Air leak detection system, air leak detection device, and air leak detection method

Abstract

To realize centralized management of air leak detection at low cost.SOLUTION: An air leak detection system 1 comprises a humidity measurement device 10 and a monitoring device 20. The humidity measurement device 10 includes: a housing 11 that forms a measurement space region 13 inside by covering the periphery of a first region γ being a detection target region for leakage of compressed air β of piping 400 in which the compressed air β is supplied; a first humidity sensor 12 which is provided inside the housing 11 and configured to measure humidity in the measurement space region 13; and a transmission unit 14 configured to transmit information on humidity measured by the first humidity sensor 12 to the monitoring device 20. The monitoring device 20 includes a detection unit 21 configured to calculate time variation of humidity from the plurality of pieces of received humidity information and, on the basis of the time variation, output a notification of leakage of the compressed air β from the first region γ.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a technique for detecting a leak of compressed air supplied to a pipe.

Background Art

[0002] In places where factories, offices, and other machines, devices, or instruments are installed and where product manufacturing, processing, or business activities are carried out (hereinafter also referred to as "factories, etc."), in driving production equipment, washing products, etc., compressed air (hereinafter also referred to as "compressed air") compressed by a predetermined device such as an air compressor (hereinafter simply also referred to as "air compressor") may be used at various locations within the site of factories, etc. After being generated by the air compressor, the compressed air is supplied to each device through pipes laid out within the site of factories, etc. while repeating branching.

[0003] The pressure of the compressed air is managed by the air compressor. Therefore, when the leak of compressed air in the pipe (hereinafter also referred to as "air leak") is large at a branch point or a supply point to each device, a phenomenon occurs in which the original performance of the air compressor cannot be exhibited. Therefore, if the state of the air compressor itself is checked, the occurrence of an air leak can often be detected.

[0004] However, when the air leak is small, it may be difficult to correctly detect the air leak even if only the state of the air compressor is detected. A small air leak leads to the generation of unnecessary pressure air in the air compressor, which leads to unnecessary power consumption. A small air leak can be confirmed, for example, by immersing the air leak location in water. However, in existing pipes laid out in factories, etc., performing such a confirmation is not a practical method in consideration of work efficiency.

[0005] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an air leakage monitoring system that efficiently identifies the locations of gas leakage in pipes. This air leakage monitoring system is applicable to power generation and transformation plants and includes a detection unit and a monitoring device. In the premises of a power generation and transformation plant, an air compressor that generates compressed air and electrical equipment that utilizes the compressed air are installed, and pipes for transporting the compressed air from the air compressor to the electrical equipment are laid out. The pipes are formed by connecting several meters of pipes, and the number of connection parts thereof reaches dozens to hundreds. In such a power generation and transformation plant, the detection unit includes a sheet that covers each connection part and a sensor unit that is fixed to the connection part, and transmits a signal (ultrasonic detection signal) corresponding to ultrasonic waves generated by air leakage to the monitoring device. The monitoring device is realized by a PC or a server installed in the premises, receives ultrasonic detection signals from a large number of detection units, determines the presence or absence of air leakage based on the signals, and if there is air leakage, displays the location on a display.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] However, when applying the air leakage monitoring system of Patent Document 1 to a factory or the like, ambient noise may interfere with the detection of air leakage. Especially in a factory, various noises often coexist, including audible sounds and ultrasonic waves. As a countermeasure, it is conceivable to use machine learning or the like to confirm air leakage, but since advanced signal processing is required, a system that actually adopts such a technology can be expensive.

[0008] Also, as air leak detection, it is conceivable to apply an ultrasonic camera capable of remote detection. Although there is an advantage that it is possible to observe multiple points from a single point, the device size becomes large and expensive for higher sensitivity and higher resolution. In this case, since it is not practical to deploy ultrasonic cameras at each of multiple points within a wide factory, if the measurer visits multiple points for inspection, there is a problem that the measurement becomes troublesome. Also, there was a problem that it was difficult to detect very fine air leaks in an environment with high noise.

[0009] In view of the above problems, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a technique that can realize centralized management of air leak detection at low cost.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0010] In order to solve the above problems, an air leak detection system according to the present embodiment is an air leak detection system having a humidity measurement device and a monitoring device. The humidity measurement device includes a housing that forms a measurement space region inside by covering the periphery of a first region that is a detection target region for air leakage in a pipe to which compressed air is supplied, and a first humidity sensor that is provided inside the housing and measures the humidity of the measurement space region, and a transmission unit that transmits humidity information measured by the first humidity sensor to the monitoring device. The monitoring device has a detection unit that calculates the temporal change in humidity from the received plurality of humidity information and outputs a notification of air leakage from the first region based on the temporal change.

Effects of the Invention

[0011] According to the air leak detection system of the present embodiment, centralized management of air leak detection can be realized at low cost.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012]

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, components having the same function are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0014] <<First Embodiment>> Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a functional configuration example of an air leak detection system 1 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the humidity measurement device 10 and the pipe 400 of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the A-A cross section of FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the housing 11 in FIG. 2 in the B-B cross section of FIG. 3.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the air leak detection system 1 includes a humidity measurement device 10 and a monitoring device 20. The humidity measurement device 10 and the monitoring device 20 are connected by a communication network 30. The humidity measurement device 10 and the monitoring device 20 are connected wirelessly, for example, by Wi-Fi (registered trademark) or Bluetooth (registered trademark). However, the humidity measurement device 10 and the monitoring device 20 may be configured to be connected by wire.

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the humidity measurement device 10 covers a first region γ (described later), which is a detection target region for leakage of compressed air β from the pipe 400, in order to detect air leakage in the pipe 400.

[0017] <Pipe 400> The pipe 400 is one of the existing pipes laid out in a factory or the like and is a measurement target of the humidity measurement device 10. As shown in FIG. 4, the pipe 400 has a first pipe 401 having a first joint 401A at one end and a second pipe 402 having a second joint 402A connected to the first joint 401A at one end. Compressed air β is supplied to the pipe 400. In FIG. 4, it is assumed that the compressed air β flows through the pipe 400, for example, from the first pipe 401 side toward the second pipe 402 side.

[0018] FIG. 5 is an example of a processing flow showing the generation process of compressed air β. In an air compressor 100 (not shown), outside air α, which is external air, is taken in (step S100-1), and the taken-in outside air α is compressed (step S100-2). By this compression, water vapor in the air liquefies and appears as water droplets. Also, when the temperature raised by the compression is cooled to about the same level as the outside air α, water vapor that can no longer dissolve in the air becomes water droplets. Therefore, after the process of step S100-2, the air compressor 100 dehumidifies the compressed air (step S100-3). By this dehumidification, water is discharged and compressed air β is generated. If water is supplied to each device that is the supply destination of the compressed air, it will lead to malfunction of the device and abnormal product quality. Therefore, in the air compressor 100, the dehumidification process in step S100-3 is essential. Therefore, the compressed air β supplied to the pipe 400 has a lower humidity than the outside air α.

[0019] <Humidity measurement device 10> The humidity measurement device 10 includes a housing 11, a first humidity sensor 12, and a transmission unit (14). The transmission unit 14 is configured to be able to receive the humidity information of the first humidity sensor 12.

[0020] (Housing 11) As shown in FIG. 4, the housing 11 has a first opening 111 through which the first pipe 401 can be inserted, a second opening 112 through which the second pipe 402 can be inserted, and a ventilation part 113 provided on at least one of the first pipe 401 side or the second pipe 402 side. In this example, the first opening 111 is provided so as to be in contact with the periphery of the first pipe 401. The second opening 112 is provided so as to be in contact with the periphery of the second pipe 402. However, as long as it does not affect the measurement result of the humidity in the measurement space area 13 described later, they do not necessarily have to be in contact. Even in the case of contact, the method may be configured to be indirectly in contact by sandwiching another member such as a buffer member between the first opening 111 and the first pipe 401 or between the second opening 112 and the second pipe 402.

[0021] In the present disclosure, the detection target region of the leakage of the compressed air β in the pipe 400 to which the compressed air β is supplied shall be referred to as the "first region γ". In the example shown in FIG. 4, the first region γ is a region including at least the first joint 401A and the second joint 402A. However, the first region γ is not limited to this as long as it is a detection target region of the leakage of the compressed air β in the pipe. For example, the first region γ may be other joint portions or connection portions such as a branch portion of the pipe, an installation portion of a valve in the pipe, or an extended portion of the pipe. Alternatively, the first region γ may be a region composed only of the pipe without having joint portions or connection portions.

[0022] The housing 11 forms a measurement space region 13 inside by covering the periphery of the first region γ. The measurement space region 13 is a region inside the housing 11 excluding the pipe 400.

[0023] In this example, the housing 11 is a part of the existing pipe 400 and is a detection target region of the leakage of the compressed air β. It is composed of two elements so as to cover the first pipe 401 and the second joint 402A from the outside, and has a substantially cylindrical shape (hollow substantially cylindrical shape) as a whole. However, the housing 11 may have other configurations as long as it can cover the first region γ. As shown in FIG. 3, the housing 11 in this example is composed of two elements: a first housing 11A that constitutes the upper side of the housing 11 (the +Z-axis side in FIG. 3) more than half of the housing 11, and a second housing 11B that constitutes the lower side of the housing 11 (the -Z-axis side in FIG. 3) more than half of the housing 11. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the first opening 111 is composed of a first opening 111A provided in the first housing 11A and a first opening 111B provided in the second housing 11B. The second opening 112 is composed of a second opening 112A provided in the first housing 11A and a second opening 112B provided in the second housing 11B. The first housing 11A and the second housing 11B are joined. The joint portion between the first housing 11A and the second housing 11B may be joined to each other with a joint member such as an adhesive, or a fitting shape may be provided in the joint portion so that they are fitted to each other. Alternatively, other joining methods may be used.

[0024] The ventilation part 113 is a hole that connects the inside and outside of the housing 11. The ventilation part 113 takes in outside air α into the measurement space area 13 or discharges compressed air β that has leaked into the measurement space area 13. In FIG. 4, the ventilation part 113 is provided as a small rectangular hole near the first opening 111B of the second housing 11B.

[0025] The ventilation part 113 is provided on at least one of the first pipe 401 side or the second pipe 402 side. As long as the humidity in the measurement space area 13 can be appropriately measured, there are no particular restrictions on the shape, size, arrangement position, or number of the ventilation part 113. For example, the shape of the ventilation part 113 is not limited to a rectangle and may be other polygons or a circle. Alternatively, the ventilation part 113 may have an annular shape surrounding the first opening 111. When the first opening 111 and the first pipe 401 are not joined, or when the second opening 112 and the second pipe 402 are not joined, there will be a gap between them, and this gap may be used as the ventilation part 113. That is, a part of the first opening 111 or the second opening 112 may be used as the ventilation part 113 as well. Also, in FIG. 4, the ventilation part 113 is provided only on the first opening 111 side, but the ventilation part 113 may be provided on both the first opening 111 side and the second opening 112 side.

[0026] The material of the housing 11 does not necessarily require sound absorption or pressure resistance. It is possible to select an inexpensive material that is easy to obtain. The housing 11 can cover the first region γ, and as long as the first humidity sensor 12 can appropriately measure the humidity in the measurement space area 13, it may be composed of a rigid member such as iron, or thin plate resin or paper may be used. Note that it is preferable that the material of the housing 11 does not have hygroscopicity.

[0027] (First humidity sensor 12) The first humidity sensor 12 is provided inside the housing 11 and measures the humidity of the measurement space region 13 at a predetermined time. In FIG. 4, the first humidity sensor 12 is provided at a position facing the joint portion between the first joint 401A and the second joint 402A and above the upper portion of the inner surface of the first housing 11A. The position where the first humidity sensor 12 is provided is not limited to this. That is, as long as the humidity of the measurement space region 13 can be appropriately measured, it may be provided in other parts inside the housing 11.

[0028] (Transmission unit 14) The transmission unit 14 transmits the humidity information measured by the first humidity sensor 12 to the monitoring device 20.

[0029] <Monitoring device 20> The monitoring device 20 (FIG. 1) has a detection unit 21. The detection unit 21 calculates the temporal change of humidity from the received plurality of humidity information, and based on the calculated temporal change, outputs a notification of the leakage of the compressed air β from the first region γ. Here, the "plurality of humidity information" received by the detection unit 21 refers to humidity information corresponding to each of a plurality of times, or a plurality of humidity information received together with predetermined identification information that can identify that it is in time series, that is, humidity information corresponding to a plurality of times.

[0030] <Air leakage detection method> FIG. 6 is an example of a processing flow example of an air leakage detection method in the air leakage detection system 1. On the premise of "start" in FIG. 6, it is assumed that compressed air β is supplied to the pipe 400. It is assumed that the housing 11 of the humidity measurement device 10 forms a measurement space region 13 inside the housing 11 by covering the periphery of the first region γ which is the detection target region of the leakage of the compressed air β. That is, it is assumed that the installation of the humidity measurement device 10 in the first region γ is completed. In this state, the air leakage detection system 1 performs air leakage detection by, for example, the following steps.

[0031] First, the humidity sensor 12 of the humidity measurement device 10 measures the humidity of the measurement space region 13 at a predetermined time determined in advance (step S12). The measured humidity information is transmitted to the transmission unit 14.

[0032] Next, the transmission unit 14 of the humidity measurement device 10 transmits the humidity information measured by the first humidity sensor 12 to the monitoring device 20 (step S14).

[0033] Next, the detection unit 21 of the monitoring device 20 calculates the temporal change in humidity from the received plurality of humidity information, and based on the calculated temporal change, outputs a notification of the leakage of the compressed air β from the first region γ. That is, the detection unit 21 calculates the temporal change in humidity from the received plurality of humidity information (step S21-1), and determines whether or not air leakage has been detected (step S21-2). The determination of air leakage by the detection unit 21 is, for example, determined that air leakage has been detected when the amount of the calculated temporal change (change amount D1) is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

[0034] FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the detection of air leakage in the detection unit 21. FIG. 7 shows time T (sec) on the horizontal axis and humidity H (%) on the vertical axis. In FIG. 7, it is assumed that the humidity of the outside air α is 30%. When there is air leakage in the first region γ, for example, it shows a tendency as shown in FIG. 7. That is, when there is no air leakage, it shows almost the same value as the humidity of the outside air α, for example, at point P (time T = t1, humidity H = 30%). When air leakage occurs, the humidity gradually begins to decrease, for example, at point Q (time T = t2, humidity H = 28%) and point R (time T = t3, humidity H = 23%). Therefore, if a decrease in humidity is detected, the occurrence of air leakage can be known. Note that at T = t4 and T = t5 in FIG. 7, the humidity H is stable at about 20%. That is, when there is air leakage, the humidity inside the housing 11 finally tends to stabilize at a value lower than that of the outside air α. The time required for the humidity to decrease and then stabilize after the occurrence of air leakage varies depending on the volume of the measurement space region 13 and the degree of air leakage. That is, in an environment where the volume of the measurement space region 13 is constant, the degree of air leakage can also be grasped from the temporal change of the air leakage.

[0035] The monitoring device 20 is assumed to receive, as humidity information measured by the first humidity sensor 12 every predetermined time from the humidity measuring device 10, for example, humidity information P, humidity information Q, and humidity information R in this order. The monitoring device 20 calculates the amount of change (change amount D1) in the received humidity over time. The change amount D1 may be configured to be calculated simply as the difference in the humidity values, for example, when the humidity information of the humidity measuring device 10 is received at regular intervals. For example, when the humidity information of the humidity measuring device 10 is configured to receive the humidity value and the time at which the humidity was measured, it may be configured to convert to the amount of change in humidity per unit time, such as a value obtained by dividing the difference in humidity values by the difference in time. As a result, for example, when the change amount D1 is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount of change over time (change amount D0), it is determined that a leak of the compressed air β from the first region γ has been detected. Note that the predetermined amount of change over time (change amount D0) may be appropriately changed depending on the season, time zone, etc. Also, the degree of air leakage may be discriminated by, for example, a rank display such as large, medium, or small, according to the magnitude of the difference between the change amount D0 and the change amount D1.

[0036] When the detection unit 21 has not detected an air leak (No in step S21-2), the process returns to step S12, and the first humidity sensor 12 measures the humidity in the measurement space region 13 at a predetermined time. When the detection unit 21 has detected an air leak (Yes in step S21-2), the detection unit 21 outputs a signal notifying of the leak of the compressed air β from the first region γ (step S21-3). Specific examples of the output include, but are not limited to, sound information such as a warning sound, display output such as characters or graphs notifying of the occurrence of an air leak, or both of these.

[0037] Explaining the above-described process with reference to FIG. 7, it is assumed that the change amount D1 from P to Q is smaller than the change amount D0, and the change amount D1 from Q to R is equal to or greater than the change amount D0. When the air leak detection system 1 receives P and Q, the process returns to the process after step S12. When Q and R are received, it is determined that an air leak has been detected from the first region γ, and an output notifying of the leak of the compressed air β is given from the detection unit 21.

[0038] The air leak detection system 1 according to the present embodiment has been described above.

[0039] When detecting the leakage of compressed air β by measuring sound waves, it is necessary to configure the housing 11 so that ambient noise does not interfere with the detection. In particular, in order to reliably detect even a slight air leak, sufficient consideration was required in the design of the housing of the housing 11. Further, when detecting the leakage of compressed air β by measuring pressure, it is necessary to prepare a housing 11 that maintains an appropriate degree of tightness in the space region 13 so that pressure changes can be sufficiently captured.

[0040] The air leak detection system 1 of the present disclosure measures the humidity of the measurement space region 13, and the monitoring device 20 detects the leakage of compressed air β based on the humidity information. That is, it suffices to prepare a housing 11 capable of measuring the humidity inside the space region 13. In other words, compared with an air leak detection system using sound waves or pressure, it is possible to detect the leakage of compressed air β with a simpler housing 11. Further, the humidity sensor required for the air leak detection system 1 is easier to obtain at a lower cost than sensors using sound waves or pressure. Therefore, even in a noisy environment, an air leak detection system can be realized at low cost.

[0041] Further, the air leak detection system 1 of the present disclosure sends the information measured by the humidity measurement device 10 to the monitoring device 20 which is a central management device, and the monitoring device 20 determines the detection of compressed air β. Therefore, for example, even if the monitoring device 20 is provided not only inside the factory site but also outside the site, it is possible to detect the leakage of compressed air β in the pipe 400. By centrally managing, it becomes unnecessary to manually patrol and monitor. The humidity measurement device 10 can be realized at a lower cost than sensors using sound waves or pressure. Therefore, if the cost is the same, the humidity measurement device 10 can be arranged at more locations than those using sound waves or pressure, and it is further possible to reduce manual patrols.

[0042] From the above, the air leak detection system 1 can realize centralized management of air leak detection at low cost.

[0043] <<Second Embodiment>> Hereinafter, the air leak detection system 1A according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a functional configuration example of the air leak detection system 1A according to the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the humidity measurement device 10A and the pipe 400 according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, in the air leak detection system 1A, the humidity measurement device 10 has been replaced with a humidity measurement device 10A having a second humidity sensor 15 in addition to the first humidity sensor 12. Accordingly, the transmission unit 14 has been replaced with a transmission unit 14A configured to be able to receive the humidity information of the first humidity sensor 12 and the humidity information of the second humidity sensor 15. The monitoring device 20 has been replaced with a monitoring device 20A having a detection unit 21A.

[0044] (Second Humidity Sensor 15) The second humidity sensor 15 is provided outside the housing 11 and measures the humidity of the outside air α outside. As shown in FIG. 9, the second humidity sensor 15 is provided at a position facing the first humidity sensor 12 via the housing 11. However, the second humidity sensor 15 is not limited to this position, and may be at other positions of the housing 11 as long as it can measure the humidity of the outside air outside the housing 11.

[0045] (Transmission Unit 14A) The transmission unit 14A transmits the received humidity information measured by the first humidity sensor 12 and the humidity information measured by the second humidity sensor 15 to the monitoring device 20A.

[0046] (Detection Unit 21A) The detection unit 21A calculates the difference between the received humidity information of the first humidity sensor 12 and the humidity information of the second humidity sensor 15, and based on the difference, outputs a notification of the leakage of the compressed air β from the first region γ.

[0047] <Air Leak Detection Method of the Second Embodiment> Figure 10 is an example of a processing flow of an air leak detection method in the air leak detection system 1A. Similar to "Start" in FIG. 6, it is assumed that the installation of the humidity measurement device 10A in the first region γ is completed. In this state, the air leak detection system 1A performs air leak detection by, for example, the following steps.

[0048] First, the first humidity sensor 12 of the humidity measurement device 10A measures the humidity of the measurement space region 13 at a predetermined time (step S12). The measured humidity information is transmitted to the transmission unit 14A.

[0049] Next, the second humidity sensor 15 of the humidity measurement device 10A measures the humidity of the outside air α at a predetermined time (step S15). The measured humidity information is transmitted to the transmission unit 14A. Note that the order of step S12 and step S15 may be interchanged, or they may be processed in parallel.

[0050] Next, the transmission unit 14A of the humidity measurement device 10A transmits the humidity information measured by the received first humidity sensor 12 and the humidity information measured by the second humidity sensor 15 to the monitoring device 20A (step S14A). Note that the process of step S14A may be individually corresponding to each of step S12 and step S15, or may be collectively corresponding after both step S12 and step S15 are completed.

[0051] Next, the detection unit 21A calculates the difference between the humidity information of the received first humidity sensor 12 and the humidity information of the second humidity sensor 15, and based on this difference result, outputs a notification of the leakage of the compressed air β from the first region γ. That is, the difference between the humidity information of the first humidity sensor 12, which is the humidity of the measurement space region 13, and the humidity information of the second humidity sensor 15, which is the humidity of the outside air α, is calculated (step S21A-1), and it is determined whether an air leak has been detected (step S21A-2). The determination of the air leak by the detection unit 21A is, for example, when the calculated humidity difference (difference D2) is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, it is determined that an air leak has been detected.

[0052] When the detection unit 21A does not detect an air leak (No in step S21A-2), the process returns to step S12, and the first humidity sensor 12 measures the humidity in the measurement space region 13 for a predetermined time. When the detection unit 21A detects an air leak (Yes in step S21A-2), the detection unit 21A outputs a signal indicating the leak of the compressed air β from the first region γ (step S21A-3). A specific example of the output is the same as that in step S21-3.

[0053] As described above, the air leak detection system 1A according to the present embodiment calculates the difference between the humidity information of the first humidity sensor 12 and the humidity information of the second humidity sensor 15, and based on this difference, the monitoring device 20A outputs a signal indicating the leak of the compressed air β from the first region γ. Therefore, similar to the air leak detection system 1, the air leak detection system 1A can achieve low-cost centralized management of air leak detection. In addition, different from the air leak detection system 1, the air leak detection system 1A does not require measurement of temporal changes, so intermittent measurement, for example, every 30 minutes, is possible. Therefore, compared with the air leak detection system 1, power consumption can also be reduced.

[0054] <<Third Embodiment>> Hereinafter, the air leak detection system 1B according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 to 13. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a functional configuration example of the air leak detection system 1B according to the third embodiment. The air leak detection system 1B according to the third embodiment includes at least two humidity measurement devices 10 and a monitoring device 20B that monitors each of the humidity measurement devices 10. As an example of this embodiment, in FIG. 11, three humidity measurement devices 10 are provided. In FIG. 11, when it is necessary to identify each humidity measurement device 10, for example, as shown in the parentheses in FIG. 11, they may be denoted as humidity measurement device 101, humidity measurement device 102, and humidity measurement device 103 with subscripts.

[0055] The housing 11 of each humidity measurement device 10 forms a measurement space region 13 inside by covering the periphery of the first region γ of the pipe 400, similar to the air leakage detection system 1. In the air leakage detection system 1B, since the first regions γ of the pipe 400 covered by each housing 11 have different measurement locations, when it is necessary to identify them, corresponding to the subscript numbers of the humidity measurement devices 10, they may be denoted as pipe 4001, pipe 4002, pipe 4003, or the first region γ1, the first region γ2, the first region γ3.

[0056] <Monitoring device 20B> The monitoring device 20B has a detection unit 21B. The detection unit 21B performs an output to notify a leak of the compressed air β from the first region γ corresponding to one of the first humidity sensors 12 based on a comparison between the humidity information of one of the first humidity sensors 12 and the humidity information of the other first humidity sensors 12 among the respective humidity information received from the first humidity sensors 12.

[0057] <Air leakage detection method of the third embodiment> FIG. 12 is an example of a processing flow of an air leakage detection method in the air leakage detection system 1B. Similar to the "start" in FIG. 6, it is assumed that the installation of each humidity measurement device 10 in the first region γ is completed in the air leakage detection system 1B. In this state, the air leakage detection system 1B performs air leakage detection by, for example, the following steps.

[0058] First, each of the first humidity sensors 12 of each humidity measurement device 10 (in the example of FIG. 11, the humidity measurement device 101, the humidity measurement device 102, and the humidity measurement device 103) measures the humidity of each measurement space region 13 at a predetermined time (step S12).

[0059] Next, each of the transmission units 14 of each humidity measurement device 10 transmits the humidity information measured by each first humidity sensor 12 to the monitoring device 20B (step S14).

[0060] Next, the detection unit 21B of the monitoring device 20B performs an output to notify of a leak of the compressed air β from the first region γ corresponding to one of the first humidity sensors 12 based on a comparison between the humidity information of one of the first humidity sensors 12 and the humidity information of the other first humidity sensors 12 among the humidity information of each of the first humidity sensors 12 received from each humidity measurement device 10. That is, the detection unit 21B compares the received humidity information of the first humidity sensors 12 (step S21B-1) and determines whether or not an air leak has been detected (step S21B-2). The determination of the air leak by the detection unit 21B will be described with reference to FIG. 11 as follows. For example, when the humidity information received from the humidity measurement device 101 is smaller than the humidity information received from the humidity measurement device 102 or the humidity measurement device 103 by a certain amount or more, it is determined that an air leak has been detected. That is, among the respective pieces of information of the received first humidity sensors 12, when there is a difference of a predetermined value or more between the humidity information of one of the first humidity sensors 12 and the humidity information of the other first humidity sensors 12, it is determined that an air leak has been detected. In FIG. 11, the description is made using three humidity measurement devices 10, but the same determination method is possible even in the case of two humidity measurement devices 10. Therefore, among all the humidity measurement devices 10 of the air leak detection system 1B configured of two or more, when there is a difference of a predetermined value or more between the humidity result of one humidity measurement device 10 and the humidity result of the other humidity measurement devices 10, it is determined that an air leak has been detected.

[0061] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the detection of air leakage by the detection unit 21B. In FIG. 13, it is assumed that the monitoring device 20B has received the following humidity information from each humidity measuring device 10 in FIG. 11. That is, it is assumed that the humidity measuring device 101 has received P1, Q1, R1, the humidity measuring device 102 has received P2, Q2, R2, and the humidity measuring device 103 has received P3, Q3, R3. If the measured humidity is expressed in chronological order, it is assumed that the humidity information P (P1, P2, P3), the humidity information Q (Q1, Q2, Q3), and the humidity information R (R1, R2, R3) are received in this order. The monitoring device 20B compares the humidity information received at the same timing (measurement time) with each other. That is, the difference in humidity is calculated mutually among the humidity information P (P1, P2, P3). Similarly, the difference in humidity is calculated mutually among the humidity information Q (Q1, Q2, Q3) and among the humidity information R (R1, R2, R3).

[0062] In the example of FIG. 13, among P (P1, P2, P3) and Q (Q1, Q2, Q3), the difference in humidity between each other is not large, but in R (R1, R2, R3), there is a relatively large difference between R1 and R2 and R3, and it is assumed that this difference is larger than a predetermined difference value. That is, it is assumed that the humidity value of R1 is lower than the humidity values of R2 and R3 by a value equal to or greater than the predetermined difference value. In this case, the detection unit 21B determines that the leakage of the compressed air β from the first region γ1 has been detected.

[0063] When the detection unit 21B has not detected air leakage (No in step S21B-2), the process returns to step S12, and each first humidity sensor 12 measures the humidity in the measurement space region 13 at a predetermined time. When the detection unit 21B has detected air leakage (Yes in step S21B-2), the detection unit 21B outputs information indicating the leakage of the compressed air β from the first region γ corresponding to one first humidity sensor 12 that has detected the air leakage (step S21B-3). In the example of FIG. 13, it is determined that the leakage of the compressed air β from the first region γ1 measured by the humidity measuring device 101 has been detected, and the monitoring device 20B outputs information indicating the leakage of the compressed air β from the first region γ1. A specific example of the output is the same as that in step S21-3.

[0064] As described above, the air leak detection system 1B according to the present embodiment performs an output for notifying a leak from the first region γ corresponding to one of the first humidity sensors 12 based on a comparison between the humidity information of one of the first humidity sensors 12 and the humidity information of the other first humidity sensors 12 among the humidity information of each of the received first humidity sensors 12. Therefore, similar to the air leak detection system 1, the air leak detection system 1B can realize centralized management of air leak detection at low cost. Further, unlike the air leak detection system 1, the air leak detection system 1B does not require measurement of time change, and thus intermittent measurement, for example, every 30 minutes, is possible. Therefore, power consumption can also be reduced compared to the air leak detection system 1. Further, the air leak detection system 1B does not require the second humidity sensor 15 used in the air leak detection system 1A.

[0065] <<Fourth Embodiment>> Hereinafter, the air leak detection device 10C according to the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a functional configuration example of the air leak detection device 10C according to the fourth embodiment. The air leak detection device 10C has the detection unit 21 function provided in the humidity measurement device 10 of the air leak detection system 1, and when an air leak is detected, transmits detection information to a predetermined device (not shown). The air leak detection device 10C includes a housing 11, a first humidity sensor 12, a detection unit 21C, and a transmission unit 14C. That is, the detection unit 21 is incorporated into the air leak detection device 10C and has changed to a detection unit 21C that receives the humidity information of the first humidity sensor 12. Accordingly, the transmission unit 14 of the humidity measurement device 10 has changed to a transmission unit 14C in the humidity measurement device 10C.

[0066] (Detection Unit 21C) The detection unit 21C is configured to receive the humidity data measured by the first humidity sensor 12. The detection unit 21C calculates the time change of the humidity from the humidity information of the plurality of received first humidity sensors 12, and detects an air leak from the first region γ based on the change amount D1.

[0067] (Transmission Unit 14C) The transmission unit 14C is configured to receive the detection information of the detection unit 21C. The transmission unit 14C transmits the detection information of the detection unit 21C to a predetermined device (device X). The device X is a pre-specified device, and examples include a central monitoring device that monitors the entire factory or the like. However, the device X does not necessarily have to be installed within the premises of a factory or the like, and it may be installed outside the premises.

[0068] <Air Leakage Detection Method of the Fourth Embodiment> FIG. 15 is an example of a processing flow example of an air leakage detection method in the air leakage detection device 10C. It is assumed that the installation in the first region γ of the air leakage detection device 10C is completed. In this state, the air leakage detection device 10C performs air leakage detection by the following steps.

[0069] First, the first humidity sensor 12 of the air leakage detection device 10C measures the humidity of the measurement space region 13 at a predetermined time (step S12). The measured humidity data is transmitted to the detection unit 21C.

[0070] Next, the detection unit 21C of the air leakage detection device 10C calculates the temporal change in humidity from the received plurality of humidity information, and based on the calculated temporal change, detects the leakage of the compressed air β from the first region γ. That is, the detection unit 21C calculates the temporal change in humidity from the received plurality of humidity information (step S21C-1), and determines whether air leakage has been detected (step S21C-2). The determination of air leakage by the detection unit 21C is, for example, when the amount of the calculated temporal change (change amount D1) is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, it is determined that air leakage has been detected.

[0071] When the detection unit 21C does not detect air leakage (No in step S21C-2), the process returns to step S12, and the first humidity sensor 12 measures the humidity of the measurement space area 13 for a predetermined time. When the detection unit 21C detects air leakage (Yes in step S21C-2), the detection unit 21 transmits the detection information to the transmission unit 14C, and the transmission unit 14C transmits the detection information of the detection unit 21C to a predetermined device (device X) (step S14C). Based on the information from the transmission unit 14C, the device X performs an output notifying of the leakage of the compressed air β, for example, in accordance with the specific example of the output described in step S21-3 of the air leakage detection system 1.

[0072] As described above, the air leakage detection device 10C according to the present embodiment is based on the detection method of the air leakage detection system 1 and sends the detected air leakage information to a specific device, device X. Therefore, the humidity measurement device 10C can inexpensively realize centralized management of air leakage detection.

[0073] <<Fifth Embodiment>> Hereinafter, the air leakage detection device 10D according to the fifth embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 16 and 17. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a functional configuration example of the air leakage detection device 10D according to the fifth embodiment. The humidity measurement device 10D has the function of the detection unit 21A provided in the humidity measurement device 10A of the air leakage detection system 1A, and when it detects air leakage, it transmits the detection information to the device X. The air leakage detection device 10D includes a housing 11, a first humidity sensor 12, a second humidity sensor 15, a detection unit 21D, and a transmission unit 14D. That is, the detection unit 21A is incorporated into the air leakage detection device 10D and has changed to the detection unit 21D that receives the humidity information of the first humidity sensor 12 and the humidity information of the second humidity sensor 15. Accordingly, the transmission unit 14A of the humidity measurement device 10A has changed to the transmission unit 14D in the air leakage detection device 10D.

[0074] (Detection unit 21D) The detection unit 21D is configured to be able to receive the humidity information of the first humidity sensor 12 and the humidity information measured by the second humidity sensor 15. The detection unit 21D calculates the difference between the humidity information measured by the first humidity sensor 12 and the humidity information measured by the second humidity sensor 15, and based on the difference, detects the leakage of the compressed air β from the first region γ.

[0075] (Transmission unit 14D) The transmission unit 14D is configured to receive the detection information of the detection unit 21D. The transmission unit 14D transmits the detection information of the detection unit 21D to a predetermined device (device X).

[0076] <Air leakage detection method of the fifth embodiment> FIG. 17 is an example of a processing flow example of an air leakage detection method in the air leakage detection device 10D. It is assumed that the installation of the air leakage detection device 10D in the first region γ is completed. In this state, the air leakage detection device 10D performs air leakage detection by the following steps.

[0077] First, the first humidity sensor 12 of the humidity measurement device 10D measures the humidity of the measurement space region 13 at a predetermined time (step S12). The measured humidity information is transmitted to the detection unit 21D.

[0078] Next, the second humidity sensor 15 of the air leakage detection device 10D measures the humidity of the outside air α at a predetermined time (step S15). The measured humidity information is transmitted to the detection unit 21D. Note that the order of step S12 and step S15 in FIG. 17 may be interchanged, or they may be processed in parallel.

[0079] Next, the detection unit 21D calculates the difference between the humidity information of the received first humidity sensor 12 and the humidity information of the second humidity sensor 15, and based on this difference, detects the leakage of the compressed air β from the first region γ. That is, the difference between the humidity information of the first humidity sensor 12, which is the humidity of the measurement space region 13, and the humidity information of the second humidity sensor 15, which is the humidity of the outside air α, is calculated (step S21D-1), and it is determined whether or not air leakage has been detected (step S21D-2). The determination of air leakage by the detection unit 21D is, for example, determined that air leakage has been detected when the calculated difference (difference D2) is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

[0080] When the detection unit 21D has not detected air leakage (No in step S21D-2), the process returns to step S12, and the first humidity sensor 12 measures the humidity of the measurement space region 13 at a predetermined time. When the detection unit 21D has detected air leakage (Yes in step S21D-2), the detection unit 21D transmits the detection information to the transmission unit 14D, and the transmission unit 14D transmits the detection information of the detection unit 21D to a predetermined device (device X) (step S14D). Based on the information from the transmission unit 14D, the device X performs an output to notify of the leakage of the compressed air β, for example, in accordance with the specific example of the output described in step S21-3 of the air leakage detection system 1.

[0081] As described above, the air leakage detection device 10D according to the present embodiment is based on the detection method of the air leakage detection system 1A, and sends the detected air leakage information to a specific device, device X. Therefore, the air leakage detection device 10D can realize centralized management of air leakage detection at low cost. In addition, the air leakage detection device 10D can also reduce power consumption compared to the air leakage detection device 10C.

[0082] As described above, the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described. Although the shape of the housing 11 in the present disclosure uses a substantially cylindrical shape as an example, the housing 11 may have other shapes such as a hollow substantially square prism or a polygonal prism as long as it can cover the first region γ. In addition, the size of the housing 11 is not limited as long as the humidity accuracy sufficient to detect air leakage from the first region γ targeted by the first humidity sensor 12 can be ensured.

[0083] Similarly, there is no limitation on the size of the first opening 111 and the second opening 112 as long as the first pipe 401 and the second pipe 402 can be inserted therethrough. Further, a buffer material or the like may be sandwiched between the first pipe 401 and the first opening 111, or between the second pipe 402 and the second opening 112 to enhance the sealing degree of the measurement space region 13.

[0084] In addition, the first humidity sensor 12, the second humidity sensor 15, and the transmission units 14, 14A, 14C, 14D can be appropriately changed in terms of their shape, size, material, etc. without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

[0085] Needless to say, the air leakage detection system and the air leakage detection device described in the present embodiment can be appropriately changed without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0086] 1, 1A, 1B Air leakage detection system 10, 10A Humidity measurement device 10C, 10D Air leakage detection device 100 Air compressor 11 Housing 11A First housing 11B Second housing 113 Ventilation part 111 First opening 111A First opening 111B First opening 112 Second opening 112A Second opening 112B Second opening 13 Measurement space region 12 First humidity sensor 14, 14A, 14C, 14D Transmission unit 15 Second humidity sensor 20, 20A, 20B Monitoring device 21, 21A, 21B, 21C, 21D Detection unit 30 Communication network 400 Pipe 401 First pipe 401A First joint 402 Second pipe 402A Second joint α Outside air β Compressed air γ First region D0, D1 Change amount D2 Differential X Device

Claims

1. An air leakage detection system having a humidity measurement device and a monitoring device, wherein the humidity measurement device includes a housing that forms a measurement space region inside by covering the periphery of a first region that is a detection target region for leakage of the compressed air in a pipe to which the compressed air is supplied, a first humidity sensor provided inside the housing for measuring the humidity of the measurement space region, and a transmission unit that transmits information on the humidity measured by the first humidity sensor to the monitoring device, and the monitoring device has a detection unit that calculates a temporal change in humidity from the received plurality of humidity information and outputs a notification of leakage of the compressed air from the first region based on the temporal change. An air leakage detection system.

2. The humidity measurement device further includes a second humidity sensor provided outside the housing for measuring the humidity outside, the transmission unit transmits information on the humidity measured by the first humidity sensor and information on the humidity measured by the second humidity sensor to the monitoring device, and the detection unit calculates a difference between the received humidity information of the first humidity sensor and the humidity information of the second humidity sensor, and outputs a notification of leakage of the compressed air from the first region based on the difference. The air leakage detection system according to claim 1.

3. An air leakage detection system having at least two humidity measurement devices and a monitoring device, wherein each of the humidity measurement devices includes a housing that forms a measurement space region inside by covering the periphery of a first region that is a detection target region for leakage of the compressed air in a pipe to which the compressed air is supplied, a first humidity sensor provided inside the housing for measuring the humidity of the measurement space region, and a transmission unit that transmits information on the humidity measured by the first humidity sensor to the monitoring device, and the monitoring device has a detection unit that outputs a notification of leakage of the compressed air from the first region corresponding to the one first humidity sensor based on a comparison between the humidity information of the one first humidity sensor and the humidity information of the other first humidity sensors among the received humidity information of each of the first humidity sensors. An air leakage detection system.

4. The air leakage detection device system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the housing has at least one ventilation portion that penetrates between the outside and the inside of the housing.

5. The pipe has a first pipe having a first joint at one end and a second pipe having a second joint connected to the first joint at one end. The first region is a region including at least the first joint and the second joint. The air leakage detection device system according to claim 4.

6. A housing that forms a measurement space region inside by covering the periphery of a first region that is a detection target region of leakage of the compressed air in a pipe to which compressed air is supplied, A first humidity sensor provided inside the housing for measuring the humidity of the measurement space region, A detection unit that calculates a temporal change in humidity from the plurality of humidity information and detects leakage of the compressed air from the first region based on the temporal change, A transmission unit that transmits the detection information to a predetermined device, An air leakage detection device having the above.

7. Further having a second humidity sensor provided outside the housing for measuring the humidity outside, The detection unit calculates a difference between the humidity information measured by the first humidity sensor and the humidity information measured by the second humidity sensor, and detects leakage of the compressed air from the first region based on the difference, A transmission unit that transmits the detection information to a predetermined device, The air leakage detection device according to claim 6 having the above.

8. An air leakage detection method performed by an air leakage detection system having a humidity measurement device and a monitoring device, The housing of the humidity measurement device forms a measurement space region inside by covering the periphery of a first region that is a detection target region of leakage of the compressed air in a pipe to which compressed air is supplied, A first humidity sensor provided inside the housing measures the humidity of the measurement space region, A transmission unit of the humidity measurement device transmits the humidity information measured by the first humidity sensor to the monitoring device, A detection unit of the monitoring device calculates a temporal change in humidity from the received plurality of humidity information and outputs a notification of leakage of the compressed air from the first region based on the temporal change. An air leakage detection method of an air leakage detection system.

9. A second humidity sensor provided outside the housing measures the humidity outside, The transmission unit transmits the humidity information measured by the first humidity sensor and the humidity information measured by the second humidity sensor to the monitoring device. The detection unit calculates the difference between the humidity information of the received first humidity sensor and the humidity information of the second humidity sensor, and based on the difference, outputs a notification of the leakage of the compressed air from the first region. The air leakage detection method of the air leakage detection system according to claim 8.

10. An air leakage detection method performed by an air leakage detection system having at least two humidity measurement devices and a monitoring device, each of the casings of the humidity measurement devices forms a measurement space region inside by covering the periphery of a first region that is a detection target region for leakage of the compressed air in a pipe to which the compressed air is supplied, each of the first humidity sensors of the humidity measurement devices is provided inside the casing and measures the humidity of the measurement space region, each of the transmission units of the humidity measurement devices transmits the humidity information measured by the first humidity sensor to the monitoring device, the detection unit of the monitoring device outputs a notification of the leakage of the compressed air from the first region corresponding to the one first humidity sensor based on a comparison between the humidity information of the one first humidity sensor and the humidity information of the other first humidity sensors among the humidity information of the received first humidity sensors, The air leakage detection method of the air leakage detection system.

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