Method and apparatus for erosion detection and location in hydrocarbon production systems and the like

Claim 1

A method for detecting the loss of conduit material from a conduit through which flows a fluid comprising: sensing the energy released when the conduit material is separated from the conduit as the fluid flows therethrough; determining the amount of material separated from the conduit based directly on the sensed released energy; wherein a particulate substance is entrained in the fluid and wherein the step of sensing the energy released includes: attaching to the conduit a transducer means responsive to a first range of frequencies of the released energy; converting, by means of said transducer means, the sensed released energy within the first range of frequencies into corresponding electrical signals; wherein the first range of frequencies of the released energy to which the transducer means is responsive includes the frequencies between approximately 100 kilohertz and approximately 500 kilohertz; wherein the step of sensing the energy released further includes electrically filtering the corresponding electrical signals so that only those ones of the corresponding electrical signals having frequencies within a second range of frequencies are provided for performing said step of computing the quantity of material separated from the conduit.

Claim 2

A method for detecting the loss of conduit material from a conduit through which flows a fluid comprising: sensing the energy released when the conduit material is separated from the conduit as the fluid flows therethrough; determining the amount of material separated from the conduit based directly on the sensed released energy; wherein a particulate substance is entrained in the fluid and wherein the step of sensing the energy released includes: attaching to the conduit a transducer means responsive to a first range of frequencies of the released energy; converting, by means of said transducer means, the sensed released energy within the first range of frequencies into corresponding electrical signals; wherein the first range of frequencies of the released energy to which the transducer means is responsive includes the frequencies between approximately 100 kilohertz and approximately 500 kilohertz; wherein the step of sensing the energy released further includes electrically filtering the corresponding electrical signals so that only those ones of the corresponding electrical signals having frequencies within a second range of frequencies are provided for performing said step of computing the quantity of material separated from the conduit.

Claim 4

A method for detecting the loss of conduit material from a conduit through which flows a fluid comprising: sensing the energy released when the conduit material is separated from the conduit as the fluid flows therethrough; determining the amount of material separated from the conduit based directly on the sensed released energies; wherein a particulate substance is entrained in the fluid and wherein the step of sensing the energy released includes: attaching to the conduit a transducer means responsive to a first range of frequencies of the released energy; converting, by means of said transducer means, the sensed released energy within the first range of frequencies into corresponding electrical signals; wherein the step of sensing the energy released further includes electrically filtering the corresponding electrical signals so that only those ones of the corresponding electrical signals having frequencies within a second range of frequencies are provided for performing said step of computing the quantity of material separated from the conduit.

Claim 5

A method for detecting the loss of conduit material from a conduit through which flows a fluid comprising: sensing the energy released when the conduit material is separated from the conduit as the fluid flows therethrough; determining the amount of material separated from the conduit based directly on the sensed released energies; wherein a particulate substance is entrained in the fluid and wherein the step of sensing the energy released includes: attaching to the conduit a transducer means responsive to a first range of frequencies of the released energy; converting, by means of said transducer means, the sensed released energy within the first range of frequencies into corresponding electrical signals; wherein the step of sensing the energy released further includes electrically filtering the corresponding electrical signals so that only those ones of the corresponding electrical signals having frequencies within a second range of frequencies are provided for performing said step of computing the quantity of material separated from the conduit.

Claim 7

A method of detecting the loss of conduit material from a conduit through which flows a fluid effecting cavitation erosion of the conduit, comprising: sensing the energy released when the conduit material is separated from the conduit in response to the cavitation erosion effected by the fluid; computing the amount of material separated from the conduit based directly on the sensed release energy; wherein the step of sensing the energy released includes: attaching to the conduit a transducer means responsive to a first range of frequencies of the released energy; converting, by means of said transducer means, the sensed released energy within the first range of frequencies into corresponding electrical signals; wherein the first range of frequencies of the released energy to which the transducer means is responsive includes the frequencies beteen approximately 100 kilohertz and approximately 500 kilohertz; wherein the step of sensing the energy released further includes electrically filtering the corresponding electrical signals so that only those ones of the corresponding electrical signals having frequencies within a second range of frequencies are provided for performing said step of computing the quantity of material separated from the conduit.

Claim 8

A method of detecting the loss of conduit material from a conduit through which flows a fluid effecting cavitation erosion of the conduit, comprising: sensing the energy released when the conduit material is separated from the conduit in response to the cavitation erosion effected by the fluid; computing the amount of material separated from the conduit based directly on the sensed release energy; wherein the step of sensing the energy released includes: attaching to the conduit a transducer means responsive to a first range of frequencies of the released energy; converting, by means of said transducer means, the sensed released energy within the first range of frequencies into corresponding electrical signals; wherein the first range of frequencies of the released energy to which the transducer means is responsive includes the frequencies beteen approximately 100 kilohertz and approximately 500 kilohertz; wherein the step of sensing the energy released further includes electrically filtering the corresponding electrical signals so that only those ones of the corresponding electrical signals having frequencies within a second range of frequencies are provided for performing said step of computing the quantity of material separated from the conduit.

Claim 10

A method of detecting the loss of conduit material from a conduit through which flows a fluid effecting cavitation erosion of a conduit, comprising: sensing the energy released when the conduit material is separated from the conduit in response to the cavitation erosion effected by the fluids; computing the amount of materials separated from the conduit based directly on the sensed released energy; wherein the step of sensing the energy released includes: attaching to the conduit a transducer means responsive to a first range of frequencies of the released energy; converting, by means of said transducer means, the sensed released energy within the first range of frequencies into corresponding electrical signals; wherein the step of sensing the energy released further includes electrically filtering the corresponding electrical signals so that only those ones of the corresponding electrical signals having frequencies within a second range of frequencies are provided for performing said step of computing the quantity of material separated from the conduit.

Claim 11

A method of detecting the loss of conduit material from a conduit through which flows a fluid effecting cavitation erosion of a conduit, comprising: sensing the energy released when the conduit material is separated from the conduit in response to the cavitation erosion effected by the fluids; computing the amount of materials separated from the conduit based directly on the sensed released energy; wherein the step of sensing the energy released includes: attaching to the conduit a transducer means responsive to a first range of frequencies of the released energy; converting, by means of said transducer means, the sensed released energy within the first range of frequencies into corresponding electrical signals; wherein the step of sensing the energy released further includes electrically filtering the corresponding electrical signals so that only those ones of the corresponding electrical signals having frequencies within a second range of frequencies are provided for performing said step of computing the quantity of material separated from the conduit.