WO2012091489A2

WO2012091489A2 - Apparatus for detecting water leakage

Info

Publication number: WO2012091489A2
Application number: PCT/KR2011/010311
Authority: WO
Inventors: 민경수; 박상봉; 김동현; 오경석; 이경섭; 박혁성; 천문숙; 주동성; 류재연; 백종은
Original assignee: 수자원기술 주식회사; 주식회사 로보젠
Priority date: 2010-12-30
Filing date: 2011-12-29
Publication date: 2012-07-05
Also published as: WO2012091489A3; KR20120077109A

Abstract

Disclosed is an apparatus for detecting water leakage, which detects the locations of leaks while moving along the interior of an underground pipeline. The apparatus for detecting water leakage according to the present invention comprises: a housing which floats along a pipeline; a mapping-data-collecting unit arranged in the housing so as to collect three-dimensional mapping data of the pipeline; a sound-sensing unit arranged in the housing to acquire leakage sounds generated by water leakage in the pipeline; a control unit which receives analog data collected by the mapping-data-collecting unit and the sound-sensing unit, and which converts the received analog data into digital data; and a storage unit for storing the digital data transferred from the control unit.

Description

Leakage Detector

The present invention relates to a leak detection device, and relates to a leak detection device for detecting a leak point while moving along an inside of a pipeline buried underground.

Leakage is not only structural, but also loss of water due to holes or incorrect connections due to corrosion, and in the event of a leak in the water supply pipe, foreign matter may enter and cause contamination of the tap water. Therefore, it is important to quickly detect leaks occurring in underground pipes (for example, water supply pipes) as well as to accurately identify leak locations.

In the conventional leak detection operation, a worker moves to an area where a leak is expected in a state in which a worker directly holds a leak detection device on the ground, and then detects the leak in a hearing manner through the leak detection device. In this case, when the sound generated by the leak is transmitted to the surface, the sound is detected and amplified from the ground, and then the receiver is directly listened to the receiver worn by the operator or analyzed by a meter to identify the leak position.

By the way, the water supply pipeline was buried at a depth of 1.2M or more from the ground, so when a small amount of leakage is difficult to detect and it is difficult to accurately detect the leak point.

In addition, in the case of detecting leaks of water supply pipes buried beneath a heavy traffic road, it was difficult to detect traffic noise due to vehicle traffic, which is mixed with the sound generated by leaks underground and transmitted to the leak detector.

In addition, it is almost impossible to detect the leak position when the pipe is three-dimensionally embedded or when the pipes are wired around.

The present invention is to solve the above problems, while moving along the pipeline to obtain mapping data and underwater sound data to implement a three-dimensional network diagram and analyze the sound of the water to accurately display the leak point on the three-dimensional network diagram It is an object of the present invention to provide a leak detection device.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention includes a housing floating along the inside of the pipeline buried underground; A mapping data collection unit disposed inside the housing to detect 3D mapping data of the conduit; A sound sensing unit installed in the housing to obtain a leak sound generated according to a leak in a pipe; A controller which receives the analog data collected through the data collector and the sound wave detector and converts the analog data into digital data; And a storage unit for receiving and storing digital data from the control unit.

Preferably, at least one sound sensing unit is disposed at the front or the rear of the housing. In this case, the sound detector may apply a hydrophone.

The mapping data collection unit is preferably a gyro sensor.

In addition, the present invention may further include an optical odometer installed in the housing, for acquiring the moving distance of the leak detection device to supplement the data obtained by the gyro sensor.

The optical odometer may be disposed on an upper side of the housing, and the housing may include at least one pair of spacers on the upper side of the optical odometer so as to maintain a predetermined interval on the inner circumferential surface of the conduit.

In this case, the pair of spacers each include a wheel; And it may include a supporter for rotatably supporting the wheel. At this time, it is preferable that the wheel is made of a lightweight material of low density. For example, the wheel may be made of a sponge having a predetermined rigidity.

In addition, the present invention may further include a wire odometer connected to the rear of the housing, to obtain the moving distance of the leak detection device to supplement the data obtained by the gyro sensor.

The housing may include a pair of wings installed on both sides of the housing to maintain balancing when floating along the pipeline.

The housing is preferably made of a low density material having waterproof and high rigidity.

In another aspect, the present invention may further include an outer shell surrounding the outside of the housing and absorbing the shock generated in the housing and having a resilience to absorb the shock sound.

Furthermore, the present invention may further include at least one lighting and vision camera, each installed at a predetermined position of the housing.

As described above, in the present invention, while constructing the pipe network diagram of the water supply pipe buried in the basement in three dimensions, at the same time to obtain the leakage sound generated inside the pipeline, based on this, the leak point of the pipeline on the pipe network diagram displayed in three By accurately displaying, there is an advantage that the user can intuitively and easily identify the pipeline leak point.

1 is a perspective view showing a leak detection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention,

2 and 3 are a cross-sectional view and a longitudinal sectional view showing a leak detection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, respectively;

4 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a leak detection device detects a leak point while moving along a pipeline according to an embodiment of the present invention;

5 and 6 are schematic diagrams illustrating a state in which a leak detection device according to an embodiment of the present invention obtains a leak sound through a sound detector in front of and behind a leak point.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described the configuration of the leak detection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1 to 3, the leak detector 10 according to the present embodiment includes a housing 110, a mapping data collector 120, a

sound detector

131 and 133, a controller 150, and a data storage 160. It includes.

The housing 110 is made of a curved surface as a whole so that the leak detection device 10 can move while minimizing the resistance of water when the leak detection device 10 floats along the pipeline 1. For example, the housing 110 preferably has a shape such as a rugby ball made of an oval cross section. However, the housing 110 may be formed in various ways according to the characteristics of the pipe to be applied without being limited to such a shape.

The housing 110 is provided with a space S therein to mount the mapping data collector 120, the

sound detectors

131 and 133, the controller 150, and the data storage 160.

In addition, the housing 110 is made of a material having a specific gravity smaller than that of the fluid (eg, water) so that the leak detection apparatus 10 can always float. To this end, the housing 110 is preferably made of a high rigidity low density material to improve buoyancy and to have a waterproof function.

As the housing 110 is floated by the buoyancy as described above, the leak detection device 10 moves in a variety of environments, such as a change in the flow of water in the pipe 1 or a width of the pipe 1 when moving along the pipe 1. It is possible to continuously move along the pipeline 1 without sinking to the bottom of the pipeline 1.

In addition, the housing 110 is covered with a shell 111 on the surface. In this case, the outer shell 111 is the entire housing 110 except for the vision camera 140 exposed to the front of the housing 110 and the

sound detectors

131 and 133 which are installed and exposed at the front and rear of the housing 110, respectively. To cover. In addition, the outer shell 111 is made of a sound absorbing material having a predetermined elasticity to absorb the impact and absorb the impact noise when the housing 110 collides with the inner peripheral surface of the conduit (1). In this case, through the sound absorbing function of the outer shell 111, it is possible to effectively block the noise that interferes with the detection of the leakage site of the pipeline 1, such as the collision noise of the leak detection device (10).

In addition, when the upper side of the housing 110 touches the inner circumferential surface 1a of the conduit 1, the housing 110 of the leak detection apparatus 10 is caused by frictional force generated between the housing 110 and the inner circumferential surface 1a of the conduit 1. In order to prevent the moving speed from slowing down or stopping at all, a pair of

spacers

113 and 114 are installed above the housing 110.

The pair of

spacers

113 and 114 are disposed symmetrically to the front and rear of the housing 110, respectively. The pair of

spacers

113 and 114 respectively include

wheels

113a and 114a having a predetermined diameter and

supporters

113b and 114b rotatably supporting the

wheels

113a and 114a.

Such a pair of

spacers

113 and 114 serve to smoothly move the leak detector 10 along the pipeline 1, and to reduce the measurement error of the optical odometer 121 described below. It serves as a constant maintaining the distance (L) between the 120 and the inner peripheral surface of the pipe (1). The

wheels

113a and 114a are made of a low density lightweight material, for example, a sponge having a predetermined rigidity, so as to increase the buoyancy of the leak detector 10.

In addition, the housing 110 is provided with a pair of

wings

115 and 116 on both sides of the housing 110 along the longitudinal direction of the housing 110, respectively. The pair of

wings

115 and 116 are formed symmetrically with respect to the center of the housing 110. The pair of

wings

115 and 116 may have a predetermined shape in which the housing 110 is formed in the inner circumferential surface 1a of the conduit 1 or in the conduit 1 when the leak detection device 10 moves along the conduit 1. It is possible to minimize the collision directly with the structure and the like. In addition, the pair of wings (115, 116) serves to balance the leakage detection device 10 to move along the conduit (1) while maintaining a stable state to minimize the phenomenon of rolling, pitching and yawing in the fluid.

In addition, the housing 110 includes a battery 118 and a docking unit 119 therein. The battery 118 supplies power to various devices mounted inside the housing 110 and uses a rechargeable battery to be reusable. The docking unit 119 includes a charging terminal (not shown) and a data transmission / reception terminal (not shown), and these terminals are exposed to the outside of the housing 110. Such a docking unit 119 is detachably connected to a predetermined docking station (not shown).

Accordingly, when the leak detection device 10 is connected to the docking station through the docking unit 119, the leak detection device 10 receives the mapping data and the leak sound data obtained while the leak detection device 10 passes through the pipeline 1. (Not shown) For example, it transmits to a portable notebook. At this time, the portable notebook is provided with software for modeling a three-dimensional map of the pipeline network for the underground water pipe using the mapping data and software for analyzing the leak sound of the pipeline and displaying the graph.

The mapping data collection unit 120 is disposed inside the housing 110 to detect three-dimensional mapping data for the conduit 1. Data for the three-dimensional mapping of the pipeline network, the leak detection device 10 is the movement distance from the pipeline 1 to the recovery unit 5 in the input section (see Fig. 4) of the pipeline 1, the direction of movement ( And the moving speed in the three-dimensional direction). The mapping data collection unit 120 preferably applies an accelerometer and a gyro sensor.

Meanwhile, the leak detection apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment includes an optical odometer 121 that is a non-contact measuring device so as to supplement the moving distance measured by the mapping data collection unit 120. In this case, the optical odometer 121 is disposed above the housing 110, and preferably, a pair of optical odometers 121 can maintain the measurement distance L (see FIG. 3) with the inner circumferential surface 1a of the conduit 1 constantly. It is disposed between the

spacers

113 and 114. In this case, the optical odometer 121 may maintain the measurement distance L within the error range through the

spacers

113 and 114.

In addition, the leak detection apparatus 10 of the present embodiment may further include a wire odometer (not shown) to compensate for the moving distance of the leak detection apparatus 10, such as the optical odometer 121. In this case, the wire odometer includes a wire odor meter main body (not shown) for measuring the unwinding distance of the wire 123 and the wire 123 connected to the fixing ring 110a formed at the rear end of the housing 110. The main body of the wire odometer is installed in the inlet 3 of the conduit 1 of the leak detector 10.

As such, since the movement distance measured by including the optical odometer 121 and the wire odometer may be fused to the movement distance acquired by the mapping data collection unit 120, the reliability of the mapping information may be improved.

The

sound detectors

131 and 133 are installed in the housing 110, and the leak detection device 10 moves along the pipe 1 to acquire sound generated in the pipe 1. In this case, at least one of the

sound detectors

131 and 133 is disposed at the front and the rear of the housing 110, respectively, with a portion of the

sound detectors

131 and 133 being exposed to the outside of the housing 110. As the

sound detectors

131 and 133 acquire the sound in the mono type, the number of the

sound detectors

131 and 133 increases more precisely. In this case, it is preferable that the

sound detection units

131 and 133 employ a hydrophone so as to obtain even a fine sound.

In addition, the leak detection apparatus 10 of the present embodiment may be equipped with a vision camera 140 in front of the housing 110 to secure the image data inside the pipeline (1). In this case, the installation position of the vision camera 140 and the plurality of LED lights 141 need not be limited to the front of the housing 110, and the predetermined position of the housing 110 is considered in consideration of the size of the pipeline and the working environment. Can be installed appropriately, and the number of vision cameras 140 can also be provided with one or more.

On the other hand, the image data can visually check the leaking portion (7) can accurately grasp the degree and location of the damage. The vision camera 140 is provided with a plurality of LED lights 141 in the periphery to enable the interior of the dark conduit (1).

The controller 150 is electrically connected to the mapping data collector 120, the

sound detectors

131 and 133, the optical odometer 121, the vision camera 140, and the temperature sensor 180. The controller 150 converts the analog signals received from the devices into digital signals and transmits them to the data storage unit 160. In addition, the controller 150 converts the A / D data as well as the network diagram immediately to the display unit of the analyzer when data is transmitted to a predetermined analyzer (not shown) which is recovered from the pipeline 1 and docked. It is of course also possible to pre-process to indicate the location of leakage sound.

The leak detection apparatus 10 of the present embodiment may include a temperature sensor 180. In this case, the temperature sensor 180 is installed in a state in which a part of the temperature sensor 180 is exposed to the outside of the housing 110 so as to detect the temperature of the fluid flowing into the conduit 1. The temperature sensor 180 transmits the sensed temperature signal to the controller 150, and the controller 150 may analyze the temperature signal to calculate the density of the fluid, thereby determining the flow velocity of the fluid. The data obtained through the temperature sensor 180 may be used to compensate for the moving distance of the leak detection apparatus 10 obtained through the mapping data collection unit 120 or the like.

The operation of the leak detection apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention configured as described above will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6.

The input unit 3 and the recovery unit 5 shown in FIG. 4 are schematically illustrated, and a launcher installed in the input unit 3 to inject the leak detection device 10 into the pipeline 1. Is omitted, and a receiver provided for recovering the leak detection apparatus 10 is omitted in the recovery section 5.

First, when the leak detection device 10 is introduced through the injection unit 3, the leak detection device 10 is suspended in the same direction as the flow of the fluid by the fluid flowing along the inside of the pipe (1). In this case, the leak detection apparatus 10 naturally moves along the pipeline 1 while the

wheels

113a and 114a of the

spacers

113 and 114 provided on the housing 110 contact and rotate the inner peripheral surface 1a of the pipeline 1. .

At this time, the leak detection device 10 of the present embodiment does not have a separate propellant and moves along the pipeline 1 depending on the flow of the fluid.

The leak detection device 10 is a gyro sensor 120, an optical odometer 121, a wire odometer (not shown) and a temperature sensor while moving a straight and curved line from the input unit 3 to the recovery unit 5 The mapping data is collected through 180.

In addition, the leak detection device 10 collects underwater sound data inside the conduit 1 through

sound detection units

131 and 133 installed at the front and rear of the housing 110. In this case, as illustrated in FIG. 5, the

sound detectors

131 and 133 detect more sounds with the sound detector 131 in front of the housing 110 in the state where the leaking part 7 is in front, and as shown in FIG. After passing through the area 7, more sound is detected through the sound detector 133 behind the housing 110.

As described above, the

sound detectors

131 and 133 acquire the leaked sound in the state in which the leaked part 7 is in front, and acquire the leaked sound in the state of passing the leaked part 7, respectively, through the

sound detectors

131 and 133. By comparing the data and tracking the highest negative peak corresponding to the moving distance and the moving speed of the leak detection device 10, it is possible to accurately detect the position of the correct leaking part 7 of the pipeline 1. .

Thus, the leak detection apparatus 10 of the present embodiment is recovered to the recovery unit 5, and then docked to a docking station (not shown) to transmit mapping data and leak sound data to the analyzer.

The leak detection device 10 may detect the leak in the entire network by repeating the input and recovery in the pipeline several places. In this case, the position (geographic information) of the input unit 3 and the recovery unit 5 formed on the pipeline 1 may be measured using GPS technology, and the position may be referred to as a section reference point of the pipeline network at the time of mapping. Are utilized.

The analyzer may establish a three-dimensional network diagram of a pipeline embedded underground through the data received from the leak detection device 10, and also the three-dimensional leak point through the sound obtained through the

sound detectors

131 and 133. It can be accurately represented on the network diagram.

On the other hand, the leak detection device 10 is equipped with a predetermined wireless transmission and reception module (not shown), it is of course also possible to transmit the mapping data and sound data obtained when moving along the pipeline 1 to the analyzer in real time. In this case, the analyzer may express the 3D network diagram in real time through the display unit and may indicate the current position of the leak detection apparatus 10 on the network diagram.

In addition, the analyzer displays a graph of the underwater sound that increases when the leak detector 10 approaches the leak point through the display, and on the contrary, displays an underwater sound graph that decreases as the water leak point passes through the leak point and moves away from the leak point. can do.

Accordingly, through this embodiment, the user can accurately grasp the leak point of the complex pipeline network embedded in the basement on the three-dimensional network diagram.

This embodiment has been described as an example of the water supply pipe, but is not limited to this, as the liquid detecting unit 10 of the present embodiment floats the

wheels

113a and 114a in contact with the inner wall of the pipe as the liquid is transported. If possible, it can be applied regardless of the type of pipeline.

Claims

A housing floating along the inside of the pipeline buried underground;

A mapping data collection unit disposed inside the housing to detect 3D mapping data of the conduit;

A sound sensing unit installed in the housing to obtain a leak sound generated according to a leak in a pipe;

A controller which receives the analog data collected through the data collector and the sound wave detector and converts the analog data into digital data; And

And a storage unit for receiving and storing digital data from the control unit.
The leak detector according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the sound detectors is disposed at the front or the rear of the housing.
The leak detector according to claim 2, wherein the sound detector is a hydrophone.
The leak detector according to claim 1, wherein the mapping data collecting unit is a gyro sensor.
The optical odometer of claim 4, further comprising an optical odometer installed in the housing for acquiring a moving distance of the leak detection device to supplement the data obtained by the gyro sensor. Leak Detection Device.
The optical odometer of claim 5, wherein the optical odometer is disposed above the housing, and the housing includes at least one pair of spacers on the upper side of the optical odometer so as to maintain a predetermined distance on the inner circumferential surface of the pipe. Leakage detection device.
The method of claim 6, wherein the pair of spacers, respectively

Wheels; And

Leak detection apparatus comprising a supporter for rotatably supporting the wheel.
8. The leak detector according to claim 7, wherein the wheel is made of a low density lightweight material.
8. The leak detector according to claim 7, wherein the wheel is made of a sponge having a predetermined rigidity.
The wire odometer of claim 4 or 5, further comprising a wire odometer connected to the rear of the housing and configured to obtain a moving distance of the leak detector to supplement data obtained by the gyro sensor. Leakage detection device, characterized in that.
The water leak detector according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the housing includes a pair of vanes installed on both sides of the housing to maintain balancing when floating along the pipeline. .
The leak detector according to claim 1, wherein the housing is made of a low density material having waterproof and high rigidity.
According to any one of claims 1 to 3, Leak detection characterized in that it further comprises an outer shell surrounding the outer housing, the sound absorbing material having a resilience to absorb the shock generated in the housing and absorb the shock sound Device.
The leak detector according to claim 1, further comprising at least one illumination and vision camera respectively installed in the housing.