Inline inspection system and method for calibration of mounted acoustic monitoring system
First Claim
1. An inline inspection system for calibrating an acoustic monitoring structure installed along a pipe, the system comprising:
- a pipe inspection vehicle configured to fit inside the pipe and move through the pipe along with a fluid passing through the pipe;
a microprocessor attached to the pipe inspection vehicle and configured to attach a time stamp to a measured distance traveled by the pipe inspection vehicle;
an acoustic source attached to the pipe inspection vehicle and configured to generate sound waves inside the pipe, the sound waves having predetermined frequencies and predetermined amplitudes;
plural sensors disposed along the pipe and configured to record time of arrivals, intensities and frequencies of the sound waves generated by the acoustic source; and
a processing unit configured to communicate with the plural sensors and receive the time of arrivals, intensities and frequencies of the sound waves from the plural sensors and to receive the time stamped measured distance travelled by the pipe inspection vehicle and to calibrate the acoustic monitoring structure by calculating a distance between the acoustic source and a first sensor of the plural sensors based on (i) the received time of arrivals of the sound waves at the first sensor, and (ii) data stored in a memory of the processing unit.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An inline inspection system and method for calibrating an acoustic monitoring structure installed along a pipe. The system includes a pipe inspection vehicle; a microprocessor configured to attach a time stamp to a measured distance traveled by the pipe inspection vehicle; an acoustic source attached to the pipe inspection vehicle and configured to generate sound waves inside the pipe, the sound waves having predetermined frequencies and predetermined amplitudes; plural sensors disposed along the pipe and configured to record time of arrivals and intensities of the sound waves generated by the acoustic source; and a processing unit configured to communicate with the plural sensors and receive the time of arrivals, intensities and frequencies of the sound waves from the plural sensors. The processing unit calibrates the acoustic monitoring structure by calculating a distance between the acoustic source and a first sensor of the plural sensors.
20 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An inline inspection system for calibrating an acoustic monitoring structure installed along a pipe, the system comprising:
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a pipe inspection vehicle configured to fit inside the pipe and move through the pipe along with a fluid passing through the pipe; a microprocessor attached to the pipe inspection vehicle and configured to attach a time stamp to a measured distance traveled by the pipe inspection vehicle; an acoustic source attached to the pipe inspection vehicle and configured to generate sound waves inside the pipe, the sound waves having predetermined frequencies and predetermined amplitudes; plural sensors disposed along the pipe and configured to record time of arrivals, intensities and frequencies of the sound waves generated by the acoustic source; and a processing unit configured to communicate with the plural sensors and receive the time of arrivals, intensities and frequencies of the sound waves from the plural sensors and to receive the time stamped measured distance travelled by the pipe inspection vehicle and to calibrate the acoustic monitoring structure by calculating a distance between the acoustic source and a first sensor of the plural sensors based on (i) the received time of arrivals of the sound waves at the first sensor, and (ii) data stored in a memory of the processing unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. An inline inspection device for calibrating an acoustic monitoring system installed along a pipe, the device comprising:
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a pipe inspection vehicle configured to fit inside the pipe and move through the pipe along with a fluid passing through the pipe; a microprocessor attached to the pipe inspection vehicle and configured to attach a time stamp to a measured distance traveled by the pipe inspection vehicle; and an acoustic source attached to the pipe inspection vehicle and configured to generate sound waves inside the pipe, the sound waves having predetermined frequencies and predetermined amplitudes such that plural sensors disposed along the pipe record time of arrivals and intensities of the sound waves generated by the acoustic source and communicate to a processing unit the time of arrivals and intensities of the sound waves from the plural sensors, wherein the processor receives the time stamped measured distance travelled by the pipe inspection vehicle and calibrates the acoustic monitoring system by calculating a distance between the acoustic source and a first sensor of the plural sensors based on (i) the received time of arrivals of the sound waves at the first sensor, and (ii) data stored in a memory of the processing unit. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method for calibrating an acoustic monitoring structure installed along a pipe with an inline inspection system, the method comprising:
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sending a pipe inspection vehicle inside the pipe to travel through the pipe along with a fluid passing through the pipe; generating sound waves inside the pipe with an acoustic source attached to the pipe inspection vehicle, the sound waves having predetermined frequencies and predetermined amplitudes; attaching time stamps to measured distances between the pipe inspection vehicle and a sensor; recording with plural sensors disposed along the pipe time of arrivals, intensities and frequencies of the sound waves generated by the acoustic source; receiving at a processing unit the time of arrivals, intensities and frequencies of the sound waves from the plural sensors and the time stamped measured distances; and calibrating the acoustic monitoring structure by calculating a distance between the acoustic source and a first sensor of the plural sensors based on (i) the received time of arrivals of the sound waves at the first sensor, and (ii) measured frequencies and amplitudes of the sound waves received at the plural sensors. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification