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:
May. 02, 2017
Filed:
May. 01, 2015
Detection of coating defects on buried pipelines using magnetic field variations within the pipeline
Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, TX (US);
Jay L. Fisher, Alamo Heights, TX (US);
Pavan K. Shukla, San Antonio, TX (US);
SOUTHWEST RESEARCH INSTITUTE, San Antonio, TX (US);
Abstract
A method for in-situ detection of coating defects on a buried pipeline. The pipeline is under cathodic protection or otherwise carries a current applied to its pipe walls. A magnetic field sensor array is placed within the pipeline and moved along its length. As the sensor array travels, it detects the magnetic fields within the pipeline. The sensor output is compared with 'expected' data, which represents interior magnetic fields of the pipeline without coating defects. Because electrical current leaks through a coating defect, the current is altered on the pipe wall at the defect. This in turn alters the interior magnetic fields, and a change in the interior magnetic fields indicates a coating defect.