Pipeline leakage protection vault system

• US 9,671,068 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2014
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mohammed Zulfiquar
• Original Assignee: Mohammed Zulfiquar
• Inventors: Zulfiquar, Mohammed
• Primary Examiner(s): Sanchez-Medina, Reinaldo
• Application Number:
  US14/546,328
• Publication Number:
  US 20150136234A1
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• Field of Search: 137312, 73 491, 73 496
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 1/08 for liquids or viscous products water-main or service pipe systems E03B7/04; domestic hot-water supply systems F24D17/00
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 3/00 Arrangements for supervising or controlling working operations
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 3/01 for controlling, signalling, or supervising the conveyance of a product
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 5/005 of gas pipelines, e.g. alarm
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 5/02 Preventing, monitoring, or locating loss
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 5/06 using electric or acoustic means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0318 Processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/5762 With leakage or drip collecting

Abstract

A pipeline leakage protection vault system includes a plurality of leakage protection vault modules and a central control unit adapted to be communicably configured to each other. Each module includes a retrofittable configuration adapted to include sub-modules coupled around the pipeline. Each sub-module includes a protective casing, spacer rings and a vault door. The protective casing is adapted to compliment the portion of the pipeline to be fitted to protect the fluid in event of leakage. Further, the spacer rings are adapted to be disposed circumferentially over the protective casing in spaced relationship from each other. The spacer rings includes a plurality of components adapted to monitor parameters associated with the pipeline to generate real time data related to the pipeline. Furthermore, the vault door disposed over the top protective casing and rest over the spacer rings covering the sub-module and withholding the fluid in case of leakage.

Claims

1. A pipeline protection vault system for protection of a pipeline in an event of a leakage of fluid flowing in the pipeline or in an event of a security breach along the pipeline, the pipeline protection vault system, comprising:

a plurality of protection vault modules adapted to be circumferentially disposed to portions of the pipeline and to communicate to each other to generate a plurality of real time data relating to the pipeline, each of the modules having a retrofittable configuration adapted to include at least two sub-modules coupled to be snugly disposed circumferentially around the portion of the pipeline, wherein each of the sub-modules comprises;

at least one protective casing adapted to compliment the portion of the pipeline to be fitted thereover to protect the pipeline in the event of the leakage of the fluid or the security breach of the pipeline, spacer rings disposed circumferentially over the protective casing in spaced relationship from each other, wherein each of the spacer rings comprises a plurality of components adapted to monitor a plurality of parameters associated with the pipeline to generate the plurality of real time data related to the pipeline, and a vault door disposed over the protective casing of at least one of the sub-modules and rest over the spacer rings at a distance from the protective casing to cover the at least one sub-module and defining a space between a top of the protective casing and the vault door itself, wherein the vault door is capable of withholding the fluid in the defined space in the event of leakage of the pipeline, thereby blocking the fluid that would otherwise escape to a surrounding environment; and

a central control unit adapted to communicate to the plurality of modules to receive the plurality of real time data based on the plurality of parameters relating to the pipeline to generate a plurality of related information of the pipeline, wherein the plurality of parameters comprise parameters related to the leakage of the pipeline or the security breach in the pipeline.

2. The pipeline protection vault system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one protective casing further comprises,

top and bottom protective casings,

at least one flexible composite layer disposed between the top and bottom protective casings,

at least one layer of electronic circuitry embedded on the flexible composite layer, the electronic circuitry comprising a plurality of microchips embedded on each layer thereof, and

a plurality of nanosensors embedded on the flexible composite layer in coupling relationship with the electronic circuitry and microchips,

wherein a combinational arrangement of the nanosensor, the electronic circuitry and microchips on the flexible composite layer is adapted to function independently or in combination with the plurality of components of the spacer rings to monitor the plurality of parameters and generate the plurality of real time data related to the pipeline.

3. The pipeline protection vault system as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a dielectric coating layer coated over the flexible composite layer to protect the flexible composite layer and the combinational arrangement of the nanosensor, the electronic circuitry and microchips.

4. The pipeline protection vault system as claimed in claim 2, further comprising at least one failsafe mechanism configured on at least one of the spacer rings or the flexible composite layer, the failsafe mechanism having a plurality of photonics boxes, independently or in coordination with the combinational arrangement of the nanosensor, the electronic circuitry and microchips, are actuated via voltage to generate information signals in event of the leakage of the fluid or the security breach of the pipeline on real time basis.

5. The pipeline protection vault system as claimed in claim 2, further comprising a photovoltaic arrangement configured on at least one of the spacer rings or the flexible composite layer, wherein the photovoltaic arrangement is adapted to generate required voltage for an operation of the photonics boxes and the flexible composite layer.

6. The pipeline protection vault system as claimed in claim 2, wherein in the combinational arrangement of the nanosensor, the electronic circuitry and microchips are configured such that each microchip is adapted to include a software related to specific real time data relating to the pipeline leakage along the pipeline in coordination of the plurality of components disposed on the spacer rings.

7. The pipeline protection vault system as claimed in claim 2, wherein in the combinational arrangement of the nanosensor, the electronic circuitry and microchips, at least one of the nanosensor is a GPS (Global Positioning System) nanosensor, which with association of the electronic circuitry and the microchips, is adapted to coordinate with a GPS satellite to enable the communication between the plurality of modules and the central control unit.

8. The pipeline protection vault system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of components disposed on the spacer rings is

at least one oil leakage sensor/nanosensor disposed on the spacer rings to monitor/sense the parameters related to the leakage of the fluid or the security breach in the pipeline and subsequently communicate the real time data of the leakage of the fluid or the security breach in the pipeline with the central control unit.

9. The pipeline protection vault system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of components disposed on the spacer rings is an alarming clock jet and sensors/nanosensors arrangement, the alarming clock jet and sensors/nanosensors arrangement comprising:

sensors/nanosensors arranged across the spacer rings to sense the parameters related to the leakage of the fluid or the security breach in the pipeline and generate the real time data of the leakage of the fluid or the security breach of the pipeline; and

an alarming clock jet adapted to be disposed on the spacer ring and configured to release dense smoke alarming signal coupled with at least one of high pitch audio alarm and visual lights signal, upon sensed by the sensors/nanosensors or upon the instruction of the central control unit in the event of the leakage of the fluid or the security breach of the pipeline based on the real time data of the leakage of the fluid or the security breach of the pipeline sent to the central control unit by the sensors/nanosensors.

10. The pipeline protection vault system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of components disposed on the spacer rings is at least one temperature sensor/nanosensor to detect the real time data relating to thermal parameters of the pipelines to communicate to the central control unit.

11. The pipeline protection vault system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of components disposed on the spacer rings is at least one visual recording device to record video information of the plurality of parameters related to the pipeline about the leakage of the fluid or the security breach and communicate the real time date of the pipeline to the central control unit.

12. The pipeline protection vault system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a shutdown-valve coupled to the pipeline which may be actuated via at least one of the plurality of components disposed on the spacer rings in event of the leakage of the pipeline.

13. The pipeline protection vault system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one GPS (Global Positioning System) sensor/nanosensor arrangement to coordinate with a GPS satellite to enable the communication between the plurality of modules and the central control unit.

14. A protection vault for protection of a pipeline in an event of a leakage of fluid flowing in the pipeline or in an event of a security breach along the pipeline, the protection vault comprising:

a protection vault module adapted to be circumferentially disposed to portions of the pipeline and to generate a plurality of real time data relating to the pipeline, the module having a retrofittable configuration adapted to include at least two sub-modules coupled to snugly be disposed circumferentially around the portion of the pipeline, wherein each of the sub-module comprises;

at least one protective casing adapted to compliment the portion of the pipeline to be fitted thereover to protect the pipeline in the event of the leakage of the fluid or the security breach;

spacer rings disposed circumferentially over the protective casing in spaced relationship from each other, wherein each of the spacer rings comprises a plurality of components adapted to monitor a plurality of parameters associated with the pipeline and to generate the plurality of real time data related to the pipeline; and

a vault door pivotally disposed over the protective casing of at least one of the sub-modules and rest over the spacer rings at a distance from the protective casing to cover the at least one sub-module and defining a space between a top of the protective casing and the vault door itself, wherein the vault door is capable of withholding the fluid in the defined space in the event of leakage of the pipeline, thereby blocking the fluid that would otherwise escape to a surrounding environment.

15. A method for ensuring protection in a pipeline in an event of leakage of fluid flowing in the pipeline or in an event of a security breach along the pipeline, the method comprising:

disposing a plurality of leakage protection vaults at least along various portions of the pipeline, the plurality of leakage protection vaults having at least two sub-modules, wherein each of the sub-modules comprises;

at least one protective casing adapted to compliment the portion of the pipeline to be fitted thereover, spacer rings disposed circumferentially over the protective casing in spaced relationship from each other, wherein each of the spacer rings comprises a plurality of components adapted to monitor a plurality of parameters associated with the pipeline, and a vault door disposed over the protective casing of at least one of the sub-modules and rest over the spacer rings at a distance from the protective casing to cover the at least one sub-module and defining a space between a top of the protective casing and the vault door itself, wherein the vault door communicates to the plurality of components;

actuating the vault door to cover the vault in the event of leakage in the pipeline to withhold a fluid in the defined space therewithin, thereby blocking the fluid that would otherwise escape to a surrounding environment; and

communicating with a central control unit via the plurality of leakage protection vaults to receive the plurality of real time data based on the plurality of parameters relating to the pipeline to generate a plurality of related information of the pipeline, wherein the plurality of parameters includes parameters related to the leakage of the pipeline or the security breach in the pipeline.