Techniques for monitoring health of vessels containing fluids

• US 6,834,556 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2002
• Issued: 12/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johns Hopkins University
• Original Assignee: Johns Hopkins University
• Inventors: Bacon, John M., Carkhuff, Bliss G., Cain, Russell P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lefkowitz, Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): THOMPSON, JEWEL VERGIE
• Application Number:
  US10/286,054
• Publication Number:
  US 20030079553A1
• Time in Patent Office: 788 Days
• Field of Search: 738/612.7, 738/50, 738/659, 738/27, 738/658, 73/492, 73/463, 73/52, 738/655, 731/520.1
• US Class Current: 73/861.24
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 5/06 using electric or acoustic means
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/002 by using thermal means

Abstract

Some techniques for monitoring health of a vessel include attaching a sensor suite of one or more sensors to an outer skin of the vessel and providing power for the sensor suite based on a temperature difference between a fluid temperature of a contained fluid inside the vessel and an ambient temperature outside the vessel. Some techniques include attaching a sensor suite by cinching a belt around the vessel and causing two ends of a strain gauge in the sensor suite to become rigidly attached to the outer skin of the vessel, for example, on opposite sides of a weld joining two sections of the vessel. These techniques allow a pipeline to be readily instrumented and monitored remotely which reduces manpower costs for performing manual inspections, reduces the risks of injury from performing manual inspections during hazardous weather conditions, and reduces the likelihood of undetected leaks.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring health of a vessel that contains fluid at non-ambient temperatures, comprising:

attaching a sensor suite of one or more sensors to an outer skin of the vessel; and

providing power for the sensor suite, based on a temperature difference between a fluid temperature of a contained fluid inside the vessel and an ambient temperature outside the vessel

wherein at least one sensor of the sensor suite is attached at a weld between successive sections of the vessel.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein a layer of insulation separates the outer skin of the vessel from an environment at the ambient temperature.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, said step of providing power based on a temperature difference between a fluid temperature of a contained fluid inside the vessel and an ambient temperature outside the vessel and further comprising providing electricity by attaching a first thermocouple of a thermopile to the outer skin of the vessel and exposing a different, second thermocouple of the thermopile to the ambient temperature.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the method further comprises connecting the sensor suite to a transmitter to communicate data based on sensor output from the sensor suite to a receiver; and

said step of providing power for the sensor suite further comprises providing power for the transmitter.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, further comprising

providing a plurality of communication relays at a corresponding plurality of locations along the vessel, each relay including a receiver and a transmitter for communicating the data based on the sensor suite;

and

providing power for each communication relay of the plurality of communication relays based on a temperature difference between the contained fluid inside the vessel and an ambient temperature outside the vessel in the vicinity of the communication relay.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, further comprising

attaching a corresponding sensor suite to the outer skin of the vessel in the vicinity of each communication relay of the plurality of communication relays;

connecting the corresponding sensor suite to a transmitter in the corresponding communication relay to communicate data based on sensor output from the corresponding sensor suite; and

said step of providing power for each communication relay further comprises providing power for the corresponding sensor suite based on the temperature difference between the contained fluid inside the vessel and the ambient temperature outside the vessel in the vicinity of the communication relay.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the corresponding plurality of locations along the vessel are associated with a plurality of welds between successive sections of the vessel.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the method further comprises connecting the sensor suite to a processor to generate data based on sensor output from the sensor suite; and

said step of providing power for the sensor suite further comprises providing power for the processor.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising configuring the processor to determine whether output from the sensor suite deviates by more than a threshold amount form a baseline output that is associated with normal conditions for the vessel.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one sensor of the sensor suite attached is one of a strain gauge and a stress gauge.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the method further comprises inspecting a weld of an existing vessel during a scheduled inspection; and

said steps of attaching the sensor suite and providing power for the sensor suite are performed during the scheduled inspection.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, said step of attaching the sensor suite further comprising cinching around the vessel a belt that contains the sensor suite.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, said step or cinching the belt causes two ends of a strain gauge to become rigidly attached to the outer skin of the vessel.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the two ends of the strain gauge become rigidly attached to the outer skin of the vessel on opposite sides of the weld between successive sections of the vessel.

15. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the sensor suite includes at least one of a strain gauge, a stress gauge, a temperature sensor, a corrosion sensor and a leak detector that detects a product of the contained fluid.

16. A method of monitoring health of a vessel that contains a fluid, comprising:

cinching around an outer skin of the vessel, at a weld between successive sections of the vessel, a belt that contains a sensor suite of one or more sensors,

wherein said step of cinching the belt causes two ends of a strain gauge in the sensor suite to become rigidly attached to the outer skin of the vessel on opposite sides of the weld.

17. An apparatus for monitoring health of a vessel that contains a fluid, comprising:

a belt for cinching around an outer skin of the vessel at a location along the vessel, wherein the belt further comprises

a plurality of biting members for rigidly attaching to the outer skin of the vessel when the belt is cinched around the vessel, and

a strain gauge for measuring change in distance between two ends of the strain gauge, each end of the two ends rigidly attached to a different one of the plurality of biting member.

18. The apparatus as recited in claim 17, wherein:

the strain gauge is under tension; and

the belt further comprises a removable stay that prevents changing a distance between the plurality of biting members due to the tension from the strain gauge until after the belt is cinched around the vessel.

19. The apparatus as recited in claim 17, wherein at least one of the plurality of biting members includes a band substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the belt.

20. The apparatus as recited in claim 17, wherein each biting member of the plurality of biting members includes a band substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the belt.

21. The apparatus as recited in claim 19, wherein the strain gauge is substantially perpendicular to the band.

22. The apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein:

at least one of the plurality of biting members includes a band substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of the belt; and

the removable stay is a bar substantially perpendicular to the hand.

23. The apparatus as recited in claim 18, further comprising a thermopile that generates power based on a temperature difference between a first thermocouple of the thermopile and a second thermocouple of the thermopile, wherein:

the first thermocouple is connected to the belt for making thermal contact with the outer skin of the vessel;

the second thermocouple is configured for exposure to an ambient temperature of an environment outside the vessel; and

power generated by the thermocouple powers the strain gauge.

24. The apparatus as recited in claim 23, further comprising a local transmitter communicatively connected to the strain gauge for communicating first data based on output from the strain gauge to a distant receiver, wherein power generated by the thermocouple powers the local transmitter.

25. The apparatus as recited in claim 24, further comprising a local receiver communicatively connected to the local transmitter, the local receiver for receiving second data from a distant transmitter based on output from a distant strain gauge, wherein power generated by the thermocouple powers the local receiver.

26. The apparatus as recited in claim 24, further comprising a local processor communicatively connected to the strain gauge and the local transmitter for generating the first data based on output from the strain gauge, wherein power generated by the thermocouple powers the local processor.

27. An apparatus for monitoring health of a vessel that contains a fluid, comprising:

a belt for cinching around an outer skin of the vessel at a location along the vessel, wherein the belt includes a sensor suite of one or more sensors for measuring properties related to the health of the vessel; and

a thermopile that generates power based on a temperature difference between a first thermocouple of the thermopile and a second thermocouple of the thermocouple, wherein;

the first thermocouple is connected to the belt for making thermal contact with the outer skin of the vessel;

the second thermocouple is configured for exposure to an ambient temperature of an environment outside the vessel; and

power generated by the thermocouple powers the sensor suite.

28. The apparatus as recited in claim 27, further comprising a local transmitter communicatively connected to the sensor suite for communicating first data based on output from the sensor suite to a distant receiver, wherein power generated by the thermocouple powers the local transmitter.

29. The apparatus as recited in claim 28, further comprising a local receiver communicatively connected to the local transmitter, the local receiver for receiving second data from a distant transmitter based on output from a distant sensor suite, wherein power generated by the thermocouple powers the local receiver.

30. The apparatus as recited in claim 28, further comprising a local processor communicatively connected to the sensor suite and the local transmitter for generating the first data based on output from the sensor suite, wherein power generated by the thermocouple powers the local processor.

31. A pipeline, comprising:

a plurality of pipe sections welded together;

a belt cinched around an outer skin of a pipe section at a location along the pipeline, wherein the belt further comprises

a plurality of biting members rigidly attached to the outer skin of the pipeline, and

a strain gauge for measuring change in distance between two ends of the strain gauge, each end of the two ends rigidly attached to a different one of the plurality of biting members.

32. The pipeline as recited in claim 31, wherein:

a belt is cinched around each weld of a plurality of welds between adjacent sections of the plurality of pipe sections in the pipeline; and

each belt further comprises a plurality of biting members and a strain gauge rigidly attached to a different one of the plurality of biting members.

33. A pipeline, comprising:

a plurality of pipe sections welded together;

a belt cinched around an outer skin of a pipe section at a location along the pipeline, wherein the belt further comprises a sensor suite of one or more sensors for measuring properties related to health of the pipeline; and

a thermopile that generates power based on a temperature difference between a first thermocouple of the thermopile and a second thermocouple of the thermopile, wherein;

the first thermocouple is connected to the belt in thermal contact with the outer skin of the pipeline;

the second thermocouple is exposed to an ambient temperature of an environment outside the pipeline; and

power generated by the thermocouple powers the sensor suite.

34. The pipeline as recited in claim 33, wherein:

the pipeline further comprises a layer of thermal insulation wrapped around the plurality of pipe sections; and

the second thermocouple is exposed to an ambient temperature of an environment outside the layer of thermal insulation.