The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 03, 2017
Filed:
Dec. 20, 2012
Eni S.p.a., Rome, IT;
Alberto Giulio Di Lullo, Tribiano, IT;
Giordano Pinarello, Turin, IT;
Alessandro Bailini, Sesto San Giovanni, IT;
ENI S.P.A., , IT;
Abstract
An inspection apparatus () for monitoring the structural integrity of a pipeline () comprising a superconducting electromagnet () suitable for generating a magnetic field (); a cryostat () suitable for containing and preserving said superconducting electromagnet () at a low temperature; at least two magnetic conveyors (″) connected at opposite ends of the cryostat () suitable for conveying the magnetic field () generated by the superconducting electromagnet () to the wall of the pipeline () and facilitating the closing of a magnetic circuit; at least one sensor system () for revealing the intensity of the magnetic field (). A method for monitoring the structural integrity of a pipeline () using an inspection apparatus () according to the present invention. The inspection apparatus () according to the present invention advantageously allows the localization of possible structural imperfections or anomalies of the walls of a pipeline (), using a more efficient magnet with respect to those normally used in the 'pigs' known in the state of the art.