System and method for detecting the passage of an object in pipeline including shielded magnetometer and a microcontroller with adaptive thresholding detection means

US8378667B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• TDW Delaware, Inc. · US

Inventors

• Stephen J. Miska · Tulsa, US
• William J. Rankin · Willoughby, US
• Matthew W. Logan · Broken Arrow, US
• Mark G. Register · Broken Arrow, US
• Eric N. Freeman · Kiefer, US
• Philip M. Maltby · Sand Springs, US
• Lloyd Salsman · Stillwater, US

Key dates

• Filing date: May 22, 2009
• Grant date: Feb 19, 2013
• Expiry date: Nov 28, 2030

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01N27/72
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A pipeline pig signal made according to this invention houses one or more shielded magnetometer sensors and a microcontroller with adaptive thresholding detection means for reducing the likelihood of false alarms. The adaptive thresholding detection means removes outlier data from the magnetic flux data stream and then passes the outlier-free data stream through four low pass filters. A smoothed magnitude of the data stream is compared to detection limits and, if a passage event has occurred, a recent detection is indicated, a counter of a display unit is incremented, a time of passage is recorded, and both statistics are displayed on the display unit. Because a single object may produce multiple magnetic fields, the detector may be locked-out for a predetermined period of time after the passage event to prevent a second detection of the same object as it passes the detection device.