Leakage analysis system and leakage detection method using at least two measurement terminals

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9766151-B2
Application number	US-201314428436-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 18, 2013
Priority date	Sep 18, 2012
Publication date	Sep 19, 2017
Grant date	Sep 19, 2017

Abstract

A measurement terminals include: a sensor that measures pipe vibration in a pipe; a measurement information acquisition unit that acquires measurement position information and measurement time information; a transmitter that transmits the pipe vibration, the measurement position information and the measurement time information to an analyzer; a receiver that receives an analysis result from the analyzer; and an output unit that outputs the analysis result from the analyzer. The analyzer includes: a receiver that receives the pipe vibration, the measurement position information, and the measurement time information from the measurement terminals; a storage storing pipe data regarding an installation structure and installation position of the pipe; a leakage position analyzer that analyzes a leakage position in the pipe on the basis of the pipe vibration, the measurement position information, the measurement time information, and the pipe data; and a transmitter that transmits the analysis result to the measurement terminals.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A leakage position analysis system for analyzing a leakage position in a pipe, the leakage position analysis system comprising:
at least two or more measurement terminals that are arranged on the pipe; and
an analyzer,
wherein each one of the measurement terminals includes:
a vibration sensor configured to measure pipe vibrations in the pipe;
a measurement position information acquisition unit configured to acquire measurement position information;
a measurement time information acquisition unit configured to acquire measurement time information;
a first wireless communication unit configured to transmit the pipe vibrations, the measurement position information, and the measurement time information to the analyzer by wireless communication,
wherein the first wireless communication unit is configured to receive an analysis result of the analyzer by wireless communication; and

an output unit configured to output the analysis result of the analyzer,

wherein the analyzer includes:
a second wireless communication unit configured to receive the pipe vibrations, the measurement position information, and the measurement time information from the measurement terminal by wireless communication;
a storage configured to store pipe data relating to an installation structure and installation position of the pipe and map data including position information about a manhole to the pipe or a measurement meter arranged in the pipe; and
a leakage position analyzer configured to analyze a leakage position in the pipe based on the pipe vibrations, the measurement position information, the measurement time information, and the pipe data, seek a manhole or a measurement meter near the leakage position from the map data and the position information of the analyzed leakage position, and prepare a leakage position map in which the sought manhole or measurement meter is plotted on a map,
wherein the second wireless communication unit is configured to transmit the analysis result and the leakage position map to the measurement terminal by wireless communication.

2. The leakage position analysis system according to claim 1 , wherein the leakage position analyzer is configured to prepare a measurement terminal arrangement position instruction map in which a manhole or a measurement meter corresponding to arrangement positions in which the measurement terminals are to be installed is plotted on the map, and transmit the measurement terminal arrangement position instruction map to the measurement terminals via the second wireless communication unit.

3. The leakage position analysis system according to claim 2 , wherein the leakage position analyzer is configured to determine new measurement terminal arrangement positions so as to narrow a measurement section more than a measured measurement section.

4. The leakage position analysis system according to claim 2 , wherein the leakage position analyzer is configured to determine arrangement positions in which the measurement terminals are to be arranged from the map data and the position information of the analyzed leakage position.

5. The leakage position analysis system according to claim 4 , wherein the leakage position analyzer is configured to, when there is the analyzed leakage position in a section between positions in which the measurement terminals are arranged, determine arrangement positions in which the measurement terminals are to be arranged so that the section between arrangement positions in which the measurement terminals are to be arranged is a section narrower than that between the positions in which the measurement terminals are arranged and the analyzed leakage position is sandwiched.

6. A leakage position analysis method for analyzing a leakage position in a pipe, the leakage position analysis method comprising:
causing at least two or more measurement terminals to be arranged in the pipe;
causing the measurement terminals to measure pipe vibrations, measurement position information, and measurement time information of the pipe;
causing the measurement terminals to transmit the pipe vibrations, the measurement position information, and the measurement time information to an analyzer by wireless communication;
causing the analyzer to receive the pipe vibrations, the measurement position information, and the measurement time information from the measurement terminals by wireless communication;
causing the analyzer to analyze the leakage position in the pipe based on pipe data relating to an installation structure and installation position of the pipe and the pipe vibrations, the measurement position information, and the measurement time information;
causing the analyzer to seek a manhole to the pipe or a measurement meter arranged in the pipe near the leakage position from map data including position information about the manhole or the measurement meter and the position information about the analyzed leakage position, and prepare a leakage position map in which the sought manhole or measurement meter is plotted on a map;
causing the analyzer to transmit the analysis result and the leakage position map to the measurement terminals by wireless communication;
causing the measurement terminals to receive the analysis result and the leakage position map by wireless communication; and
causing the measurement terminals to output the received analysis result and the leakage position map.

7. The leakage position analysis method according to claim 6 , the leakage position analysis method further including:
preparing a measurement terminal arrangement position instruction map in which the manhole or measurement meter corresponding to arrangement positions in which the measurement terminals are to be arranged is plotted on the map, and transmitting the measurement terminal arrangement position instruction map to the measurement terminals.

Assignees

• Nec Corp

Inventors

• Hoshuyama Osamu
• Ono Yumi

Classifications

• G01M3/243

  for pipes · CPC title

• G01M3/00 Primary

  Investigating fluid-tightness of structures · CPC title

• G01C21/3407

  specially adapted for specific applications · CPC title

• G01B21/16

  for measuring distance of clearance between spaced objects · CPC title

• F17D5/06 Primary

  using electric or acoustic means · CPC title