Leak detection device, leak detection method and program

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9759629-B2
Application number	US-201314431803-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 27, 2013
Priority date	Sep 28, 2012
Publication date	Sep 12, 2017
Grant date	Sep 12, 2017

Abstract

A leak detection device is provided which comprises: in order to suppress effects of extraneous vibration and improve accuracy of leak detection, a first detection unit ( 6 ) which detects vibration in a first direction and output a first signal S 1 representing a magnitude of the vibration in the first direction, the first detection unit ( 6 ) being installed to a pipe ( 2 ) in which fluid ( 5 ) flows; a second detection unit ( 7 ) which detects vibration in a second direction different from the first direction and output a second signal S 2 representing a magnitude of the vibration in the second direction, the second detection unit ( 7 ) being installed to the pipe ( 2 ); and a signal processing unit ( 10 ) which performs an arithmetic operation processing using the first signal S 1 and the second signal S 2.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A leak detection device comprising:
a processor configured to perform an arithmetic operation by:
processing a first signal output from a first detection unit installed to a pipe through which fluid flows, the first signal representing a magnitude of vibration in a first axial direction,
processing a second signal output from a second detection unit installed to the pipe, the second signal representing a magnitude of vibration in a second axial direction, wherein the second axial direction is different than the first axial direction,
calculating a third signal (F 1 ) that represents a frequency of the magnitude of vibration in the first axial direction calculated using the first signal;
calculating a fourth signal (F 2 ) that represents a frequency of the magnitude of vibration in the second axial direction calculated using the second signal;
generating a signal (LS), that represents a difference obtained by subtracting the fourth signal (F 2 ) from the third signal (F 1 ); and
determining, using the signal LS, at least one of a presence or absence of a leak of fluid from the pipe, and a leak position.

2. The leak detection device according to claim 1 , wherein the first axial direction is a longitudinal direction of the pipe and the second axial direction is a direction perpendicular to the first axial direction.

3. The leak detection device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to perform the arithmetic operation by:
calculating K 1 ×F 1 , where K 1 is a first amplification factor configured as a predetermined constant;
calculating K 2 ×F 2 , where K 2 is a second amplification factor configured as a second predetermined constant; and
wherein generating the signal LS of the difference is according to LS=(K 1 ×F 1 )−(K 2 ×F 2 ).

4. The leak detection device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to perform the arithmetic operation by:
calculating C 1 ×F 1 , where C 1 is a first amplification factor which is a variable based on the frequency of the magnitude of vibration in the first axial direction;
calculating C 2 ×F 2 , where C 2 is a second amplification factor which is a variable determined based on the frequency of the magnitude of vibration in the second axial direction;
wherein generating the signal LS is according to LS=(C 1 ×F 1 )−(C 2 ×F 2 ).

5. The leak detection device according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second detection units are installed to the pipe directly or via a mechanism through which vibration propagates.

6. The leak detection device according to claim 5 , wherein the first detection unit comprises a plurality of first detection units installed to the pipe along a longitudinal direction thereof, the second detection unit is installed between a first detection unit of the plurality of first detection units and a second detection unit of the plurality of first detection units, and wherein the processor is further configured to perform the arithmetic operation using the second signal and the first signal output by the second detection unit of the plurality of first detection units.

7. The leak detection device according to claim 1 , wherein first detection unit and the second detection unit form a single sensor.

8. A leak detection method comprising:
receiving, using a processor, from a first sensor installed to a pipe, a first signal representing a magnitude of vibration in a first axial direction;
receiving, using the processor, from a second sensor installed to the pipe, a second signal representing a magnitude of vibration in a second axial direction, wherein the second axial direction is different than the first axial direction;
calculating a third signal (F 1 ) that represents a frequency of the magnitude of vibration in the first axial direction calculated using the first signal;
calculating a fourth signal (F 2 ) that represents a frequency of the magnitude of vibration in the second axial direction calculated using the second signal;
generating a signal (LS), that represents a difference obtained by subtracting the fourth signal (F 2 ) from the third signal (F 1 ); and
determining, using the signal LS, at least one of a presence or absence of a leak of fluid from the pipe, and a leak position.

9. A tangible, non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising stored executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:
receiving, from a first sensor installed to a pipe through which fluid flows, a first signal representing a magnitude of vibration in a first axial direction;
receiving, from a second sensor installed to the pipe, a second signal representing a magnitude of vibration in a second axial direction different than the first axial direction;
calculating a third signal (F 1 ) that represents a frequency of the magnitude of vibration in the first axial direction calculated using the first signal;
calculating a fourth signal (F 2 ) that represents a frequency of the magnitude of vibration in the second axial direction calculated using the second signal;
generating a signal (LS), that represents a difference obtained by subtracting the fourth signal (F 2 ) from the third signal (F 1 ); and
determining, using the signal LS, at least one of a presence or absence of a leak of fluid from the pipe, and a leak position.

10. The leak detection device according to claim 1 , wherein an angle formed between the first axial direction and the second axial direction is 90 degrees.

11. The leak detection method according to claim 8 , wherein an angle formed between the first axial direction and the second axial direction is 90 degrees.

12. The leak detection method according to claim 8 , comprising:
calculating K 1 ×F 1 , where K 1 is a first amplification factor configured as a predetermined constant;
calculating K 2 ×F 2 , where K 2 is a second amplification factor configured as a predetermined constant;
wherein generating the signal LS is according to LS=(K 1 ×F 1 )−(K 2 ×F 2 ).

13. The computer-readable medium according to claim 9 , wherein the first sensor detects vibration in the first axial direction and the second sensor detects vibration in the second axial direction.

14. The computer-readable medium according to claim 9 , wherein an angle formed between the first axial direction and the second axial direction is 90 degrees.

15. The computer-readable medium according to claim 9 , wherein the method comprises:
calculating K 1 ×F 1 , where K 1 is a first amplification factor configured as a predetermined constant;
calculating K 2 ×F 2 , where K 2 is a second amplification factor configured as a predetermined constant;
wherein generating the signal LS is according to LS=(K 1 ×F 1 )−(K 2 ×F 2 ).

Assignees

• Nec Corp

Inventors

• Tomiyama Mizuho
• Takahashi Masatake

Classifications

• G01M3/243 Primary

  for pipes · CPC title

• G01M3/24

  using infrasonic, sonic or ultrasonic vibrations · CPC title

• F17D5/06

  using electric or acoustic means · CPC title

• G01M3/16 Primary

  using electric detection means ({G01M3/045,} G01M3/06, G01M3/12, G01M3/20, G01M3/24, G01M3/26 take precedence) · CPC title