A leak detection system, method, and aircraft

Abstract

This invention discloses a leak detection system, method, and aircraft. The leak detection system is applied to an aircraft, which includes a water supply device and a water consumption device connected by a water supply pipeline. The system includes: an ultrasonic sensing device installed on the water supply pipeline for sensing water flow signals within the pipeline; a water level monitoring device installed within the water supply device for sensing water level signals within the water supply device; and a controller for performing leak detection based on the water flow and water level signals, and, if the detection result indicates a leak, locating the leak area based on the water flow signal. This invention can locate leak areas, ensuring the safety of the aircraft.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of pipeline inspection technology, and in particular to a leak detection system, method and aircraft. Background Technology

[0002] Aircraft water systems provide sufficient water to various water-using devices. These systems typically consist of water supply pipes that run throughout the aircraft and are located beneath the floor. Leaks in these systems can compromise aircraft safety. Currently, the common approach to water system leaks is to add leak-proof sleeves to pipe joints for passive protection. However, this method cannot actively detect leaks and therefore cannot address them promptly and effectively. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention provides a leak detection system, method, and aircraft, aiming to effectively solve the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a leak detection system is provided for use in an aircraft, the aircraft including a water supply device and a water consumption device, the water supply device and the water consumption device being connected via a water supply pipeline, the system comprising: An ultrasonic sensing device is installed on the water supply pipeline to sense the water flow signal within the water supply pipeline. A water level monitoring device is installed inside the water supply device to sense the water level signal inside the water supply device; The controller is used to perform leak detection based on the water flow signal and the water level signal, and to locate the leak area based on the water flow signal when the detection result indicates that a leak has occurred.

[0005] According to a second aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides a leakage detection method based on the above-described leakage detection system, the method comprising: The system acquires water flow signals and water level signals, and performs leak detection based on the water flow signals and water level signals. The water flow signals are sensed by an ultrasonic sensing device installed on the water supply pipeline, and the water level signals are sensed by a water level monitoring device installed in the water supply device. If the detection results indicate a leak, the leak area is located based on the water flow signal.

[0006] According to a third aspect of the present invention, the present invention provides an aircraft, including a water supply device, a water use device, and a leak detection system; wherein the water supply device and the water use device are connected by a water supply pipeline, and the leak detection system is the aforementioned leak detection system.

[0007] Through one or more embodiments of the above-described embodiments of the present invention, at least the following technical effects can be achieved: The leak detection system can sense the water flow signal in the water supply pipeline through an ultrasonic sensing device and the water level monitoring device can sense the water level signal in the water supply device. The controller can then detect leaks based on the water level and flow signals, and locate the leak area based on the water flow signal when the detection results indicate a leak. The ultrasonic sensing device is small, easy to install, highly adaptable, and provides no additional resistance to the water flow inside the water supply pipeline. The ultrasonic sensing device and the water level monitoring device can monitor for leaks in real time and locate the leak area. Furthermore, the system can control the corresponding shut-off valve to close based on the leak area, isolating the leak area and reducing its impact on the aircraft. Attached Figure Description

[0008] The technical solution and other beneficial effects of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of specific embodiments of the invention, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0009] Figure 1 This is one of the structural schematic diagrams of the leak detection system provided in the embodiments of the present invention; Figure 2 This is one of the schematic diagrams illustrating the working principle of the ultrasonic sensing device provided in the embodiments of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a second schematic diagram illustrating the working principle of the ultrasonic sensing device provided in this embodiment of the invention. Figure 4 This is a second schematic diagram of the structure of the leak detection system provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is the third schematic diagram of the structure of the leak detection system provided in the embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 This is a schematic flowchart of the leakage detection method provided in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0010] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of them. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0011] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the term "and / or" in this document is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing alone. Furthermore, the character " / " in this document, unless otherwise specified, generally indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0012] The following description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrates a leak detection system, method, and aircraft provided by this invention.

[0013] See Figures 1 to 5 This invention provides a leak detection system 10, which is applied to an aircraft. The aircraft includes a water supply device 20 and a water use device 30. The water supply device 20 and the water use device 30 are connected by a water supply pipeline 40. The leak detection system 10 specifically includes an ultrasonic sensing device 100, a water level monitoring device 110, a controller 120, and a shut-off valve 130.

[0014] The ultrasonic sensor 100 is installed on the water supply pipe 40 to sense the water flow signal within the water supply pipe 40. Specifically, the ultrasonic sensor 100 can be sleeved on the outer wall of the water supply pipe 40, or fixed to the outer wall of the water supply pipe 40 by means of strapping, adhesive, etc. It is suitable for water supply pipes 40 of different diameters and has no impact on the water supply pipe 40. The ultrasonic sensor 100 can be installed at any position on the water supply pipe 40, such as near the water supply device 20 and / or the water-using device 30, or in the middle of the water supply device 20 and the water-using device 30. At least one ultrasonic sensor 100 is installed on each water supply pipe 40, so that the controller 120 can obtain the water flow signal on each water supply pipe 40, so as to realize leakage detection of all water supply pipes 40 on the aircraft.

[0015] Furthermore, the ultrasonic sensing device 100 includes an ultrasonic generator and an ultrasonic receiver. Along the diameter of the water supply pipe 40, the projections of the ultrasonic generator and the ultrasonic receiver at least partially overlap, meaning the ultrasonic generator and ultrasonic receiver are directly opposite each other on the outer surface of the water supply pipe 40. The ultrasonic generator emits ultrasonic signals, and the ultrasonic receiver receives these signals. Based on this, the ultrasonic generator and ultrasonic receiver installed on the water supply pipe 40 can determine the final water flow signal based on the ultrasonic signals received by the ultrasonic receiver. Specifically, as... Figure 2 and Figure 3As shown, when the water flow inside the water supply pipe 40 is still, the ultrasonic receiver can receive the ultrasonic signal emitted by the ultrasonic generator installed in the opposite position. Therefore, when the ultrasonic receiver can fully receive the ultrasonic signal, it is determined that the water flow inside the water supply pipe 40 is still, and the water flow signal shows that the water flow is still. However, when the water flows inside the water supply pipe 40, the ultrasonic signal emitted by the ultrasonic generator will be deflected due to the water flow, resulting in the ultrasonic receiver not being able to fully receive the ultrasonic signal. Therefore, when the ultrasonic receiver does not receive a complete ultrasonic signal, it is determined that the water flow inside the water supply pipe 40 is flowing, and the water flow signal shows that the water flow is flowing.

[0016] A water level monitoring device 110 is installed inside the water supply device 20 to sense the water level signal within the water supply device 20. Specifically, the water level monitoring device 110 can be of different types of water level sensors used to measure changes in the water level within the water supply device 20 to obtain a water level signal.

[0017] The controller 120 is used to detect leaks based on water flow signals and water level signals, and to locate the leak area based on the water flow signals when the detection results indicate a leak. Specifically, the controller 120 is connected to the ultrasonic sensing device 100, the water level monitoring device 110, and the shut-off valve 130. After receiving the water flow signals and water level signals, the controller 120 determines whether a leak has occurred, and locates the leak area based on the water flow signals when a leak is determined. For example, a leak is determined when the water level signal shows a change in the water supply device 20 and all water flow signals show that the water flow is stationary, or when the water level does not change but one water flow signal shows that there is water flow in the pipeline; a leak is determined when the water level signal shows that the water level does not change and all water flow signals show that the water flow is stationary, or when the water level changes and at least one of the water flow signals shows that there is water flow. After determining that a leak has occurred, the leak area is determined from each water supply pipeline 40 and the water supply device 20 based on the water flow signals; after determining that no leak has occurred, the water flow signals and water level signals at the next moment are acquired for real-time leak detection.

[0018] A shut-off valve 130 is installed on the water supply pipeline 40, and the controller 120 is also used to control the shut-off valve 130 to close according to the leakage area. Specifically, at least one shut-off valve 130 is installed on each water supply pipeline 40, which can be installed at any location on the water supply pipeline 40, such as around the ultrasonic sensing device 100 or near the water supply device 20. After determining the leakage area, the controller 120 controls the corresponding shut-off valve 130 to close. For example, after determining that water supply pipeline B is the leakage area among water supply pipelines A, B, and C, the controller 120 controls the shut-off valve 130 on water supply pipeline B to close and reminds the manager to maintain water supply pipeline B, while the remaining shut-off valves 130 remain fully open so that other water supply pipelines 40 and water-using devices 30 can still work normally.

[0019] In addition, the water supply device 20 in the aircraft can be a water tank or other water storage device, and multiple devices can be installed; the water supply device 30 can be installed in different places such as the kitchen and washroom.

[0020] The leak detection system 10 provided in this embodiment of the invention can sense the water flow signal in the water supply pipeline 40 through the ultrasonic sensing device 100 and the water level monitoring device 110 can sense the water level signal in the water supply device 20. The controller 120 can then detect leaks based on the water level and flow signals, and locate the leak area based on the water flow signal when the detection results indicate a leak. The ultrasonic sensing device 100 is small, easy to install, highly adaptable, and provides no additional resistance to the water flow inside the water supply pipeline 40. The ultrasonic sensing device 100 and the water level monitoring device 110 can monitor for leaks in real time and locate the leak area. Furthermore, the corresponding shut-off valve 130 can be controlled to close based on the leak area, isolating the leak area and reducing its impact on the aircraft.

[0021] In some embodiments of the present invention, such as Figure 4 As shown, at least two ultrasonic sensing devices 100 are installed on the water supply pipeline 40, and the controller 120 includes a signal acquisition unit, a leakage determination unit, and a leakage location unit. Schematic, two ultrasonic sensing devices 100 are installed on the water supply pipeline 40, one near the water supply device 20 and the other near the water user 30. The two ultrasonic sensing devices 100 can acquire water flow signals at two locations within the same water supply pipeline 40. In another embodiment, ultrasonic sensing devices 100 are installed on the water supply pipeline 40 at preset intervals, and each ultrasonic sensing device 100 can monitor water flow signals at different locations on the same water supply pipeline 40.

[0022] The signal acquisition unit is used to acquire water level signals and at least two water flow signals corresponding to each water supply pipeline 40. That is, the signal acquisition unit acquires the water level signals in the water supply device 20 and the water flow signals sensed by all ultrasonic sensing devices 100 on each water supply pipeline 40. While acquiring the water flow signals, the signal acquisition unit can also acquire the position information of the water supply pipeline 40 corresponding to the water flow signals and the corresponding ultrasonic sensing devices 100 on the water supply pipeline 40.

[0023] The leak detection unit determines a leak when the water level signal indicates a water level change and at least two water flow signals on the same water supply pipe 40 show some water flow as stationary and the remaining water flow signals as flowing, or when the water level signal indicates a water level change and all water flow signals show water flow as stationary. Specifically, if the water level changes, it is determined that a water-using device 30 may be using water. In this case, water should flow inside one or more of the water supply pipes 40. In the absence of a leak, all ultrasonic sensing devices 100 on one or more water-using water supply pipes 40 should be able to detect water flow. If none of the ultrasonic sensing devices 100 detect water flow, or if some ultrasonic sensing devices 100 on the same water supply pipe 40 detect water flow while the remaining ones detect stationary water flow, then a leak is determined to have occurred.

[0024] The leak location unit is used to determine the leak area on the water supply pipeline 40 when the detection result indicates a leak. If some of the water flow signals on at least two water flow signals on the same water supply pipeline 40 are characterized as still water flow and the remaining water flow signals are characterized as flowing water, then the leak area is determined on the water supply pipeline 40 based on the positions of the adjacent ultrasonic sensing devices 100 that are characterized as still water flow and those that are characterized as flowing water. If all water flow signals are characterized as still water flow, then the water supply device 20 is determined to be the leak area.

[0025] Specifically, if the water flow signals on all water supply pipes 40 show that the water flow is still, while the water level signals show that the water level is changing, then the water supply device 20 is identified as a leak area. If, after a water level change, some water flow signals on one or more water supply pipes 40 show that the water flow is moving, while the remaining water flow is still, then the area between the ultrasonic sensing device 100 showing water flow and the ultrasonic sensing device 100 showing still water flow on the water supply pipe 40 is identified as the leak area. Schematic, if two ultrasonic sensing devices 100 are installed on a water supply pipe 40, when the ultrasonic sensing device 100 closer to the water supply device 20 senses water flow, while the ultrasonic sensing device 100 closer to the water user 30 senses still water flow, then the area between the two ultrasonic sensing devices 100 is identified as the leak area. The more ultrasonic sensing devices 100 installed on each water supply pipe 40, the more accurate the leak area location will be. The specific number can be set according to requirements, and this invention does not limit this.

[0026] In some embodiments of the present invention, the controller further includes a water flow determination unit, which can compare a water flow signal characterized as still water with a preset ultrasonic signal intensity threshold when the detection result is a leak, and determine the detection result as a first flow leak when the water flow is greater than or equal to the preset ultrasonic signal intensity threshold; and determine the detection result as a second flow leak when the water flow is less than the preset ultrasonic signal intensity threshold.

[0027] The ultrasonic signal strength threshold can be set empirically. When the water flow signal, which indicates still water, is greater than or equal to the preset ultrasonic signal strength threshold, it indicates that the water flow through the corresponding water supply pipe is small or even non-existent, thus confirming a large leak, i.e., a first-flow leak. When the water flow signal, which indicates still water, is less than the preset ultrasonic signal strength threshold, it indicates that a large amount of water flows through the corresponding water supply pipe, but the ultrasonic receiver does not receive the original complete ultrasonic signal. In this case, it is a small-flow leak, i.e., a second-flow leak.

[0028] After a primary flow leak is identified, the controller can shut off the corresponding shut-off valve based on the identified leak area. Upon identifying a secondary flow leak, the controller can generate a secondary flow leak warning message based on the identified leak area to remind relevant personnel to perform timely maintenance.

[0029] In some embodiments of the present invention, the water supply pipeline 40 includes a main pipeline 410 and branch pipelines 420. One end of the main pipeline 410 is connected to the water supply device 20, and the other end is connected to at least one branch pipeline 420. The branch pipeline 420 is connected to the water-using device 30. Both the main pipeline 410 and the branch pipelines 420 include multiple branches.

[0030] The ultrasonic sensing device 100 includes a first sensing device disposed on the main pipeline 410 and a second sensing device disposed on the branch pipeline 420. The first sensing device senses a first water flow signal, and the second sensing device senses a second water flow signal. One or more first sensing devices can be disposed on the main pipeline 410, and similarly, one or more second sensing devices can be disposed on the branch pipeline 420. The following example illustrates the use of one first sensing device and one second sensing device. The correspondence between the first water flow signal and at least one second water flow signal means that, based on the connection relationship between the main pipeline 410 and the branch pipeline 420, it can be determined that a first water flow signal on the main pipeline 410 corresponds to a second water flow signal on the branch pipeline 420 of the same main pipeline 410.

[0031] The signal acquisition unit is used to acquire water level signals, first water flow signals, and second water flow signals. When there are multiple main pipes 410, the signal acquisition unit acquires multiple first water flow signals; similarly, when there are multiple branch pipes 420, the signal acquisition unit acquires multiple second water flow signals.

[0032] The leakage determination unit is used to determine the detection result as a leakage when the water level signal represents a water level change and the first water flow signal and the second water flow signal represent a still water flow, or when the water level signal represents a water level change and the first water flow signal represents a flowing water flow and the corresponding second water flow signal represents a still water flow.

[0033] The leak location unit is used to determine the corresponding branch pipe 420 as the leak area if the first water flow signal represents water flow and the corresponding second water flow signal represents water stillness when the detection result indicates a leak; and to determine the water supply device 20 as the leak area if the water level signal represents water level change and both the first and second water flow signals represent water stillness.

[0034] In this embodiment, the accuracy of leakage detection varies depending on the number of second sensing devices installed on the branch pipe 420. The following description will focus on whether one second sensing device or two or more second sensing devices are installed.

[0035] When at least two second sensing devices are installed on the branch pipe 420, the leakage determination unit determines that a leak has occurred if the water level signal represents a water level change and the first water flow signal represents water flow, and among the second water flow signals corresponding to the first water flow signal representing water flow, some of the second water flow signals on the same branch pipe 420 represent still water flow, and the remaining second water flow signals represent water flow; the leakage location unit determines the branch pipe 420 corresponding to the part of the second water flow signal representing still water flow and the remaining second water flow signal representing water flow as the leakage area.

[0036] When a second sensing device is installed on the branch pipe 420, the leakage determination unit determines that a leak has occurred when the water level signal represents a water level change, the first water flow signal represents water flow, and the second water flow signal corresponding to the first water flow signal representing water flow represents water flow stillness. The leakage location unit defines the branch pipe 420 connected to the corresponding main pipe 410 as the leakage area.

[0037] In other words, when a second sensing device is installed on the branch pipe 420, under the premise of water level change, if all first water flow signals and all second water flow signals show that the water flow is still, or if some first water flow signals show that the water flow is flowing and the second water flow signals related to the first water flow signals showing water flow are all still, a leak is determined to have occurred. Based on this, if all first water flow signals and all second water flow signals show that the water flow is still, a leak is determined to have occurred in the water supply device 20; if some first water flow signals show that the water flow is flowing and the second water flow signals related to these water flows show that the water flow is still, then all branch pipes 420 connected to the main pipe 410 showing water flow are determined to be leak areas, and the determined leak area is relatively large.

[0038] like Figure 5As shown, in the aircraft, ultrasonic sensors 100a (numbered 1) and 100b (numbered 2) installed on the main pipeline 410 are the first sensing devices. The remaining ultrasonic sensors 100c to 100f (numbered 3 to 6) installed on the branch pipeline 420 are the second sensing devices. Water devices 30a and 30b (numbered 1 and 2) are located in the forward fuselage area, while water devices 30c and 30d (numbered 3 and 4) are located in the aft fuselage area. Shut-off valves 130a and 130b (numbered 1 and 2) are respectively installed on the two main pipelines 410. Within a predetermined time, assuming a change in water level, if the controller receives a first water flow signal from ultrasonic sensor 100a (numbered 1) indicating water flow while the corresponding second water flow signals from ultrasonic sensors 100c and 100d (numbered 3 and 4) both indicate still water flow, then the controller determines that the branch pipeline 420 in the forward fuselage is a leak area. Similarly, if the controller receives a first water flow signal from ultrasonic sensor 100b (number 2) indicating water flow, while the corresponding second water flow signals from ultrasonic sensors 100e and 100f (numbers 5 and 6) both indicate still water flow, the controller determines that the aft fuselage branch pipe 420 is a leak area. If ultrasonic sensors 100a and 100b (numbers 1 and 2) do not detect water flow, the water supply device 20 is determined to be a leak area. For a leak in the forward fuselage branch pipe 420, the controller can control shut-off valve 130a (number 1) to close, preventing water leakage in the forward fuselage area from affecting aircraft safety while ensuring normal water supply in the aft fuselage area. Similarly, for a leak in the aft fuselage branch pipe 420, the controller can control shut-off valve 130b (number 2) to close, preventing water leakage in the aft fuselage area from affecting aircraft safety while ensuring normal water supply in the forward fuselage area. In the event of a leak in the water supply device 20, the controller will send a water supply leak warning to the unit to notify the unit personnel to perform timely maintenance on the water supply device 20 in order to restore normal water supply.

[0039] When at least two or more second sensing devices are installed on the branch pipe 420, similarly, if all first water flow signals and all second water flow signals show that the water flow is still, then the leak area is determined to be the water supply device 20. If some first water flow signals show water flow, and some second water flow signals related to the first water flow signals that show water flow show that the water flow is still while the remaining part shows water flow, then the branch pipe 420 where the remaining part of the second water flow signals shows that the water flow is still is determined to be the leak area, and the leak area is further located more precisely on the leaking branch pipe 420 based on the installation position information of the two second water flow signals that show water flow stillness and water flow.

[0040] In addition, the shut-off valve 130 can also be installed on the branch pipeline 420 and the main pipeline 410. When the entire branch pipeline 420 area is determined to be a leakage area, the controller 120 can control the shut-off valve 130 on the main pipeline 410 to close. When a certain branch pipeline 420 is determined to be a leakage area, the controller 120 can control the shut-off valve 130 on the corresponding branch pipeline 420 to close.

[0041] The leak detection system 10 provided in this embodiment of the invention can accurately locate the leak area and take timely action.

[0042] In some embodiments of the present invention, the controller 120 further includes an early warning unit. The early warning unit generates a water supply leak early warning message when the leak area is a water supply device 20, to remind management personnel to promptly address the water supply device 20. The early warning unit can also generate a pipeline water supply leak early warning message when the leak area is a specific water supply pipeline 40, to remind management personnel to promptly maintain the leaking water supply pipeline 40.

[0043] In some embodiments of the present invention, the controller 120 is also capable of detecting the water flow rate.

[0044] See Figure 6 The present invention also provides a leak detection method, which includes the following steps: S601 acquires water flow and water level signals, and performs leak detection based on the water flow and water level signals to obtain detection results.

[0045] The test results show whether there is a leak in the water supply device 20 and the water supply pipeline 40. The water flow signal is sensed by the ultrasonic sensing device 100 installed on the water supply pipeline 40, and the water level signal is sensed by the water level monitoring device 110 installed in the water supply device 20.

[0046] S602, when the detection results indicate a leak, the leak area is located based on the water flow signal.

[0047] If the test results show no leakage, the water flow signal and water level signal at the next moment are obtained for new leakage detection.

[0048] In some embodiments of the present invention, leakage detection is performed based on water flow signals and water level signals, including: Acquire water level signals and at least two water flow signals corresponding to each water supply pipeline 40.

[0049] When the water level signal represents a change in water level and at least two water flow signals on the same water supply pipeline 40, some of the water flow signals represent static water flow and the remaining water flow signals represent flowing water, or when the water level signal represents a change in water level and all water flow signals represent static water flow, the detection result is determined to be a leak.

[0050] If the detection results indicate a leak, the leak area is located based on the water flow signal, including: When a leak is detected, if some of the water flow signals on at least two water flow signals on the same water supply pipeline 40 are characterized as still water flow and the remaining water flow signals are characterized as flowing water, then the leak area is determined on the water supply pipeline 40 based on the positions of the adjacent ultrasonic sensing devices 100 that are characterized as still water flow and those that are characterized as flowing water flow; if all water flow signals are characterized as still water flow, then the water supply device 20 is determined to be the leak area.

[0051] In some embodiments of the present invention, the method further includes: When the detection result indicates a leak, the water flow signal, characterized as still water, is compared with a preset ultrasonic signal intensity threshold. If the signal intensity is greater than or equal to the preset ultrasonic signal intensity threshold, the detection result is determined to be a first flow leak; if it is less than the preset ultrasonic signal intensity threshold, the detection result is determined to be a second flow leak.

[0052] In some embodiments of the present invention, the method further includes: when the detection result is a first flow leakage, controlling the shut-off valve 130 on the leaking water supply pipeline 40 to close according to the leakage area.

[0053] When the detection result indicates a second flow leakage, a second flow leakage early warning message is generated based on the leakage area.

[0054] When the water supply device is in a leaking area, a water supply leak warning message is generated.

[0055] The leakage detection method provided in this embodiment of the invention has different measures for different leakage situations. For example, when there is a large flow leakage, the leakage is isolated by controlling the shut-off valve 130. When the leakage area is the water supply device 20, a water supply leakage early warning message is generated to remind the management personnel to deal with it in time. When there is a small flow leakage, a second flow leakage early warning message is generated to remind the management personnel to maintain it.

[0056] Based on any of the above embodiments, another embodiment of the present invention provides an aircraft, which includes a water supply device 20, a water use device 30, and a leak detection system 10; wherein the water supply device 20 and the water use device 30 are connected by a water supply pipeline 40, and the leak detection system 10 is the leak detection system 10 of any of the above embodiments.

[0057] The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate, and the components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the modules can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs. Those skilled in the art can understand and implement this without any creative effort.

[0058] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that each embodiment can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms, and of course, it can also be implemented by hardware. Based on this understanding, the above technical solutions, in essence or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk, etc., including several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods of various embodiments or some parts of embodiments.

[0059] In summary, although the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, the above preferred embodiments are not intended to limit the present invention. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications and refinements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention shall be determined by the scope defined in the claims.

Claims

1. A leak detection system, characterized in that, The system is applied to an aircraft, which includes a water supply device and a water consumption device, wherein the water supply device and the water consumption device are connected via a water supply pipeline. The leak detection system includes: An ultrasonic sensing device is installed on the water supply pipeline, and each water supply pipeline is provided with at least two ultrasonic sensing devices. The ultrasonic sensing devices are used to sense at least two water flow signals at different locations on the water supply pipeline. A water level monitoring device is installed inside the water supply device to sense the water level signal inside the water supply device; The controller is configured to: When the water level signal represents a water level change and at least two water flow signals on the same water supply pipeline, part of the water flow signals represent still water flow and the remaining water flow signals represent flowing water, the detection result is determined to be a leak. The leak area is then determined based on the location of the ultrasonic sensing device on the water supply pipeline corresponding to the adjacent water flow signals representing flowing water and the water flow signals representing still water flow; or, When the water level signal represents a change in water level and all the water flow signals represent a static water flow, the detection result is determined to be a leak, and the water supply device is identified as the leak area.

2. The leak detection system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The leak detection system also includes a shut-off valve, which is installed on the water supply pipeline, and the controller is also used to control the shut-off valve to close according to the leak area.

3. The leak detection system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The controller includes a signal acquisition unit, a leakage determination unit, and a leakage location unit; The signal acquisition unit is used to acquire the water level signal and at least two water flow signals corresponding to each of the water supply pipelines; The leakage determination unit is used to determine the detection result as a leakage when the water level signal represents a water level change and at least two water flow signals on the same water supply pipeline contain some water flow signals that represent still water flow and the remaining water flow signals that represent flowing water, or when the water level signal represents a water level change and all water flow signals represent still water flow. The leak location unit is used to determine the leak area on the water supply pipeline based on the positions of the ultrasonic sensing devices corresponding to the adjacent water flow signals that are characterized as stationary and the remaining water flow signals that are characterized as flowing when the detection result indicates a leak. If all the water flow signals are characterized as stationary, the water supply device is determined to be the leak area.

4. The leak detection system as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The water supply pipeline includes a main pipeline and branch pipelines. One end of the main pipeline is connected to the water supply device, and the other end is connected to at least one of the branch pipelines. The branch pipelines are connected to the water-using device. The ultrasonic sensing device includes a first sensing device disposed on the main pipeline and a second sensing device disposed on the branch pipeline. The first sensing device senses and obtains a first water flow signal, and the second sensing device senses and obtains a second water flow signal. The first water flow signal corresponds to at least one second water flow signal. The signal acquisition unit is used to acquire the water level signal, the first water flow signal, and the second water flow signal; The leakage determination unit is used to determine that a leakage has occurred when the water level signal indicates a water level change and the first water flow signal and the second water flow signal indicate that the water flow is stationary, or when the water level signal indicates a water level change and the first water flow signal indicates that the water flow is moving and the corresponding second water flow signal indicates that the water flow is stationary. The leak location unit is used to determine the corresponding branch pipeline as a leak area when the detection result indicates a leak occurs, if the first water flow signal represents water flow and the corresponding second water flow signal represents water flow stillness; if the water level signal represents water level change and both the first water flow signal and the second water flow signal represent water flow stillness, then the water supply device is determined as a leak area.

5. The leak detection system as described in claim 4, characterized in that, When at least two second sensing devices are installed on the branch pipeline, the leak determination unit determines that a leak has occurred if, in the case where the water level signal represents a water level change and the first water flow signal represents water flow, and among the second water flow signals corresponding to the first water flow signal representing water flow, a portion of the second water flow signals on the same branch pipeline represent static water flow while the remaining second water flow signals represent water flow; the leak location unit determines the branch pipeline corresponding to the portion of the second water flow signals representing static water flow and the remaining second water flow signals representing water flow as the leak area; When a second sensing device is installed on the branch pipeline, the leakage determination unit determines that a leak has occurred when the water level signal represents a water level change, the first water flow signal represents water flow, and the second water flow signal corresponding to the first water flow signal representing water flow represents water stillness; the leakage location unit defines the branch pipeline connected to the corresponding main pipeline as the leakage area.

6. The leak detection system as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The controller also includes an early warning unit, which generates a water supply leak early warning message when the leak area is the water supply device, so as to remind the management personnel to deal with the water supply device in a timely manner.

7. The leak detection system as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The controller also includes: A water flow determination unit is configured to, when the detection result indicates a leak, compare the water flow signal, which is characterized as still water, with a preset ultrasonic signal intensity threshold, and determine the detection result as a first flow leak if it is greater than or equal to the preset ultrasonic signal intensity threshold; and determine the detection result as a second flow leak if it is less than the preset ultrasonic signal intensity threshold.

8. The leak detection system as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The ultrasonic sensing device includes an ultrasonic generator and an ultrasonic receiver, and the projection of the ultrasonic generator and the projection of the ultrasonic receiver at least partially overlap along the diameter direction of the water supply pipeline.

9. A leak detection method, based on the leak detection system as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The leakage detection method includes: The water flow signal and the water level signal are acquired, and leakage detection is performed based on the water flow signal and the water level signal. The water flow signal is sensed by the ultrasonic sensing device installed on the water supply pipeline, and the water level signal is sensed by the water level monitoring device installed in the water supply device. If the detection results indicate a leak, the leak area is located based on the water flow signal.

10. The leakage detection method as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The leakage detection based on the water flow signal and the water level signal includes: Acquire the water level signal and at least two water flow signals corresponding to each of the water supply pipelines; When the water level signal represents a water level change and at least two water flow signals on the same water supply pipeline, some of the water flow signals represent static water flow and the remaining water flow signals represent flowing water, or when the water level signal represents a water level change and all of the water flow signals represent static water flow, the detection result is determined to be a leak. When the detection result indicates a leak, locating the leak area based on the water flow signal includes: When the detection result indicates a leak, if some of the water flow signals on at least two water flow signals on the same water supply pipeline are characterized as still water flow and the remaining water flow signals are characterized as flowing water flow, then the leak area is determined on the water supply pipeline based on the positions of the ultrasonic sensing devices corresponding to the adjacent water flow signals characterized as still water flow and the water flow signals characterized as flowing water flow; if all the water flow signals are characterized as still water flow, then the water supply device is determined to be a leak area.

11. The leakage detection method as described in claim 10, characterized in that, The leakage detection method further includes: When the detection result indicates a leak, the water flow signal, which is characterized as still water, is compared with a preset ultrasonic signal intensity threshold. If the signal intensity is greater than or equal to the preset ultrasonic signal intensity threshold, the detection result is determined to be a first flow leak; if the signal intensity is less than the preset ultrasonic signal intensity threshold, the detection result is determined to be a second flow leak.

12. The leakage detection method as described in claim 11, characterized in that, The leakage detection method further includes: When the detection result indicates a first flow leakage, the shut-off valve on the leaking water supply pipeline is closed according to the leakage area. When the detection result indicates a second flow leakage, a second flow leakage early warning message is generated based on the leakage area. When the water supply device is in a leaking area, a water supply leak warning message is generated.

13. An aircraft, characterized in that, It includes a water supply device, a water use device, and a leak detection system; wherein the water supply device and the water use device are connected by a water supply pipeline, and the leak detection system is the leak detection system as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

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