Tracking vibrations in a pipeline network

• US 7,668,670 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2004
• Issued: 02/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Inventors: Lander, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn; Drew A
• Assistant Examiner(s): VO, HIEN XUAN
• Application Number:
  US10/959,994
• Publication Number:
  US 20050060105A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,964 Days
• Field of Search: 702/51, 702/182, 702/54, 702/56, 73/405, 735/92, 73/40, 731/525.8, 340/605, 340/683
• US Class Current: 702/51
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 3/243 for pipes

Abstract

Tracking vibrations on a pipeline network includes installing multiple vibration recorders on the pipeline network, with each recorder including a sensor, a processor, and a communication device. At each vibration recorder, vibration signals are received from the sensor at programmed times under the control of the processor of the vibration recorders and processed by the processor. The processed vibration signals are communicated from the vibration recorder to a reader device using the digital communication device. In addition, at a particular vibration recorder, meter readings from a flow meter associated with the particular vibration recorder are received. The meter readings are indicative of a level of flow in the pipeline network, and are communicated from the particular vibration recorder to a reader device using the communication device of the particular vibration recorder. Thereafter, the processed vibration signals from the one or more reader devices are collected at a central computer system. Finally, the collected processed vibration signals and the meter readings are analyzed at the central computer system to determine abnormal vibration patterns and to obtain measures of any leaks present in the pipeline network.

Claims

1. A method for tracking vibrations on a pipeline network, the method comprising:

installing multiple vibration recorders on the pipeline network, each recorder comprising a sensor, a processor, and a communication device;

at each vibration recorder;

receiving vibration signals from the sensor at programmed times under the control of the processor of the vibration recorder, and

processing the received vibration signals with the processor of the vibration recorder;

communicating processed vibration signals from the vibration recorders to one or more reader devices using the communication devices of the vibration recorders;

at a particular vibration recorder, receiving meter readings from a flow meter associated with the particular vibration recorder, the meter readings being indicative of a level of flow in the pipeline network;

communicating the meter readings from the particular vibration recorder to a reader device using the communication device of the particular vibration recorder;

collecting the processed vibration signals from the one or more reader devices and the meter readings from the particular vibration recorder at a central computer system; and

analyzing the collected processed vibration signals and the meter readings at the central computer system to determine abnormal vibration patterns and to obtain measures of any leaks present in the pipeline network.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the particular vibration recorder comprises a component of the flow meter.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein a vibration recorder further comprises a housing and a sensor of the vibration recorder comprises a piezo-film sensing element oriented in the housing so as to be at a known orientation to a flow in a pipe when the vibration recorder is installed on the pipe.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein communicating the meter readings from the particular vibration recorder to the reader device comprises doing so in response to a command sent from the reader device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein communicating the meter readings from the particular vibration recorder to the reader device comprises doing so in response to a command from a device to which the particular vibration recorder is connected.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein communicating the meter readings from the particular vibration recorder to the reader device comprises doing so using a wireless communications channel.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein communicating the meter readings from the particular vibration recorder to the reader device comprises doing so in conjunction with communicating the processed vibration signals from the particular vibration recorder to the reader device.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein:

the pipeline network comprises a water pipeline network,

the flow meter comprises a water meter, and

a meter reader carries the reader device such that communicating the meter readings and the processed vibration signals from the particular vibration recorder to the reader device comprises doing so in conjunction with a normal process of having the meter reader read the water meter.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein collecting the processed vibration signals and the meter readings from the reader device at the central computer system comprises connecting the reader device to the central computer system and downloading the processed vibration signals and the meter readings from the reader device to the central computer system.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein collecting the processed vibration signals and the meter readings from the reader device at the central computer system comprises communicating between the reader device and the central computer system using a wireless communication channel.

11. A method for detecting leaks in a pipeline network, the method comprising:

installing a vibration recorder on the pipeline network, the recorder comprising a sensor, a processor, and a connection to a flow meter that produces meter readings indicative of a level of flow in the pipeline network;

receiving vibration signals from the sensor at programmed times under the control of the processor;

processing the received vibration signals with the processor;

receiving meter readings from the flow meter through the connection at programmed times under the control of the processor; and

detecting a leak in the pipeline network using the processed vibration signals;

wherein detecting a leak in the pipeline network comprises using the meter readings in conjunction with the processed vibration signals, and comprises determining whether the leak is upstream or downstream of the flow meter based on a relationship between the meter readings and the processed vibration signals.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising communicating the meter readings to a collection location using a communications device of the vibration recorder.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising communicating the processed vibration signals to the collection location using the communications device of the vibration recorder.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising generating a usage profile from the meter readings.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising communicating the usage profile to a collection location using a communications device of the vibration recorder.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein detecting a leak in the pipeline network comprises using the usage profile in conjunction with the processed vibration signals.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein generating the usage profile from the meter readings comprises doing so using meter readings spaced by intervals of 30 minutes or more.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising generating a meter pattern from the meter readings.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising communicating the meter pattern to a collection location using a communications device of the vibration recorder.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein detecting a leak in the pipeline network comprises using the meter pattern in conjunction with the processed vibration signals.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein generating the meter pattern from the meter readings comprises doing so using meter readings spaced by intervals of less than 30 minutes.

22. The method of claim 11 wherein the pipeline network comprises a water pipeline network and the flow meter comprises a water meter.

23. A vibration recorder for detecting leaks in a pipeline network, the vibration recorder comprising:

structure for installing the vibration recorder on the pipeline network;

a sensor operable to receive vibration signals from the pipeline network;

a connection to a flow meter that produces meter readings indicative of a level of flow in the pipeline network;

a processor programmed to receive meter readings from the connection to the flow meter; and

a communication port operable to communicate data;

wherein the processor is programmed to communicate information regarding the meter readings as data using the communication port; and

the information regarding the meter readings comprises an alert indicating that the meter readings represent an irregular condition constituting at least one of reverse flow through the meter, continuous flow through the meter for more than a threshold period of time, and continuous flow through the meter at a level in excess of a threshold level.

24. The vibration recorder of claim 23 further comprising a communication port operable to communicate data, wherein the processor is programmed to communicate an alert regarding the sensed vibration signals as data using the communication port.

25. A vibration recorder for detecting leaks in a pipeline network, the vibration recorder comprising:

structure for installing the vibration recorder on the pipeline network;

a sensor operable to receive vibration signals from the pipeline network;

a connection to a flow meter that produces meter readings indicative of a level of flow in the pipeline network;

a processor programmed to receive meter readings from the connection to the flow meter; and

a communication port operable to communicate data, wherein the processor is programmed to communicate information regarding the meter readings as data using the communication port, and wherein the information regarding the meter readings comprises a usage profile generated from the meter readings.

26. The vibration recorder of claim 25 wherein the information regarding the meter readings comprises measurements of flow.

27. The vibration recorder of claim 25 wherein the information regarding the meter readings comprises a meter pattern generated from the meter readings.

28. The vibration recorder of claim 25 wherein the information regarding the meter readings comprises an alert indicating that the meter readings represent an irregular condition.

29. The vibration recorder of claim 25 wherein the irregular condition constitutes reverse flow through the meter.

30. The vibration recorder of claim 25 wherein the irregular condition constitutes continuous flow through the meter for more than a threshold period of time.

31. The vibration recorder of claim 25 wherein the irregular condition constitutes continuous flow through the meter at a level in excess of a threshold level.