Monitoring pressurized vessels for leaks, ruptures or hard hits
US5623421A · kind A · utility
14Cited by
6References
15Claims
0Family size
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 3, 1995 |
| Grant date | Apr 22, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 3, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N2291/105
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A device monitors a pressurized vessel to detect small leaks, ruptures and hard hits on the vessel. Transducers are attached to the vessel and transmit acoustic signals which are processed to extract frequency spectra which contain dominant resonant frequency peaks, if the vessel contains a small leak. If multiple frequency component of the spectra shift to a lower frequency suddenly and stay at the lower frequency, this indicated the presence of a larger leak or rupture. A hard hit on the vessel, for example by machinery, is detected by a shift in the transient response of harmonics in the acoustic signal.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.