals representative of user-desired information, wherein each node element is configured to wirelessly communicate with a subsequent node element; and

a system control mechanism in communication with the at least one of the plurality of node elements and configured to receive the data signals from the at least one node element.

2. The conduit network system of claim 1, wherein the conduit is utilized to transfer material in at least one of a gaseous, liquid, aqueous, slurry and semi-solid form.

3. The conduit network system of claim 1, wherein at least one node element further includes a sensor system having at least one sensor device configured to sample at least one variable of at least one of the conduit, the material transferred through the conduit and an area adjacent the conduit and produce data signals representative of the at least one variable.

4. The conduit network system of claim 1, wherein the data signals received and processed by the at least one node element are communicated to at least one of the system control mechanism, another node element, a data extraction device and a memory storage medium in one of a wireless, hard-wired, memory medium, radio frequency, acoustic wave, fiber optic, cable, copper cable, telephone line, network line, telecommunications line, infrared and optical format.

5. The conduit network system of claim 1, wherein the data signals received and processed by at least one node element are transmitted through the inner area in the conduit.

6. The conduit network system of claim 5, wherein the conduit is constructed from a material that is one of reflective and conductive with respect to the data signals, such that the inner space of the conduit acts as a wave guide and wireless communications medium.

7. The conduit network system of claim 6, wherein the conduit is constructed from one of a metallic and semi-metallic material and the data signals are transmitted in the form of one of radio frequency signals and acoustic waves.

8. The conduit network system of claim 1, wherein the system control mechanism is in communication with at least one of a node element and a conduit control component configured to interact with at least one of the conduit, material transferred through the conduit and an area adjacent the conduit, the system control mechanism configured to transmit command signals to at least one node element and the conduit control mechanism.

9. The conduit network system of claim 8, wherein the conduit control component is one of a valve and a regulator.

10. The conduit network system of claim 1, wherein at least one node element further comprises a node control mechanism configured to at least one of receive, process and communicate data between at least one of the node element, sub-components of the node element, another node element, the system control mechanism, a sensor system, a communications network, a data extraction device and a memory storage medium.

11. The conduit network system of claim 1, wherein at least one node element is in communication with at least one power device configured to power at least one sub-component of the at least one node element.

12. The conduit network system of claim 11, wherein the at least one power device is located in at least one of:

(i) in an enclosure positioned in an aboveground location and accessible by a user;

(ii) in an aboveground location and in communication with a fixed power source via a hard line connection;

(iii) in an underground location; and

(iv) in the inner area of the conduit, the power device configured to generate power using the energy of material transferred through the conduit.

13. The conduit network system of claim 12, wherein the power device is one of a generator, a battery, a fuel cell, a hard-wired electrical transfer device, a turbine and an in-flow power-generating device.

14. The conduit network system of claim 1, wherein at least one node element further comprises a transceiver and antenna arrangement for receiving, processing and transmitting the data signals.

15. The conduit network system of claim 1, wherein at least one node element further comprises:

(i) a sensor system having at least one sensor device configured to sample at least one variable of at least one of the conduit, the material transferred through the conduit and an area adjacent the conduit and produce data signals representative of the at least one variable; and

(ii) a transceiver and antenna arrangement for receiving, processing and transmitting the data signals;

wherein the sensor system and the transceiver and antenna arrangement are at least partially housed in a wand enclosure projecting at least partially into the inner area of the conduit.

16. The conduit network system of claim 15, wherein the wand enclosure is configured to flex if struck by an impacting object and return to its original position after passage of the impacting object.

17. The conduit network system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of node elements each include a respective node control mechanism configured to:

(i) receive, process and communicate data between at least one of the node element, sub-components of the node element, another node element, the system control mechanism, a sensor system, a communications network, a data extraction device and a memory storage medium; and

(ii) at least one of communicate with, identify and process commands regarding other node elements, thereby providing optimization functionality with respect to communications between the node elements and the system control mechanism.

18. The conduit network system of claim 1, wherein at least one node element is at least partially located within a protective housing.

19. The conduit network system of claim 18, wherein an inner area of the protective housing is evacuated, thereby forming a vacuum in the inner area, and one of blanketed with a gaseous material and immersed in a non-conductive fluid fully displacing any internal oxygen-containing gases.

20. The conduit network system of claim 18, further comprising an electrical barrier positioned in the protective housing and configured to isolate at least a portion of the node element from at least one of another portion of the node element and a power device.

21. The conduit network system of claim 1, wherein the data signals are representative of at least one of flow, pressure, relative humidity, acceleration, temperature, speed, material properties, material analysis, conduit properties, soil properties and conduit vibration.

22. The conduit network system of claim 1, wherein at least one node element further includes a node control mechanism comprising:

(i) a data acquisition module configured to receive the data signals from the at least one node element, sub-components of the node element, another node element, the system control mechanism, a sensor system, a communications network, a data extraction device and a memory storage medium;

(ii) a communications module configured to handle communications traffic between the at least one node element, sub-components of the node element, another node element, the system control mechanism, a sensor system, a communications network, a data extraction device and a memory storage medium; and

(iii) an administration module configured to monitor and transmit data representative of node control mechanism status.

23. The conduit network system of claim 22, wherein the node control mechanism includes a plurality of work modes, including:

(i) an interactive mode configured to continuously receive, process and transmit the data signals;

(ii) a monitor mode configured to periodically receive, process and transmit the data signals;

(iii) a standby mode configured to receive, process and transmit the data signals when a user-defined threshold value is reached;

(iv) an emergency mode configured to receive, process and transmit the data signals when one of an alarm value is reached and an alarm action is initiated;

(v) a transparent mode configured to communicate with a user for engaging in configuration activities; and

(vi) a self-test mode configured to perform a diagnostic test on the sub- components of the node element.

24. The conduit network system of claim 1, wherein at least one node element further includes:

(i) a sensor system having at least one sensor device configured to sample at least one variable of at least one of the conduit, the material transferred through the conduit and an area adjacent the conduit and produce data signals representative of the at least one variable; and

(ii) an analog/digital converter configured to receive the data signals in an analog format from the sensor device and convert the data signals into a digital format.

25. The conduit network system of claim 1, wherein at least one node element is at least partially inserted into the inner area of the conduit.

26. The conduit network system of claim 1, wherein the system control mechanism is further configured to visually display a user interface for at least one of:

(i) displaying visual representations of the data signals; and

(ii) permitting a user to interact with the system control mechanism.

27. A conduit network system node arrangement for use in connection with a conduit transferring material in an inner space thereof, the conduit network system node arrangement comprising:

(i) a sensor system having at least one sensor device configured to sample at least one variable of at least one of the conduit, the material transferred through the conduit and an area adjacent the conduit and produce data signals representative of the at least one variable;

(ii) a transceiver and antenna arrangement for receiving, processing and transmitting the data signals;

(iii) at least one power device configured to power at least one sub-component of the node arrangement; and

(iv) a node control mechanism in communication with the sensor system, the transceiver and antenna arrangement and the power device, the node control mechanism configured to receive, wirelessly communicate and relay data signals to a subsequent node control mechanism;

wherein the node arrangement is at least partially located within a protective housing; and

wherein the sensor system and the transceiver and antenna arrangement are housed in a wand enclosure capable of at least partially projecting into the inner area of the conduit.

28. A conduit network system, comprising:

a plurality of node arrangements as claimed in claim 27 in a networked relationship; and

a control mechanism in communication with at least one of the plurality of node arrangements and configured to receive the data signals from the at least one node arrangement.

29. A method for communicating data in a conduit network, comprising the steps of:

collecting data at a first node;

transmitting the collected data to a subsequent node; and

relaying the collected data from the subsequent node to a still further and subsequent node;

wherein the transmitted data is communicated through an inner area of a conduit in the conduit network.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the data is transmitted via one of radio frequency waves and acoustic waves.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the conduit is utilized to transfer material in at least one of a gaseous, liquid, aqueous, slurry and semi-solid form.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the transferred material is natural gas.

33. A conduit network system, comprising:

at least one node element in communication with an inner area of a conduit used to transfer material therein, wherein the node element is configured to receive, process and communicate data signals representative of user-desired information; and

a system control mechanism in communication with the at least one node element and configured to receive the data signals from the at least one node element, the system control mechanism further configured to visually display a user interface for at least one of;

(i) displaying visual representations of the data signals; and

(ii) permitting a user to interact with the system control mechanism.