Patents by Inventor John M. Bacon

John M. Bacon has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Techniques for monitoring health of vessels containing fluids
    Patent number: 6834556
    Abstract: Some techniques for monitoring health of a vessel include attaching a sensor suite of one or more sensors to an outer skin of the vessel and providing power for the sensor suite based on a temperature difference between a fluid temperature of a contained fluid inside the vessel and an ambient temperature outside the vessel. Some techniques include attaching a sensor suite by cinching a belt around the vessel and causing two ends of a strain gauge in the sensor suite to become rigidly attached to the outer skin of the vessel, for example, on opposite sides of a weld joining two sections of the vessel. These techniques allow a pipeline to be readily instrumented and monitored remotely which reduces manpower costs for performing manual inspections, reduces the risks of injury from performing manual inspections during hazardous weather conditions, and reduces the likelihood of undetected leaks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2004
    Assignee: The Johns Hopkins University
    Inventors: Russell P. Cain, Bliss G. Carkhuff, John M. Bacon
  • Techniques for monitoring health of vessels containing fluids
    Publication number: 20030079553
    Abstract: Some techniques for monitoring health of a vessel include attaching a sensor suite of one or more sensors to an outer skin of the vessel and providing power for the sensor suite based on a temperature difference between a fluid temperature of a contained fluid inside the vessel and an ambient temperature outside the vessel. Some techniques include attaching a sensor suite by cinching a belt around the vessel and causing two ends of a strain gauge in the sensor suite to become rigidly attached to the outer skin of the vessel, for example, on opposite sides of a weld joining two sections of the vessel. These techniques allow a pipeline to be readily instrumented and monitored remotely which reduces manpower costs for performing manual inspections, reduces the risks of injury from performing manual inspections during hazardous weather conditions, and reduces the likelihood of undetected leaks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2002
    Publication date: May 1, 2003
    Inventors: Russell P. Cain, Bliss G, Carkhuff, John M. Bacon