Detection of pipeline contaminants

• US 8,788,222 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2011
• Issued: 07/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Friedlander, Robert R., Kraemer, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nghiem, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALKAFAWI, EMAN A
• Application Number:
  US13/190,172
• Publication Number:
  US 20130030724A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,093 Days
• Field of Search: 702/56, 702/100, 702/54, 73 1901- 1903, 73 6142- 6145, 73/617.1, 73/617.5, 73/645.3, 356432-448, 356/35.5
• US Class Current: 702/56
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 7/022 Vibration control arrangements, e.g. for generating random vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/021 Gases
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/022 Liquids
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/2634 cylindrical from outside
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/14 using acoustic emission techniques echo of particles G01N29/046; measuring mechanical vibrations or acoustic waves in solids in general G01H1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/4436 with a reference signal amplitude comparison G01N29/48
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/46 by spectral analysis, e.g. Fourier analysis or wavelet analysis spectral signal processing per se G06F17/14
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 9/002 using variation of the resonant frequency of an element vibrating in contact with the material submitted to analysis G01N9/34 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 9/32 by using flow properties of fluids, e.g. flow through tubes or apertures

Abstract

A computer-implemented method, system, and/or computer program product detects contaminants in a pipe that is transporting a known fluid. A baseline vibration pattern is established from readings generated by a smart sensor that is affixed to the pipe. This baseline vibration pattern is caused by a flow of the known fluid as the known fluid travels through the pipe in an unadulterated form. Subsequent readings from the smart sensor are taken to generate a new vibration pattern. In response to the new vibration pattern being different, beyond a predefined range, from the baseline vibration pattern, the new vibration pattern is matched to a known vibration pattern in order to identify a specific contaminant of the known fluid.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of detecting contaminants in a pipe that is transporting a known fluid, the computer-implemented method comprising:

a processor establishing a baseline vibration pattern from readings generated by a smart sensor that is affixed to the pipe, wherein the baseline vibration pattern is caused by a flow of the known fluid as the known fluid travels through the pipe in an unadulterated form;

the processor taking subsequent readings from the smart sensor to generate a new vibration pattern;

the processor, in response to the new vibration pattern being different, beyond a predefined range, from the baseline vibration pattern, matching the new vibration pattern with a known vibration pattern in order to identify a specific contaminant of the known fluid, wherein the known vibration pattern is known to occur when the specific contaminant is flowing through the pipe with the known fluid; and

the processor determining a specific gravity of the specific contaminant by matching the new vibration pattern with the known vibration pattern.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the specific contaminant is a gas contaminant, and wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises:

the processor determining a gas-contaminant-to-known-fluid ratio based on the new vibration pattern;

the processor determining a rate of gas contaminant introduction into the pipe based on the determined gas-contaminant-to-known-fluid ratio; and

the processor identifying a source of the gas contaminant based on the rate of gas contaminant introduction into the pipe.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:

the smart sensor detecting an external vibration on an exterior of the pipe, wherein a source of the external vibration is external to the pipe;

the processor associating the external vibration to a specific type of external impact against the exterior of the pipe; and

the processor confirming the source of the gas contaminant in accordance with the specific type of external impact against the exterior of the pipe.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the smart sensor comprises a uniquely-identified radio frequency identifier (RFID) device, and wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises:

the processor mapping a location of the smart sensor by interrogating an RFID device in the smart sensor;

the processor modifying the new vibration pattern to create a location-dependent new vibration pattern according to the location of the smart sensor; and

the processor adjusting an identified location of the source of the gas contaminant based on the location-dependent new vibration pattern.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the specific contaminant is a liquid contaminant, and wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises:

the processor determining a liquid-contaminant-to-known-fluid ratio based on the new vibration pattern;

the processor determining a rate of liquid contaminant introduction into the pipe based on the determined liquid-contaminant-to-known-fluid ratio; and

the processor identifying a source of the liquid contaminant based on the rate of liquid contaminant introduction into the pipe.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising:

the smart sensor detecting an external vibration on an exterior of the pipe;

the processor associating the external vibration to a specific type of external impact against the pipe; and

the processor confirming the source of the liquid contaminant in accordance with the specific type of external impact against the pipe.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a source of the specific contaminant is a defect that is upstream from a position on the pipe to which the smart sensor is affixed, and wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises:

the processor identifying the defect based on the new vibration pattern;

the processor identifying a sequence of changes to new vibration patterns that are generated by the smart sensor;

the processor identifying a rate of change in the defect based on the sequence of changes to the new vibration patterns.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

the processor detecting a cyclic change in vibration patterns generated by the subsequent readings from the smart sensor; and

the processor matching the cyclic change in vibration pattern changes to a malfunctioning upstream mechanical device in order to identify a source of the specific contaminant.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the pipe is subjected to a known anomalous event, and wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises:

the processor filtering out vibrations that are caused by the known anomalous event in order to prevent the known anomalous event from affecting the baseline vibration pattern.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the pipe is subjected to an anomalous event after the new vibration pattern was generated, and wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises:

the processor generating a subsequent new vibration pattern that includes new vibrations caused by the anomalous event;

the processor identifying the anomalous event based on the new vibrations; and

the processor predicting a catastrophic future event to the pipe based on the identified anomalous event.

11. A computer program product for detecting contaminants in a pipe that is transporting a known fluid, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium containing computer instructions stored therein for causing a computer processor to perform:

establishing a baseline vibration pattern from readings generated by a smart sensor that is affixed to the pipe, wherein the baseline vibration pattern is caused by a flow of the known fluid as the known fluid travels through the pipe in an unadulterated form;

taking subsequent readings from the smart sensor to generate a new vibration pattern; and

in response to the new vibration pattern being different, beyond a predefined range, from the baseline vibration pattern, matching the new vibration pattern with a known vibration pattern in order to identify a specific contaminant of the known fluid, wherein the known vibration pattern is known to occur when the specific contaminant is flowing through the pipe with the known fluid; and

determining a specific gravity of the specific contaminant by matching the new vibration pattern with the known vibration pattern.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the specific contaminant is a gas contaminant, and wherein the computer program product further comprises the non-transitory computer readable medium containing computer instructions stored therein for causing the computer processor to further perform:

determining a gas-contaminant-to-known-fluid ratio based on the new vibration pattern;

determining a rate of gas contaminant introduction into the pipe based on the determined gas-contaminant-to-known-fluid ratio; and

identifying a source of the gas contaminant based on the rate of gas contaminant introduction into the pipe.

13. A system comprising:

a processor, a computer readable memory, and a computer readable storage media;

first program instructions to establish a baseline vibration pattern from readings generated by a smart sensor that is affixed to a pipe, wherein the baseline vibration pattern is caused by a flow of a known fluid as the known fluid travels through the pipe in an unadulterated form;

second program instructions to take subsequent readings from the smart sensor to generate a new vibration pattern;

third program instructions to, in response to the new vibration pattern being different, beyond a predefined range, from the baseline vibration pattern, match the new vibration pattern with a known vibration pattern in order to identify a specific contaminant of the known fluid, wherein the known vibration pattern is known to occur when the specific contaminant is flowing through the pipe with the known fluid; and

fourth program instructions to determine a specific gravity of the specific contaminant by matching the new vibration pattern with the known vibration pattern; and

wherein

the first, second, third, and fourth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media, and wherein the program instructions are executed by the processor via the computer readable memory.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the specific contaminant is a gas contaminant, and wherein the system comprises:

fifth program instructions to determine a gas-contaminant-to-known-fluid ratio based on the new vibration pattern;

sixth program instructions to determine a rate of gas contaminant introduction into the pipe based on the determined gas-contaminant-to-known-fluid ratio; and

seventh program instructions to identify a source of the gas contaminant based on the rate of gas contaminant introduction into the pipe; and

wherein

the fifth, sixth, and seventh program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media, and wherein the program instructions are executed by the processor via the computer readable memory.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the specific contaminant is a solid contaminant, and wherein the system further comprises:

fifth program instructions to determine a solid-contaminant-to-known-fluid ratio based on the new vibration pattern;

sixth program instructions to determine a rate of solid contaminant introduction into the pipe based on the determined solid-contaminant-to-known-fluid ratio; and

seventh program instructions to identify a source of the solid contaminant based on the rate of solid contaminant introduction into the pipe; and

wherein

the fifth, sixth, and seventh program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media, and wherein the program instructions are executed by the processor via the computer readable memory.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the smart sensor comprises a uniquely-identified radio frequency identifier (RFID) device, and wherein the system further comprises:

eighth program instructions to map a location of the smart sensor by interrogating an RFID device in the smart sensor;

ninth program instructions to modify the new vibration pattern to create a location-dependent new vibration pattern according to the location of the smart sensor; and

tenth program instructions to adjust an identified location of the source of the solid contaminant based on the location-dependent new vibration pattern; and

wherein

the eighth, ninth, and tenth program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media, and wherein the program instructions are executed by the processor via the computer readable memory.