Mueller International, LLC

Sebastien Perrier

Valentin Mircea Burtea

Bruce Robertson

Daryl Lee Gibson

William Mark O'Brien

Paul S Gifford

Kevin Adam Laven

Joseph Butterfield

Harold Miller

Valentin Mirea Burtea

Yaoyi Mi

Methods, systems, and computer-readable storage media for providing high-resolution assessment of the condition of pipes of a fluid distribution down to the individual pipe stick. An acoustic sensor is placed in acoustical communication with a pipe at one end of a target segment. An acoustical wave is generated in the pipe at a first out-of-bracket excitation location while signal data is recorded from the acoustic sensor. Timing information regarding the arrival at the acoustic sensor of reflections of the acoustic wave from pipe joints in the target segment is extracted from the recorded signal data, and a time delay between reflections from consecutive pipe joints is computed. An acoustic propagation velocity in a pipe stick between the consecutive pipe joints is then computed based on the time delay and a length of the pipe stick. A condition of the pipe stick is determined based on the computed acoustic propagation velocity.

Acoustic pipeline condition assessment at resolution down to pipe stick

A nozzle cap for a fire hydrant includes a cap cover comprising a metal material; and a cap body defining a cap axis, the cap body comprising: an inner housing comprising a metal material; and an outer housing comprising a non-metal material, the outer housing disposed axially between the inner housing and the cap cover, the outer housing comprising a substantially circumferential wall, the substantially circumferential wall defining a cavity between the inner housing and the cap cover, wherein a first end of the substantially circumferential wall engages the inner housing.

Hydrant nozzle cap

Apparatuses, methods, and systems for accurate measurement of the bulk modulus of a fluid in a fluid distribution system. An apparatus comprises a pipe, a first endcap, and a second endcap defining a cylindrical cavity, a means for filling the cylindrical cavity with a fluid sample, and a vibrational sensor coupled to an end plate of the second endcap and communicatively connected to a water property measurement system. The vibrational sensor is operable to, subsequent to the filling of the cylindrical cavity with the fluid sample, send a signal representative of sensed vibrations in the end plate of the second endcap to the water property measurement system while an end plate of the first endcap is excited. The water property measurement system computes a frequency response function from the signal and determines a bulk modulus value for the fluid sample based on the frequency response function.

Bulk modulus testing apparatus

Methods, systems, and computer-readable storage media for accurate time delay estimation using coherent averaging. A plurality of out-of-bracket acoustical impulses are generated in a pipe segment of a fluid distribution system. Signal data representing the acoustical impulses sensed at two locations along the pipe segment are recorded. Precise timings for the generation of the acoustical impulses are obtained, and the acoustical impulses in the signal data recorded from the first location are averaged based on the precise timings to produce a near-sensor average impulse. Similarly, the acoustical impulses in the signal data recorded from the second location are averaged based on the same precise timings to produce a far-sensor average impulse. A time delay between arrival of the plurality of out-of-bracket acoustical impulses at the first and second locations is estimated from the timing of the near-sensor average impulse and the far-sensor average impulse.

Acoustic pipe condition assessment using coherent averaging

A nozzle cap includes a cap body defining a cap axis, the cap body defining a circumferential wall extending circumferentially around the cap axis; and a vibration sensor including a shaft, the shaft defining a first end and a second end, the first end attached to the circumferential wall, the cap axis positioned closer to the second end than to the first end.

Hydrant cap leak detector with oriented sensor

Example aspects of a nozzle cap for a fire hydrant and a method of detecting a leak in a fluid system are disclosed. The nozzle cap for a fire hydrant can include an outer housing defining a first end, a second end opposite the first end, and a substantially circumferential wall extending from the first end to the second end; an antenna coupled to the substantially circumferential wall of the outer housing; a cap cover coupled to the outer housing at the first end; and an inner housing coupled to the outer housing at the second end.

Hydrant nozzle cap with antenna

Methods, systems, and computer-readable storage media for performing high-resolution assessment of the condition of pipes of a fluid distribution system using in-bracket excitation. Acoustical impulses are generated in a pipe at two excitation locations along the pipe while signal data is recorded from two acoustic sensors, at least one of the excitation locations being located in-bracket of the two acoustic sensors. A first time delay between the arrival of the acoustical impulses at the two acoustic sensors is computed from the signal data recorded during generation of the impulses at the first excitation location, and a second time delay between the arrival of the impulses at the two sensors is computed from the signal data recorded during generation of the impulses at the second excitation location. An acoustic propagation velocity is computed for a section of the pipe defined by the first and second excitation location based on the first time delay, the second time delay, and a distance between the excitation locations, and a condition of the section of pipe is determined from the computed acoustic propagation velocity.

High-resolution acoustic pipe condition assessment using in-bracket pipe excitation

Example aspects of a nozzle cap for a fire hydrant and a method for manufacturing a nozzle cap to detect leaks in a fluid system are disclosed. The nozzle cap for a fire hydrant can comprise a cap body, the cap body comprising an inner housing and an outer housing, the outer housing defining a cavity; a vibration sensor received within the cavity and configured to detect leaks in a fluid system connected to the fire hydrant; and a metal insert contacting the vibration sensor and the inner housing.

A hydrant assembly includes a fire hydrant including a barrel, the barrel defining a barrel axis extending from a top barrel end of the barrel to a bottom barrel end of the barrel; and a vibration sensor enclosed within the fire hydrant, the vibration sensor defining a sensor axis extending from a first sensor end of the vibration sensor to a second sensor end of the vibration sensor, the sensor axis defining an angle relative to the barrel axis, the angle less than ninety degrees.

A nozzle cap includes a cap body, the cap body defining a cap axis extending from a first body end of the cap body to a second body end of the cap body; and a vibration sensor attached to the cap body, the vibration sensor defining a sensor axis extending from a first sensor end of the vibration sensor to a second sensor end of the vibration sensor, the sensor axis aligned perpendicular to the cap axis.

Methods, systems, and computer-readable storage media for predicting the amount of buildup in a pipe of a fluid distribution system by evaluating a loss of acoustic energy from a sound source over a distance of the pipe. An acoustic energy in an acoustical wave travelling in the fluid of a pipe is measured at a first location and a second location, and an estimated damping factor for the segment of pipe between the first and second locations is computed based on a comparison of the acoustic energy measured at the first location and the second location. A residual attenuation for the segment of the pipe is determined from a difference between the estimated damping factor and a theoretical damping factor for the pipe based on a material comprising a pipe wall, and an amount of buildup in the pipe is estimated based on the residual attenuation.

Predicting severity of buildup within pipes using evaluation of residual attenuation

Examples of receiving and analyzing data for predicting pipe attenuation within a fluid distribution system are disclosed. In one example implementation according to aspects of the present disclosure, a method for receiving and analyzing data for predicting pipe attenuation within a fluid distribution system includes: receiving predetermined criteria for a specific pipe-soil combination; calculating attenuation data of the specific pipe-soil combination based on the predetermined criteria; employing the attenuation data to produce a colormap of sound attenuation; and determining a propagating distance for the specific pipe-soil combination based on the colormap and a predetermined frequency.

Generation and utilization of pipe-specific sound attenuation

Examples for creating a graphical mapping of pipe node location selection for a fluid distribution system are disclosed. In one example implementation according to aspects of the present disclosure, a method for creating a graphical mapping of pipe node location selection for a fluid distribution system includes: receiving predetermined criteria for each pipe segment of a plurality of pipe segments in the fluid distribution system; determining an equivalent length for each pipe segment based at least on the predetermined criteria; grouping each pipe segment into a specific propagation category of a plurality of propagation categories based on the equivalent lengths; and creating a graphical map of the plurality of pipe segments and utility components utilizing a plurality of links.

Graphical mapping of pipe node location selection

Examples of collecting and analyzing acoustic data for condition assessment within a fluid distribution system are disclosed. In one example implementation according to aspects of the present disclosure, a method for collecting and analyzing acoustic data for condition assessment within a fluid distribution system includes: receiving pipe segment criteria for a pipe segment, the pipe segment including a length of a pipe between a first computing node and a second computing node; determining a predicted parameter based on the received pipe segment criteria for the pipe segment; utilizing the predicted parameter to measure an actual speed of sound for the pipe segment between the first computing node and the second computing node; and comparing the actual speed of sound and a theoretical speed of sound to calculate a predicted pipe degradation for the pipe segment.

Sound propagation comparison with automated frequency selection for pipe condition assessment

Examples of collecting and analyzing acoustic data for condition assessment within a fluid distribution system are disclosed. In one example implementation according to aspects of the present disclosure, a method for collecting and analyzing acoustic data for condition assessment within a fluid distribution system includes: receiving pipe segment criteria for a pipe segment, the pipe segment including a length of a pipe between a first computing node and a second computing node; determining a prediction of frequency content based on the pipe segment criteria; measuring an actual speed of sound for the pipe segment between the first computing node and the second computing node; and comparing the actual speed of sound and a theoretical speed of sound to calculate a predicted pipe degradation for the pipe segment.

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Toronto, Canada

Sebastien Perrier