Method and system for detecting a flow blockage in a pipe

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9228915-B2
Application number	US-201514594784-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 12, 2015
Priority date	Feb 5, 2014
Publication date	Jan 5, 2016
Grant date	Jan 5, 2016

Abstract

A method of detecting a flow blockage in a pipe includes: arranging a fluid flow along the pipe, the pipe in fluid communication with a pressure sensor; configuring the pressure sensor to measure a pressure within the pipe; recording plurality of measurements of pressure within the pipe; sampling ‘n’ successive values of pressure within the pipe; performing an analytical test on the ‘n’ successive values, the analytical test producing an output value, the output value representative of a variation in the individual ones of the ‘n’ successive values; comparing the output value to a pre-defined threshold value, the threshold value indicative of a lack of variation in the individual ones of the ‘n’ successive values; and if the output value is less than the threshold value, generating an alert to provide a user with an indication of the presence of flow blockage in the pipe.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of detecting a flow blockage in a pipe, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) arranging a fluid flow along the pipe, the pipe being in fluid communication with a pressure sensor;
(b) configuring the pressure sensor to measure a pressure within the pipe;
(c) recording a plurality of measurements of the pressure within the pipe;
(d) sampling ‘n’ successive values of the pressure within the pipe;
(e) performing an analytical test on the ‘n’ successive values, the analytical test producing an output value, the output value being representative of a variation in the individual ones of the ‘n’ successive values;
(f) comparing the output value to a pre-defined threshold value, the threshold value being indicative of a lack of variation in the individual ones of the ‘n’ successive values; and
(g) if the output value is less than the threshold value, generating an alert to thereby provide a user with an indication of the presence of a flow blockage in the pipe.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the analytical test comprises the following steps:
(e1a) calculating the standard deviation of the ‘n’ successive values; and
(e2a) setting the output value of the analytical test to be the standard deviation of the ‘n’ successive values.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the analytical test comprises the following steps:
(e1b) calculating a relative difference between each pair of successive ones of the ‘n’ successive values;
(e2b) for each of the ‘n’ successive values, calculating a sum of the (n−1) relative difference values; and
(e3b) setting the output value of the analytical test to be the sum of the (n−1) relative difference values.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the analytical test comprises the following steps:
(e1c) performing a Fourier analysis on the ‘n’ successive values;
(e2c) for each sample of ‘n’ successive values recording the frequencies of any periodicity and their amplitudes; and
(e3c) setting the output value of the analytical test to be the amplitudes of the Fourier waveform analysis.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein step (c) comprises recording a plurality of measurements of the pressure within the pipe at a rate of between approximately 1 Hz and 100 Hz.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein step (c) comprises recording a plurality of measurements of the pressure within the pipe at a rate of between approximately 10 Hz and 50 Hz.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 wherein step (c) comprises recording a plurality of measurements of the pressure within the pipe at a rate of approximately 20 Hz.

8. The method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein step (c) comprises recording a plurality of measurements of the pressure within the pipe at a rate of approximately 20 Hz.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein step (d) comprises the step of:
(d1) sampling a rolling set of ‘n’ successive values of the pressure within the pipe.

10. A system for detecting a flow blockage in a pipe, the system comprising:
a pressure signal pipe;
a pressure sensor; and
a processor;
wherein the pressure sensor is in fluid communication with the pressure signal pipe, the pressure sensor being adapted to generate a plurality of output signal measurements indicative of the pressure within the pressure signal pipe,
the pressure sensor being further adapted to transmit the plurality of output signal measurements to the processor, the processor being adapted to carry out the method as claimed in claim 1 .

11. The system as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the plurality of output signal measurements is recorded at a rate of between approximately 1 Hz and 100 Hz.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the plurality of output signal measurements is recorded at a rate of between approximately 10 Hz and 50 Hz.

13. The system as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the plurality of output signal measurements is recorded at a rate of approximately 20 Hz.

14. The system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the plurality of output signal measurements is recorded at a rate of approximately 20 Hz.

15. A system for detecting a flow blockage in a pipe, the system comprising:
a pressure signal pipe;
a pressure sensor; and
a processor;
wherein the pressure sensor is in fluid communication with the pressure signal pipe, the pressure sensor being adapted to generate a plurality of output signal measurements indicative of the pressure within the pressure signal pipe,
the pressure sensor being further adapted to transmit the plurality of output signal measurements to the processor, the processor being adapted to carry out the method as claimed in claim 2 .

16. A system for detecting a flow blockage in a pipe, the system comprising:
a pressure signal pipe;
a pressure sensor; and
a processor;
wherein the pressure sensor is in fluid communication with the pressure signal pipe, the pressure sensor being adapted to generate a plurality of output signal measurements indicative of the pressure within the pressure signal pipe,
the pressure sensor being further adapted to transmit the plurality of output signal measurements to the processor, the processor being adapted to carry out the method as claimed in claim 3 .

17. A system for detecting a flow blockage in a pipe, the system comprising:
a pressure signal pipe;
a pressure sensor; and
a processor;
wherein the pressure sensor is in fluid communication with the pressure signal pipe, the pressure sensor being adapted to generate a plurality of output signal measurements indicative of the pressure within the pressure signal pipe,
the pressure sensor being further adapted to transmit the plurality of output signal measurements to the processor, the processor being adapted to carry out the method as claimed in claim 4 .

Assignees

• Rolls Royce Plc

Inventors

• Grice Christopher Michael

Classifications

• F17D3/18

  for measuring the quantity of conveyed product (measuring volume or volume flow, in general G01F) · CPC title

• F17C2221/031

  Air · CPC title

• F05D2260/80

  Diagnostics · CPC title

• F17D3/00

  Arrangements for supervising or controlling working operations · CPC title

• G01L19/083 Primary

  electrical · CPC title