Method and apparatus for locating seepage from tanks

Claim 1

A method for locating a leak from a tank containing a fluid using a broad frequency spectrum of acoustic signals, comprising: (a) receiving a broad frequency spectrum of acoustic signals at a first plurality of points; (b) reducing the amplitudes of low frequency portions of the broad frequency spectrum of acoustic signals received at the first plurality of points; (c) continuously correlating the phases of high frequency portions of the acoustic signals using an adaptive correlation algorithm; (d) determining a first difference in times of receipt of the high frequency portions of the acoustic signals at each of the first plurality of points to determine a first plurality of possible leak locations; (e) receiving a broad frequency spectrum of acoustic signals at a second plurality of points; (f) reducing the amplitudes of low frequency portions of the broad frequency spectrum of acoustic signals received at the second plurality of points; (g) correlating the phases of high frequency portions of the acoustic signals to determine a second plurality of possible leak locations; and (h) correlating the first and second plurality of possible leak locations to ascertain leak location.

Claim 2

A method for locating a leak from a tank containing a fluid using a broad frequency spectrum of acoustic signals, comprising: (a) receiving a broad frequency spectrum of acoustic signals at a first plurality of points; (b) reducing the amplitudes of low frequency portions of the broad frequency spectrum of acoustic signals received at the first plurality of points; (c) continuously correlating the phases of high frequency portions of the acoustic signals using an adaptive correlation algorithm; (d) determining a first difference in times of receipt of the high frequency portions of the acoustic signals at each of the first plurality of points to determine a first plurality of possible leak locations; (e) receiving a broad frequency spectrum of acoustic signals at a second plurality of points; (f) reducing the amplitudes of low frequency portions of the broad frequency spectrum of acoustic signals received at the second plurality of points; (g) correlating the phases of high frequency portions of the acoustic signals to determine a second plurality of possible leak locations; and (h) correlating the first and second plurality of possible leak locations to ascertain leak location.

Claim 10

An apparatus for determining the location of a leak from the bottom of a tank containing a fluid using a spectrum of high frequency acoustic signals generated by the leak, comprising: (a) a digital signal processor for discriminating against large inconsistent ambient noise and high energy noise bursts and for determining time differences between the times of receipt of high frequency acoustic signals at a plurality of sensors; (b) an adjustable filter in electrical communication with said digital signal processor for reducing the amplitudes of low frequency acoustic signals; (c) a plurality of sensors at a plurality of locations on the periphery of the tank in electronic communication with said digital signal processor for detecting the acoustic signals thereby allowing determination of a plurality of differences between times of receipt of the acoustic signals at each of the plurality of sensors; (d) a computing device in electronic communication with said digital signal processor for comparing the differences in times of receipt and determining possible leak locations.

Claim 11

An apparatus for determining the location of a leak from the bottom of a tank containing a fluid using a spectrum of high frequency acoustic signals generated by the leak, comprising: (a) a digital signal processor for discriminating against large inconsistent ambient noise and high energy noise bursts and for determining time differences between the times of receipt of high frequency acoustic signals at a plurality of sensors; (b) an adjustable filter in electrical communication with said digital signal processor for reducing the amplitudes of low frequency acoustic signals; (c) a plurality of sensors at a plurality of locations on the periphery of the tank in electronic communication with said digital signal processor for detecting the acoustic signals thereby allowing determination of a plurality of differences between times of receipt of the acoustic signals at each of the plurality of sensors; (d) a computing device in electronic communication with said digital signal processor for comparing the differences in times of receipt and determining possible leak locations.

Claim 14

A method for locating a leak from a tank containing a fluid using a broad frequency spectrum of acoustic signals, comprising: (a) receiving a broad frequency spectrum of acoustic signals at a first plurality of points; (b) correlating the phases of the spectrum of acoustic signals; (c) determining a first difference in times of receipt of the acoustic signals at each of the first plurality of points to determine a first plurality of possible leak locations; (d) receiving a broad frequency spectrum of acoustic signals at a second plurality of points; (e) continuously correlating the phases of the spectrum of acoustic signals using an adaptive correlation algorithm to determine a second plurality of possible leak locations; and (f) correlating the first and second plurality of possible leak locations to ascertain leak location.

Claim 15

A method for locating a leak from a tank containing a fluid using a broad frequency spectrum of acoustic signals, comprising: (a) receiving a broad frequency spectrum of acoustic signals at a first plurality of points; (b) correlating the phases of the spectrum of acoustic signals; (c) determining a first difference in times of receipt of the acoustic signals at each of the first plurality of points to determine a first plurality of possible leak locations; (d) receiving a broad frequency spectrum of acoustic signals at a second plurality of points; (e) continuously correlating the phases of the spectrum of acoustic signals using an adaptive correlation algorithm to determine a second plurality of possible leak locations; and (f) correlating the first and second plurality of possible leak locations to ascertain leak location.

Claim 22

An apparatus for determining the location of a leak from the bottom of a tank containing a fluid using a spectrum of acoustic signals generated by the leak, comprising: (a) a digital signal processor for discriminating against large inconsistent ambient noise and high energy noise bursts and for determining time differences between the times of receipt at a plurality of sensors; (b) a plurality of sensors at a plurality of locations on the periphery of the tank in electronic communication with said digital signal processor for detecting the acoustic signals thereby allowing determination of a plurality of differences between times of receipt of the acoustic signal at each of the plurality of sensors; (c) a computing device in electronic communication with said digital signal processor for comparing the differences in times of receipt and determining possible leak locations.

Claim 23

An apparatus for determining the location of a leak from the bottom of a tank containing a fluid using a spectrum of acoustic signals generated by the leak, comprising: (a) a digital signal processor for discriminating against large inconsistent ambient noise and high energy noise bursts and for determining time differences between the times of receipt at a plurality of sensors; (b) a plurality of sensors at a plurality of locations on the periphery of the tank in electronic communication with said digital signal processor for detecting the acoustic signals thereby allowing determination of a plurality of differences between times of receipt of the acoustic signal at each of the plurality of sensors; (c) a computing device in electronic communication with said digital signal processor for comparing the differences in times of receipt and determining possible leak locations.