Method of detecting faults in the insulation layer of an insulated concealed conductor
US5828219A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 12, 1997 |
| Grant date | Oct 27, 1998 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 12, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01V3/06
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A system for detecting faults in the insulation layer surrounding a concealed conducting pipe (10) includes a signal generator (12) for applying an alternating current with a frequency of around 4Hz to the pipe, a magnetometer (102) for detecting the alternating current from the pipe (10) and a CPU (115) for identifying changes in the gradient of the detected current along the length of the concealed conducting pipe (10) which are caused by the faults in the insulation layer. The magnetometer (102) is used in connection with a locator(100) which detects a second alternating current applied to the pipe (10) by the signal generator (12), this second alternating current having a frequency of around 128Hz. The system can also use both these signals to determine the direction of the signals emulating from the pipe (10).
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.