Leakage Patents (Class 48/193)
  • Patent number: 10365180
    Abstract: Testing of vacuum bags used in manufacturing of complex co-cure composite structures provides leak detection that allows an operator to identify leaks within a custom vacuum bag without further damaging the bag, such as by cutting vacuum ports into the bag. Such leak detection can allow the operator to find and repair the leak or, if not repairable or at a location of the bag for which repair is not feasible, take other corrective action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2019
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventors: Timothy D. Aquino, Kurtis S. Willden, David A. Limon
  • Patent number: 10145089
    Abstract: The water conduit flow indicator is a device that is configured to be installed between a spigot and a water conduit in order to provide an audible alarm that water fluid is flowing through the device. The water conduit flow indicator is further defined with a housing that features an inlet and an outlet. The housing includes an internal partition that separates a fluid side from a dry side. Located within the housing is a pair of impeller blades. The pair of impeller blades is further defined with a fluid impeller blade and a dry impeller blade. The dry side of the housing includes a ringer bell that comes into contact with the dry impeller blade such that as the dry impeller blade rotates, the ringer bell generates an audible noise that alerts an end user as to the fluid flow occurring through the water conduit flow indicator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Inventor: John Thomas
  • Publication number: 20090223129
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for detecting a gas leak in a gas distribution system or part thereof, and comprising: (a) a gas inlet connected to a gas-consuming peripheral (10); (b) a means (50) of detecting gas flow rate, which is situated downstream of and close to said inlet; (c) a variable-volume buffer chamber (11), coupled to said distribution system downstream of the detection means (50); (d) a valve (6) controlled by a control means (6A) for leaving or not leaving the gas free to pass from the gas source or supply to the buffer chamber (11) according to the amount of gas present therein; and (e) a means (8) capable of emitting a leak signal when the detection means (50) detects a gas flow rate higher than a predetermined value when the control means (6A) is interrupting the supply of gas to the buffer chamber (11).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 22, 2006
    Publication date: September 10, 2009
    Applicant: CLEVERGAZ SPRL
    Inventors: Hugues De Radigues, Paul Andre
  • Patent number: 7056360
    Abstract: A system is shown for injecting a chemical, such as an odorant, from a chemical supply into a fluid containing system such as a natural gas pipeline. A tank of odorant is maintained under a positive pressure which exceeds that of the pipeline. An injection conduit communicates the odorant tank with the pipeline. A precise control flow valve, located within the injection conduit, meters odorant to be injected into the pipeline. The odorant is metered on a dropwise basis with individual drops of chemical being counted as they pass through the flow valve into the injection conduit and into the natural gas pipeline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2006
    Inventor: Mark Zeck
  • Patent number: 6793699
    Abstract: The invention provides an apparatus for online and on-site tracer generation for tagging natural gas stored in underground storage fields wherein feedstock is drawn from a feedstock source. The feedstock undergoes initial analysis to determine hydrocarbons levels. The feedstock then undergoes reaction to produce tracers such as ethylene, propylene, acetylene hydrogen and carbon monoxide. The feedstock is then analyzed to determine post reaction tracer concentration. The feedstock including generated tracers is then introduced back into the feedstock stream. Tracer levels in the pre-reaction or initial analysis of feedstock are compared with tracer levels in the post-reaction feedstock and the rate of flow of feedstock through the system is adjusted to achieve a predetermined level of tracer concentration. The level of tracer concentration will then be used to identify the particular natural gas charge in a storage field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2004
    Inventors: Dennis D. Coleman, Rodney R. Ruch, Shiaoguo Chen, Massoud Rostam-Abadi
  • Patent number: 6725878
    Abstract: A gas leakage detection system includes a flow path, a dual mode valve disposed in the flow path, an ultrasonic measuring section including a pair of ultrasonic transducers, disposed in the flow path upstream from the dual mode valve, a flow rate calculation section for computing a flow rate based on a signal from the ultrasonic measuring section, and a control section for controlling the dual mode valve. The control section closes or opens the dual mode valve instantaneously, and the flow rate calculation section computes a flow rate when the dual mode valve is closed. Thus, gas leakage can be decided substantially without stopping a gas flow when a user is using the gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2004
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Motoyuki Nawa, Shigeru Iwanaga, Mitsuo Nanba
  • Patent number: 6457483
    Abstract: In a fixture for ascertaining pressure losses in a pressure line (3) which can be blocked for a selectable unit of time by means of shut-off valves (11, 13), in which the consumers (4, 5) are connected to the pressure line (3) and the pressure line (3) is provided with a pressure watchdog (15), the blocked pressure line (3) can have an adjustable quantity of the enclosed pressurised medium supplied into it via a branch line (24) for a unit of time, and the pressure watchdog (15) is provided with a circuit (31) by means of which the pressure line (3) can be controlled depending on the operating status of the pressure watchdog (15). By means of this embodiment, it is possible with only a very minor scope of circuitry to test the pressure line (3) at any time or at selectable time intervals and, depending on the measurement result, to resume the supply to the consumers (4, 5) or to deactivate the pressure line (3).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2002
    Assignee: Innovatherm Prof. Dr. Leisenberg GmbH & Co. KG
    Inventor: Wolfgang Uhrig
  • Patent number: 6103079
    Abstract: An anti-microleakage apparatus is used in a sputtering deposition equipment. A metallic object, such as a wafer, is put in a process chamber. A cryo-pump is used to vacuumed the process chamber. A heater to heat up the process chamber to allow a thermal reaction. The heater is movable and is coupled to an inner bellows line, which allows a low pressure gas can be flushed into the process chamber. The anti-microleakage apparatus is formed on the inner bellows line by wrapping the inner bellows line with an outer bellows line. A higher pressure is created between the inner bellows line and the outer bellow line by filling in a gas. A pressure meter is coupled to the outer bellows line so as to monitor the actual pressure of the higher pressure. When microleakage occurs, the information cab obtained by the pressure meter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2000
    Assignee: United Semiconductor Corp.
    Inventor: Ching-I Kuo
  • Patent number: 5849073
    Abstract: A pigment for sensing gas leakage can be produced by adding at least one of salts of platinum group metals to a slurry of particulate substrate, neutralizing the resultant mixture to deposit at least one of oxides, hydroxides and hydrated oxides of platinum group metals on the surfaces of said particulate substrate, and if necessary, further adding to said slurry at least one of compounds of aluminum, silicon, titanium, zinc, zirconium, tin, antimony and cerium, neutralizing the resultant mixture to deposit at least one of compounds such as oxides, hydroxides and hydrated oxides of aluminum, silicon, titanium, zinc, zirconium, tin, antimony and cerium, on the particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 1998
    Date of Patent: December 15, 1998
    Assignees: Ishihara Sangyo Kaisha, Ltd., Act Research, Inc.
    Inventors: Masashi Sakamoto, Haruo Okuda, Hideo Futamata
  • Patent number: 5392636
    Abstract: Apparatus and method for detecting leaks in pressure-regulated gas systems are provided, particularly LPG gas systems. The apparatus allows detection of movement of the diaphragm in a regulator. The method provides for measuring the leakage rate and confirming that the regulator is operating under proper conditions for the test.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 1992
    Date of Patent: February 28, 1995
    Inventor: Robert S. Blackwell
  • Patent number: 5049312
    Abstract: A method of locating leaks in pipelines and associated facilities and a novel leak-detection test-fluid are disclosed. The novel test-fluid, comprising dimethylsulphide and a mutual solvent, is injected into a pipeline or facility so that the test-fluid escapes through the leak and an odorant which, by virture of its chemical and physical properties, is released from other test-fluid components to be detected in the vicinity of the leak.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1990
    Date of Patent: September 17, 1991
    Assignee: Exxon Production Research Company
    Inventors: Leslie R. Quaife, James Szarka, Kelly J. Moynihan, Michael E. Moir
  • Patent number: 4955988
    Abstract: A gas safety vent device for application to a service pipe of predetermined outside diameter prevents leaking gas from seeping along the exterior of the pipe and entering a building by diverting the gas away from the pipe and venting the same to the atmosphere. The device has a chimney extending from a lower end to an upper end and a lower portion providing a chamber in communication with the chimney and oppositely facing gas sealing and gas entering faces. The gas sealing face surrounds the pipe in gas sealing relationship therewith. The gas entering face has an opening and wire mesh material in the opening has an outer periphery secured to the wall of the opening and an inner periphery defining an inner circle of a diameter substantially the same as the outside diameter of the pipe. The area of the wire mesh material is substantially greater than the area of the circle and the radial dimension of the wire mesh material is everywhere substantially greater than the radius of the circle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 1987
    Date of Patent: September 11, 1990
    Inventor: Richard F. Fadus
  • Patent number: 4551154
    Abstract: The invention provides a method for tagging methane by adding thereto one or more of the tracer compounds sulfur hexafluoride and chloropentafluoroethane. The methane being tagged is noramlly being stored in underground storage fields to provide identity and proof of ownership of the gas. The two tracer compounds are readily detectable at very low concentrations by electron capture gas chromatography apparatus which can be made portable and thus suitable for use in the field.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 1983
    Date of Patent: November 5, 1985
    Assignee: Columbia Gas System Service Corporation
    Inventors: Norman D. Malcosky, Greg Koziar
  • Patent number: 4507128
    Abstract: A pneumatically controlled system is provided for detecting and isolating a rupture in one or more lines of a parallel looped gas transmission network employing valve controlled equalizing lines at intervals. When the gas transmission network incorporates three or four mainlines the direction and magnitude of flow in the equalizing lines is sensed pneumatically and a pneumatic signal representing such flow is transmitted to a control module. The control module is effective to close selected mainline valves and equalizing line valves to isolate a ruptured pipeline section while permitting other valves to remain open thus continuing gas transmission in other portions of the transmission system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1982
    Date of Patent: March 26, 1985
    Inventor: Robert O. Werner
  • Patent number: 4368636
    Abstract: A system and process for the safe supply, distribution, and delivery of a highly volatile and flammable liquid from a contained source of supply of the liquid remote from a closed work environment to a process area within the closed work environment includes a pipeline extending from within the contained supply to the process area within the closed work environment to provide for the delivery of the liquid from the supply to the process area. The system further includes a protective casing spaced from and completely enclosing the pipeline from a point on the pipeline adjacent the process area to a point on the pipeline closely adjacent the pipeline's entry into the closed work environment. The protective casing opens outwardly of the closed work environment to thereby trap within the space existing between the casing and the pipeline any vapors that may be escaping from the liquid within the pipeline for exhausting of the same outwardly of the closed work environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 1980
    Date of Patent: January 18, 1983
    Assignee: RCA Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph H. Thorn, Robert E. Jennings
  • Patent number: 4077427
    Abstract: A valve assembly for detecting leaks in a fluid system which includes an air-tight liquid chamber defined by a transparent sleeve enclosed within a removable cap having windows formed therebetween, the chamber being at least partially filled with liquid, and a plunger means provided with an orifice, including a tube means arranged to communicate between said orifice and liquid within the liquid chamber, wherein the lower end of the tube means is provided with a restraining and sealing means, whereby the upward movement is restricted thereby, and the liquid chamber is sealed during the open mode of the valve. The terminating end of the tube is formed having a beveled tip to allow ease of fluid discharge therefrom. The valve assembly is connected to the fluid line so as to allow the fluid to pass therethrough unimpeded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 1976
    Date of Patent: March 7, 1978
    Assignee: Rosan Enterprises
    Inventors: Jose Rosan, Jr., Marvin P. Reece