Acoustic detection in process environments

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016084801-A1
Application number	US-201414494865-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 24, 2014
Priority date	Sep 24, 2014
Publication date	Mar 24, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An acoustic measurement system for an industrial process asset includes a process measurement device providing a value representative of an acoustic signal near the industrial process asset based in part on a signal from an acoustic sensor positioned near the industrial process asset. A second acoustic sensor provides an acoustic value and a noise reduction component uses the acoustic value from the second acoustic sensor to affect the value provided by the process measurement device so that the value provided by the process measurement device is more representative of an acoustic signal generated by the industrial process asset.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An acoustic measurement system for an industrial process asset, the acoustic measurement system comprising:
a process control device providing a value representative of an acoustic signal near the industrial process asset based in part on a signal from an acoustic sensor positioned near the industrial process asset; a second acoustic sensor providing an acoustic value; and a noise reduction component that uses the acoustic value from the second acoustic sensor to affect the value provided by the process control device so that the value provided by the process control device is more representative of an acoustic signal generated by the industrial process asset.

2 . The acoustic measurement system of claim 1 wherein the noise reduction component reduces a magnitude of the signal from the acoustic sensor positioned near the industrial process asset based on the acoustic value from the second acoustic sensor.

3 . The acoustic measurement system of claim 2 wherein the noise reduction component reduces the magnitude of the signal from the acoustic sensor positioned near the industrial process asset by applying an attenuation coefficient to the acoustic value from the second acoustic sensor to form an attenuated acoustic value and subtracting the attenuated acoustic value from the magnitude of the signal.

4 . The acoustic measurement system of claim 3 wherein the attenuation coefficient is indicative of an attenuation of a signal from a position of the second acoustic sensor to a position of the acoustic sensor positioned near the industrial process asset.

5 . The acoustic measurement system of claim 4 wherein the attenuation coefficient is determined by receiving an acoustic test signal from the second sensor and acoustic test signal from the acoustic sensor positioned near the industrial process asset when the industrial process asset is not generating acoustic energy.

6 . The acoustic measurement system of claim 1 wherein the noise reduction component comprises an anti-noise transmitter that generates a signal that cancels at least a portion of acoustic noise sensed by the second acoustic sensor.

7 . The acoustic measurement system of claim 6 wherein the anti-noise transmitter generates the signal that cancels at least a portion of the acoustic noise based on an attenuation coefficient and a propagation delay value.

8 . The acoustic measurement system of claim 1 wherein the process control device comprises an acoustic transmitter.

9 . The acoustic measurement system of claim 8 wherein the second acoustic sensor and the acoustic sensor communicate with the acoustic transmitter and the noise reduction component is within the acoustic transmitter.

10 . The acoustic measurement system of claim 1 wherein the acoustic sensor is part of a first acoustic transmitter and the second acoustic sensor is part of a second acoustic transmitter.

11 . The acoustic measurement system of claim 10 wherein the second acoustic transmitter provides the acoustic value of the second acoustic sensor directly to the first acoustic transmitter and the noise reduction component is within the first acoustic transmitter.

12 . The acoustic measurement system of claim 1 wherein the process control device comprises a wireless gateway and the noise reduction component is within the wireless gateway.

13 . The acoustic measurement system of claim 1 wherein the process control device comprises a host and the noise reduction component is within the host.

14 . The acoustic measurement system of claim 1 wherein the process control device comprises a network management tool and the noise reduction component is within the network management tool.

15 . A method comprising:
measuring a noise level on a process structure; measuring an acoustic level near a process asset; modifying the measured acoustic level based on the measured noise level to produce an adjusted acoustic level.

16 . The method of claim 15 wherein modifying the measured acoustic level comprises:
reducing the measured noise level based on an attenuation coefficient to form an attenuated noise level; and
subtracting the attenuated noise level from the measured acoustic level.

17 . The method of claim 16 further comprising determining the attenuation coefficient through steps comprising:
reducing noise generated by the process asset;
measuring a background noise level on the process pipe;
measuring a background noise level near the process asset;
dividing the measured background noise level near the process asset by the measured background noise level on the process pipe.

18 . An acoustic measurement system comprising:
an acoustic sensor configured to be mounted near a process pipe; and an acoustic suppression device comprising:
at least one inner surface shaped to fit the process pipe; and
at least one connector for securing the acoustic suppression device to the process pipe.

19 . The acoustic measurement system of claim 18 wherein the acoustic suppression device is located between a mounting location for the acoustic sensor and a noise source.

20 . The acoustic measurement system of claim 18 wherein the acoustic suppression device further comprises at least two cantilevered flanges.

21 . The acoustic measurement system of claim 20 wherein the at least two cantilevered flanges comprise an array of cantilevered flanges such that within the array, the spacing between the cantilevered flanges varies.

22 . The acoustic measurement system of claim 20 wherein the acoustic suppression device further comprises a damping material between the at least two cantilevered flanges.

23 . The acoustic measurement system of claim 20 wherein the at least two cantilevered flanges comprise an array of cantilevered flanges such that within the array, the length of the cantilevered flanges varies.

24 . The acoustic measurement system of claim 23 wherein the at least two cantilevered flanges comprise an array of cantilevered flanges such that within the array, the spacing between the cantilevered flanges varies.

25 . The acoustic measurement system of claim 18 wherein the acoustic suppression device further comprises modular flanges interspersed with modular spacers.

26 . The acoustic measurement system of claim 25 wherein the modular spacers comprise partial cylinders.

27 . The acoustic measurement system of claim 25 wherein the distance between modular flanges due to the modular spacers varies.

28 . A modular noise suppression kit comprising:
a first fin; a second fin; a plurality of spacers of different lengths, wherein spacers of different lengths are associated with different noise frequencies; and at least one connector for connecting one of the plurality of spacers between the first fin and the second fin.

29 . The modular noise suppression kit of claim 28 further comprising a dampening material positionable between the first fin and the second fin.

Assignees

• Rosemount Inc

Inventors

• Robinson Cory Michael
• Peluso Marcos Antonio Vieira
• Schnaare Theodore Henry
• Lindsey Ryan Thomas
• Faulkner Lynn Leroy

Classifications

• G01N29/11 Primary

  by measuring attenuation of acoustic waves · CPC title

• G01N2291/015

  Attenuation, scattering · CPC title

• G10K11/002

  Devices for damping, suppressing, obstructing or conducting sound in acoustic devices (G10K1/06 - G10K1/10 take precedence; for electro-mechanical transducers for communication H04R3/002) · CPC title

• G01N29/14 Primary

  using acoustic emission techniques {(echo of particles G01N29/046; measuring mechanical vibrations or acoustic waves in solids in general G01H1/00)} · CPC title

• G10K11/17835

  using detection of abnormal input signals · CPC title