Fluidized sensor for mapping a pipeline

• US 7,841,249 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2007
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Southwest Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Southwest Research Institute
• Inventors: Tormoen, Garth W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams; Hezron
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kolb; Nathaniel
• Application Number:
  US11/774,939
• Publication Number:
  US 20080041173A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,240 Days
• Field of Search: 738/665, 73/11.8, 734/88, 735/03, 735/033, 735/140.1, 738/659, 702/150, 151/040.61
• US Class Current: 73/866.5
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 55/38 driven by fluid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 55/48 Indicating the position of the pig or mole in the pipe or conduit

Abstract

A system for facilitating the mapping of a partially or fully occluded (hidden) pipeline containing a gas, a liquid, or a liquid-gas mixture. The system includes a sensor device having an internal sphere with a generally smooth outer surface and an internal orientation stabilizer. Within the internal sphere are contained a tri-axial inertial sensor, a time keeping device, a data processing device, a data recording device, and a power source. The internal sphere is centered and held within an external sphere having an inside diameter that is incrementally larger than the outside diameter of the internal sphere. The external sphere has a generally smooth unobstructed inner surface and fully encloses the internal sphere. A quantity of fluid fills the spatial gap between the outside surface of the inside sphere and the inside surface of the external sphere in a manner that permits omni-directional free rotational movement of the internal sphere within the external sphere. The use of the sensor involves the process of downloading data that has been stored within the data recording device of the internal sphere after it has traveled its path through the pipeline to be mapped.

Claims

1. An apparatus for facilitating the mapping of a pipeline, the pipeline containing a gas, a liquid, or a liquid/gas mixture, the apparatus comprising:

an internal sphere having an outer diameter, a generally smooth unobstructed outer surface, and an internal orientation stabilizer, the internal sphere enclosing;

a tri-axial inertial sensor;

a data recording device;

a power source; and

an external sphere having an inner diameter incrementally larger than the outer diameter of the internal sphere and a generally smooth unobstructed inner surface, the external sphere fully enclosing the internal sphere.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a quantity of fluid filling a spatial gap between the outer surface of the inner sphere and the inner surface of the external sphere so as to facilitate omni-directional free rotational motion of the internal sphere within the external sphere.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a data download device for retrieving data stored in the data recording device.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the data download device comprises a memory storage device physically removable from the inner sphere.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the data download device comprises a wireless communication system, the wireless system comprising a data signal transmitter positioned within the inner sphere and a data signal receiver positioned outside of the external sphere.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the internal sphere further comprises an electronic time keeping device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the internal sphere further comprises an electronic data processing device.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the internal orientation stabilizer comprises a gravitationally influenced mechanism for rotating the internal sphere.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the gravitationally influenced mechanism comprises a weight fixed within one hemisphere of the internal sphere.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 further comprising a quantity of fluid filling a spatial gap between the outer surface of the inner sphere and the inner surface of the external sphere so as to facilitate omni-directional free rotational motion of the internal sphere within the external sphere, and the gravitationally influenced mechanism comprises a gas-filled chamber positioned within one hemisphere of the internal sphere.