Determination of tuberculation in a fluid distribution system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9835592-B2
Application number	US-201514740902-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 16, 2015
Priority date	Jun 16, 2015
Publication date	Dec 5, 2017
Grant date	Dec 5, 2017

Abstract

Examples of determining tuberculation in a fluid distribution system are disclosed. In one example implementation according to aspects of the present disclosure, an acoustical wave generator generates an acoustical wave within a fluid path of a fluid distribution system. A first acoustical sensor and a second acoustical sensor sense the acoustical wave. An acoustical signal analysis module determines an amount of tuberculation within the fluid distribution system by analyzing the sensed acoustical wave.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
generating, by an acoustical wave generator, an acoustical wave within a fluid path of a fluid distribution system;
sensing, at a first acoustical sensor and at a second acoustical sensor, the acoustical wave;
determining, by an acoustical signal analysis module, a sound pressure difference between the acoustical wave sensed at the first acoustical sensor and the acoustical wave sensed at the second acoustical sensor, the sound pressure difference representing an attenuation of the acoustical wave within a section of the fluid distribution system between the first acoustical sensor and the second acoustical sensor; and
determining, by the acoustical signal analysis module, an amount of tuberculation within the section of the fluid distribution system based on the attenuation of the acoustical wave.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first acoustical sensor and the second acoustical sensor are placed a distance apart to enabling the sensing of the acoustical wave.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first acoustical sensor and the second acoustical sensor comprises a hydrophone.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the amount of tuberculation within the section comprises relating the attenuation of the acoustical wave to the formula

2
⁢

H
R

⁡

(
f
)

+

H
T

⁡

(
f
)

a
-
t

⁢
x

,

wherein H R (f) represents a normal amount of attenuation at frequency f within the section without tuberculation, H T (f) represents an amount of attenuation at frequency f within the section contributed by tuberculation, x represents a distance along the fluid path between the first acoustical sensor and the second acoustical sensor, a represents a radius of the fluid path, and t represents an average thickness of tuberculation within the section.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the acoustical wave generator comprises a reverse hydrophone.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the acoustical wave generator further comprises:
a signal generator to generate a signal;
a signal amplifier to amplify the signal; and
a sound source to emit the amplified signal.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining is performed while the fluid distribution system is in use such that a fluid is flowing through the fluid distribution system.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluid distribution system comprises a pipe, and wherein the acoustical wave generator, the first acoustical sensor, and the second acoustical sensor are connected to the pipe.

9. A fluid distribution system, comprising:
an acoustical wave generator in fluid communication with a fluid path within the fluid distribution system, the acoustical wave generator to generate an acoustical wave;
a first acoustical sensor in fluid communication with the fluid path within the fluid distribution system, the first acoustical sensor sensing the acoustical wave generated by the acoustical wave generator and outputting a first acoustical signal representative of the acoustical wave;
a second acoustical sensor in fluid communication with the fluid path within the fluid distribution system, the second acoustical sensor sensing the acoustical wave generated by the acoustical wave generator and outputting a second acoustical signal representative of the acoustical wave; and
an acoustical signal analysis module to analyze the first acoustical signal and the second acoustical signal to determine a sound pressure difference between the acoustical wave sensed at the first acoustical sensor and the acoustical wave sensed at the second acoustical sensor, the sound pressure difference representing an attenuation of the acoustical wave within a section of the fluid distribution system between the first acoustical sensor and the second acoustical sensor, and to determine an amount of tuberculation within the section of the fluid distribution system based on the attenuation of the acoustical wave.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the first acoustical sensor and the second acoustical sensor are placed a distance apart to enabling the sensing of the acoustical wave.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the first acoustical sensor and the second acoustical sensor comprises a hydrophone.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the fluid distribution system comprises a pipe.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the acoustical wave generator comprises a reverse hydrophone.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the acoustical wave generator further comprises:
a signal generator to generate a signal;
a signal amplifier to amplify the signal; and
a sound source to emit the amplified signal.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the fluid distribution system comprises a pipe, and wherein the acoustical wave generator, the first acoustical sensor, and the second acoustical sensor are connected to the pipe.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processing resource, cause the processing resource to:
receive a first acoustical signal output by a first acoustical sensor in a fluid distribution system based on sensing an acoustical wave generated by an acoustical wave generator;
receive a second acoustical signal output by a second acoustical sensor in the fluid distribution system based on sensing the acoustical wave generated by the acoustical wave generator;
analyze the first acoustical signal and the second acoustical signal to determine a sound pressure difference between the acoustical wave sensed at the first acoustical sensor and the acoustical wave sensed at the second acoustical sensor, the sound pressure difference representing an attenuation of the acoustical wave within a section of the fluid distribution system between the first acoustical sensor and the second acoustical sensor; and
determine an amount of tuberculation within the section of the fluid distribution system based on the attenuation of the acoustical wave.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein determining the amount of tuberculation within the section comprises relating the attenuation of the acoustical wave to the formula

2
⁢

H
R

⁡

(
f
)

Assignees

• Mueller Int Llc

Inventors

• Yusuf Shabbir
• Richarz Werner Guenther

Classifications

• G01N29/4427

  with stored values, e.g. threshold values · CPC title

• G01N29/40

  by amplitude filtering, e.g. by applying a threshold {or by gain control} · CPC title

• G01B21/14

  internal diameters {(of boreholes or wells E21B47/08)} · CPC title

• G01N29/4454

  Signal recognition, e.g. specific values or portions, signal events, signatures · CPC title

• G01N29/032 Primary

  by measuring attenuation of acoustic waves · CPC title