Columbia Gas of Ohio, Inc.

Jerry E Farstad

Arthur C Eberle

Stephen P Cremean

John L Fabian

Buried fluid containing conduits, such as natural gas lines, are located by providing variable frequency sinusoidal excitation acoustic signals over a broad frequency range to the fluid content of the conduit so that the conduit will vibrate and cause elastic vibration in the media in which such conduit is buried. A plurality of measurements of said vibrations are taken on the surface of the media or ground in which such conduit is buried. The measurements are taken laterally of the estimated position of the conduit. The position of the conduit is determined by changes in the characteristics of the vibrations caused by the differences in distances between the pipe and the measurements.

Acoustic tracing of buried conduits

An accelerometer is attached to a pipe wall to measure the acoustic pressure waves generated in a fluid within the pipe as a result of a leak in a valve in the pipeline. Calibrating the accelerometer and tuning it to particular wave frequencies allows a determination of the magnitude of the leak through the valve.

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Columbus, OH, United States of America

Jerry E Farstad