Device and method for detecting leaks and healing pipelines using twin balls technology

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11892113-B2
Application number	US-202117378135-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 16, 2021
Priority date	Sep 19, 2017
Publication date	Feb 6, 2024
Grant date	Feb 6, 2024

Abstract

The disclosed invention provides a device and method to detect leaks in pipelines and heal them instantly using twin ball technology. The device comprises two twin balls of novel construction inserted into the pipeline. The sensor ball receives acoustical data through internal sensors. Once the threshold of the sound level is surpassed, the smart ball will send a signal to the second flowing ball. The second ball will flow towards the leaking outlet and eject a healing fluid to close the leak and prevent further damage. The sensor ball will also alert the user to the size and location of the leak via Wi-Fi monitoring and text messaging. This twin balls technology could be used in pipelines of varying sizes and flow rates.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for detecting and healing leaks in pipes comprising:
at least two smart balls, each comprising:
an outer shell, comprising at least two openings;
a battery;
at least two blades;
a rotating axle;
a control system; and
a wireless communication mechanism;

wherein one of the at least two smart balls is a sensor ball; and
wherein one of the at least two smart balls is a healing ball.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor ball further comprises at least one acoustic sensor.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the healing ball further comprises:
a receiver;
an ejector;
a healing fluid tank; and
a healing fluid.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein, for each smart ball, at least two of the blades are placed on an end of the rotating axle.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein, for each smart ball, at least two of the blades are placed on an upper end of the rotating axle, forming an upper blade orientation and at least two of the blades are placed on a lower end of the rotating axle, forming a lower blade orientation.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein, for each smart ball, the blades of the upper blade orientation have an opposite concave direction than the blades of the lower blade orientation.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein, for each smart ball, at least one opening is located on an upper side of the smart ball facing an inlet direction and at least one opening is located on a lower side of the ball facing an outlet direction.

8. A method for detecting and healing leaks in pipelines comprising:
(a) flowing a fluid through a pipeline;
(b) placing at least one sensor ball and at least one healing ball inside the pipeline, wherein the sensor ball and healing ball each have at least two openings;
wherein the sensor ball and healing ball each comprise a rotating axle and at least two blades; and
wherein the sensor ball further comprises an acoustic sensor;

(c) flowing the fluid through the openings of the sensor ball and the openings of the healing ball; and
(d) filling the blades of the sensor ball and the blades of the healing ball with fluid to propel the sensor ball and the healing ball through the pipeline.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
(a) reading the acoustics of the pipeline by an acoustic sensor located inside the sensor ball; and
(b) using the acoustic readings to find a leak in the pipeline.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
(a) the sensor ball sends information about a location of the leak to the healing ball;
(b) the healing ball ejects a healing fluid;
(e) the healing fluid flows through the pipeline to the leak location; and
(d) the healing fluid seals the leak.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein, for each ball, at least one opening is located on an upper side of the ball facing an inlet direction and at least one opening is located on a lower side of the ball facing an outlet direction.

12. The method of claim 8 comprising at least two healing balls and at least two sensor balls.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the sensor ball is released into the pipeline and at a predetermined time later, the healing ball is released into the pipeline.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the sensor ball sends information about a location of the leak through a means selected from the group consisting of: SONAR, Bluetooth, Zigbee, or Wi-Fi and wherein the sensor ball is tethered to the healing ball.

Assignees

• Univ Louisiana At Lafayette

Inventors

• Seibi Abdennour
• Chalgham Wadie

Classifications

• F16L55/16455 Primary

  a part of the tool defining, together with the inner wall of the pipe, an enclosed space into which sealing material is injected · CPC title

• F16L55/1645 Primary

  a sealing material being introduced inside the pipe by means of a tool moving in the pipe · CPC title

• G01M3/243

  for pipes · CPC title

• G01M3/246

  using pigs or probes travelling in the pipe · CPC title

• F16L2101/30

  Inspecting, measuring or testing · CPC title