System for detecting abnormalities in pipelines

Claim 1

A system for detecting abnormalities in pipelines which comprises: a pipeline for transferring a fluid; a flowmeter installed in said pipeline at the upstream fluid sending end thereof and operating to measure the flow rate of the fluid flowing thereby and to produce accordingly a pulse signal; a traveling structure for traveling through said pipeline together with and at the same velocity as the fluid; means provided on the pipeline at a point downstream from said flowmeter to launch said traveling structure into the pipeline; traveling structure detecting means comprising a plurality of pairs of sensors provided in the pipeline at positions divisionally defining specific sections thereof in which abnormal points can exist to cause the velocity of the fluid at said point to differ from the velocity of the fluid at normal positions of the pipeline, the downstream sensor of one pair of sensors is used doubly as the upstream sensor of the pair of sensors divisionally defining the section adjacently downstream from the section divisionally defined by the first named pair of sensors; and counting means operating in response to the detection signal of the upstream sensor of said a plurality of pairs of sensors to start counting said pulse signals produced by the flowmeter and in response to the detection signal of the other downstream sensor to stop counting said pulse signal and operating to produce an abnormality detection output when the resulting pulse signal count exceeds a preset specific value, said the counting means comprising a plurality of counters provided to correspond respectively to a plurality of pipeline sections divisionally defined by said plurality of pairs of sensors, said counting means being caused, in the case where there is an abnormality point within the pipeline section divisionally defined by said pair of sensors, to carry out counting in excess of the normal preset value by the increase in the time for the passage of the traveling structure through said pipeline section in excess of a normal reference passage time and thereby to produce said abnormality detection output, and each sensor thus doubly used being adapted to send a count stopping signal to the counter corresponding to the section for which said sensor functions as the downstream sensor and sends a count starting signal to the counter corresponding to the section for which said sensor functions as the upstream sensor.

Claim 2

A system for detecting abnormalities in pipelines which comprises: a pipeline for transferring a fluid; a flowmeter installed in said pipeline at the upstream fluid sending end thereof and operating to measure the flow rate of the fluid flowing thereby and to produce accordingly a pulse signal; a traveling structure for traveling through said pipeline together with and at the same velocity as the fluid; means provided on the pipeline at a point downstream from said flowmeter to launch said traveling structure into the pipeline; traveling structure detecting means comprising a plurality of pairs of sensors provided in the pipeline at positions divisionally defining specific sections thereof in which abnormal points can exist to cause the velocity of the fluid at said point to differ from the velocity of the fluid at normal positions of the pipeline, the downstream sensor of one pair of sensors is used doubly as the upstream sensor of the pair of sensors divisionally defining the section adjacently downstream from the section divisionally defined by the first named pair of sensors; and counting means operating in response to the detection signal of the upstream sensor of said a plurality of pairs of sensors to start counting said pulse signals produced by the flowmeter and in response to the detection signal of the other downstream sensor to stop counting said pulse signal and operating to produce an abnormality detection output when the resulting pulse signal count exceeds a preset specific value, said the counting means comprising a plurality of counters provided to correspond respectively to a plurality of pipeline sections divisionally defined by said plurality of pairs of sensors, said counting means being caused, in the case where there is an abnormality point within the pipeline section divisionally defined by said pair of sensors, to carry out counting in excess of the normal preset value by the increase in the time for the passage of the traveling structure through said pipeline section in excess of a normal reference passage time and thereby to produce said abnormality detection output, and each sensor thus doubly used being adapted to send a count stopping signal to the counter corresponding to the section for which said sensor functions as the downstream sensor and sends a count starting signal to the counter corresponding to the section for which said sensor functions as the upstream sensor.

Claim 3

A system for detecting abnormalities in pipelines which comprises: a pipeline for transferring a fluid; a flowmeter installed in said pipeline at the upstream fluid sending end thereof and operating to measure the flow rate of the fluid flowing thereby and to produce accordingly a pulse signal; a traveling structure for traveling through said pipeline together with and at the same velocity as the fluid; means provided on the pipeline at a point downstream from said flowmeter to launch said traveling structure into the pipeline; traveling structure detecting means comprising a plurality of pairs of sensors provided in the pipeline at positions divisionally defining specific sections thereof in which abnormal points can exist to cause the velocity of the fluid at said points to differ from the velocity of the fluid at normal positions of the pipeline, each of said sensors operating to detect the passage past the position thereof of the traveling structure and to produce accordingly a detection signal; and counting means comprises a plurality of counters corresponding respectively to a plurality of pipeline sections divisionally defined by said plurality of pairs of sensors and operating in response to the detection signal of the upstream sensor of said a plurality of pairs of sensors to start counting said pulse signals produced by the flowmeter and in response to the detection signal of the other downstream sensor to stop counting said pulse signal and operating to produce an abnormality detection output when the resulting pulse signal count exceeds a preset specific value, said counting means having an organization whereby, for every instance of generation of detection output signals from the sensors, the counter for carrying out the corresponding counting operation is successively selected, said counting means being caused, in the case where there is an abnormality point within the pipeline section divisionally defined by said pair of sensors, to carry out counting in excess of the normal preset value by the increase in the time for the passage of the traveling structure through said pipeline section in excess of a normal reference passage time and thereby to produce said abnormality detection output.

Claim 4

A system for detecting abnormalities in pipelines which comprises: a pipeline for transferring a fluid; a flowmeter installed in said pipeline at the upstream fluid sending end thereof and operating to measure the flow rate of the fluid flowing thereby and to produce accordingly a pulse signal; a traveling structure for traveling through said pipeline together with and at the same velocity as the fluid; means provided on the pipeline at a point downstream from said flowmeter to launch said traveling structure into the pipeline; traveling structure detecting means comprising a plurality of pairs of sensors provided in the pipeline at positions divisionally defining specific sections thereof in which abnormal points can exist to cause the velocity of the fluid at said points to differ from the velocity of the fluid at normal positions of the pipeline, each of said sensors operating to detect the passage past the position thereof of the traveling structure and to produce accordingly a detection signal; and counting means comprises a plurality of counters corresponding respectively to a plurality of pipeline sections divisionally defined by said plurality of pairs of sensors and operating in response to the detection signal of the upstream sensor of said a plurality of pairs of sensors to start counting said pulse signals produced by the flowmeter and in response to the detection signal of the other downstream sensor to stop counting said pulse signal and operating to produce an abnormality detection output when the resulting pulse signal count exceeds a preset specific value, said counting means having an organization whereby, for every instance of generation of detection output signals from the sensors, the counter for carrying out the corresponding counting operation is successively selected, said counting means being caused, in the case where there is an abnormality point within the pipeline section divisionally defined by said pair of sensors, to carry out counting in excess of the normal preset value by the increase in the time for the passage of the traveling structure through said pipeline section in excess of a normal reference passage time and thereby to produce said abnormality detection output.

Claim 5

A system for detecting abnormalities in pipelines which comprises: a pipeline for transferring a fluid; a flowmeter installed in said pipeline at the upstream fluid sending end thereof and operating to measure the flow rate of the fluid flowing thereby and to produce accordingly a pulse signal: a traveling structure for traveling through said pipeline together with and at the same velocity as the fluid; means provided on the pipeline at a point downstream from said flowmeter to launch said traveling structure into the pipeline; traveling structure detecting means comprising at least one pair of sensors provided in the pipeline at positions divisionally defining a specific section thereof in which abnormal points can exist to cause the velcoity of the fluid at said points to differ from the velocity of the fluid at normal positions of the pipeline, each of said sensors operating to detect the passage past the position thereof of the traveling structure and to produce accordingly a detection signal; and counting meand operating in response to the detection signal of the upstream sensor of said at least one pair of sensors to start counting said pulse signals produced by the flowmeter and in response to the detection signal of the other downstream sensor to stop counting said pulse signal and operating to produce an abnormality detection output when the resulting pulse signal count exceeds a preset specific value; said counting means being caused, in the case where there is an abnormality point within the pipeline section divisionally defined by said pair of sensors, to carry out counting in excess of the normal preset value by the increase in the time for the passage of the traveling structure through said pipeline section in excess of a normal reference passage time and thereby to produce said abnormality detection output; and said traveling structure comprising a central stem, a pair of end seal members fixed to respectiVe ends of said central stem and adapted to contact the pipe inner wall surface of the pipeline, and an intermediate seal member disposed at an intermediate part of the central steam in a manner permitting displacement of said member only in directions perpendicular to the axis of the central stem and adapted to contact the pipe inner wall surface of the pipeline.

Claim 6

A system for detecting abnormalities in pipelines which comprises: a pipeline for transferring a fluid; a flowmeter installed in said pipeline at the upstream fluid sending end thereof and operating to measure the flow rate of the fluid flowing thereby and to produce accordingly a pulse signal: a traveling structure for traveling through said pipeline together with and at the same velocity as the fluid; means provided on the pipeline at a point downstream from said flowmeter to launch said traveling structure into the pipeline; traveling structure detecting means comprising at least one pair of sensors provided in the pipeline at positions divisionally defining a specific section thereof in which abnormal points can exist to cause the velcoity of the fluid at said points to differ from the velocity of the fluid at normal positions of the pipeline, each of said sensors operating to detect the passage past the position thereof of the traveling structure and to produce accordingly a detection signal; and counting meand operating in response to the detection signal of the upstream sensor of said at least one pair of sensors to start counting said pulse signals produced by the flowmeter and in response to the detection signal of the other downstream sensor to stop counting said pulse signal and operating to produce an abnormality detection output when the resulting pulse signal count exceeds a preset specific value; said counting means being caused, in the case where there is an abnormality point within the pipeline section divisionally defined by said pair of sensors, to carry out counting in excess of the normal preset value by the increase in the time for the passage of the traveling structure through said pipeline section in excess of a normal reference passage time and thereby to produce said abnormality detection output; and said traveling structure comprising a central stem, a pair of end seal members fixed to respectiVe ends of said central stem and adapted to contact the pipe inner wall surface of the pipeline, and an intermediate seal member disposed at an intermediate part of the central steam in a manner permitting displacement of said member only in directions perpendicular to the axis of the central stem and adapted to contact the pipe inner wall surface of the pipeline.

Claim 7

A system for detecting abnormalities in pipelines which comprises: a pipeline for transferring a fluid; a flowmeter installed in said pipeline at the upstream fluid sending end thereof and operating to measure the flow rate of the fluid flowing thereby and to produce accordingly a pulse signal; a traveling structure for traveling through said pipeline together with and at the same velocity as the fluid; means provided on the pipeline at a point downstream from said flowmeter to launch said traveling structure into the pipeline; traveling structure detecting means comprising a plurality of pairs of sensors provided in the pipeline at positions divisionally defining specific sections thereof in which abnormal points can exist to cause the velocity of the fluid at said points to differ from the velocity of the fluid at normal positions of the pipeline, each of said sensors operating to detect the passage past the position thereof of the traveling structure and to produce accordingly a detection signal; and counting means comprising a plurality of counters and operating in response to the detection signal of the upstream sensor of said a plurality of pairs of sensors to start counting said pulse signals produced by the flowmeters and in response to the detection signal of the other downstream sensor to stop counting said pulse signal and operating to produce an abnormality detection output when the resulting pulse signal count exceeds a preset specific value; said counting means being caused, in the case where there is an abnormality point within the pipeline section divisionally defined by said pair of sensors, to carry out counting in excess of the normal preset value by the increase in the time for the passage of the traveling structure through said pipeline section in excess of a normal reference passage time and thereby to produce said abnormality detection output.

Claim 8

A system for detecting abnormalities in pipelines which comprises: a pipeline for transferring a fluid; a flowmeter installed in said pipeline at the upstream fluid sending end thereof and operating to measure the flow rate of the fluid flowing thereby and to produce accordingly a pulse signal; a traveling structure for traveling through said pipeline together with and at the same velocity as the fluid; means provided on the pipeline at a point downstream from said flowmeter to launch said traveling structure into the pipeline; traveling structure detecting means comprising a plurality of pairs of sensors provided in the pipeline at positions divisionally defining specific sections thereof in which abnormal points can exist to cause the velocity of the fluid at said points to differ from the velocity of the fluid at normal positions of the pipeline, each of said sensors operating to detect the passage past the position thereof of the traveling structure and to produce accordingly a detection signal; and counting means comprising a plurality of counters and operating in response to the detection signal of the upstream sensor of said a plurality of pairs of sensors to start counting said pulse signals produced by the flowmeters and in response to the detection signal of the other downstream sensor to stop counting said pulse signal and operating to produce an abnormality detection output when the resulting pulse signal count exceeds a preset specific value; said counting means being caused, in the case where there is an abnormality point within the pipeline section divisionally defined by said pair of sensors, to carry out counting in excess of the normal preset value by the increase in the time for the passage of the traveling structure through said pipeline section in excess of a normal reference passage time and thereby to produce said abnormality detection output.