Remote pipeline acoustic inspection
First Claim
1. A method of pipe inspection comprising locating an acoustic source at a first position in a pipe or pipe network, locating two or more acoustic or pressure detectors at two or more positions in the pipe or pipe network, recording and/or displaying a signal detected by each of the two or more detectors following the generation of an acoustic pulse, and comparing each detected signal with a predetermined reference signal, differences between the detected and reference signals being indicative of a blockage or leakage in the pipe or pipe network, using two spaced apart acoustic or pressure detectors to determine the direction of propagation of a detected acoustic signal;
- andthe method includes processing the detected signal such that only acoustic signals propagating in a particular direction are recorded and/or displayed; and
the method further comprises delaying by a predetermined time period a signal detected by a first one of the detectors, and subtracting the delayed signal from a signal detected by a second one of the detectors, the predetermined time period corresponding to the time taken for an acoustic signal to travel between the first and second detectors, such that the combined signal comprises acoustic signals propagating in a particular direction only, andremoving artefacts from the combined signal by iteratively taking values from the combined signal, delaying the values by the predetermined time period, and adding the delayed values to the combined signal to generate a revised combined signal, wherein the iteration begins at small time values of the combined signal and moves to progressively larger time values of the combined signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A pipe inspection apparatus comprising an acoustic source (3) for location at a first position in a pipe or pipe network, one or more acoustic or pressure detectors (4) for location at one or more positions in the pipe or pipe network, means for recording and/or displaying a signal detected by the one or more detectors following the generation of an acoustic pulse, and means for allowing the comparison of the detected signal with a predetermined reference signal, differences between the detected and reference signals being indicative of a blockage or leakage in the pipe or pipe network (10).
70 Citations
3 Claims
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1. A method of pipe inspection comprising locating an acoustic source at a first position in a pipe or pipe network, locating two or more acoustic or pressure detectors at two or more positions in the pipe or pipe network, recording and/or displaying a signal detected by each of the two or more detectors following the generation of an acoustic pulse, and comparing each detected signal with a predetermined reference signal, differences between the detected and reference signals being indicative of a blockage or leakage in the pipe or pipe network, using two spaced apart acoustic or pressure detectors to determine the direction of propagation of a detected acoustic signal;
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the method includes processing the detected signal such that only acoustic signals propagating in a particular direction are recorded and/or displayed; and the method further comprises delaying by a predetermined time period a signal detected by a first one of the detectors, and subtracting the delayed signal from a signal detected by a second one of the detectors, the predetermined time period corresponding to the time taken for an acoustic signal to travel between the first and second detectors, such that the combined signal comprises acoustic signals propagating in a particular direction only, and removing artefacts from the combined signal by iteratively taking values from the combined signal, delaying the values by the predetermined time period, and adding the delayed values to the combined signal to generate a revised combined signal, wherein the iteration begins at small time values of the combined signal and moves to progressively larger time values of the combined signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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Specification
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- Resources
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Current AssigneeUniversity of Manchester
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Original AssigneeThe Victoria University of Manchester
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InventorsSmith, David, Shamout, Mohammad N, Turner, John T, Lennox, Barry
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Primary Examiner(s)LARKIN, DANIEL SEAN
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Application NumberUS10/497,453Publication NumberTime in Patent Office1,748 DaysField of Search73/405.A, 73/495, 73/491, 735/92US Class Current73/40.50ACPC Class CodesG01M 3/243 for pipes
