Holiday Detector Remote Calibration Verification With Reference Standard
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional calibration methods for Holiday Detectors, used to detect defects in protective coatings of pipelines, incur significant shipping costs and non-productive downtime due to the need for shipping instruments to separate calibration facilities, disrupting their use and increasing operational expenses.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for remotely verifying the calibration of Holiday Detectors using onboard electronics and network connectivity, allowing calibration verification at the work site without physical transportation to a calibration facility, utilizing a pre-calibrated reference standard and iterative adjustments to ensure accuracy within NIST tolerances.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If Holiday Detectors are shipped to separate calibration facilities for calibration, then calibration accuracy is ensured, but shipping costs increase and instrument availability decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The Holiday Detector performs self-calibration using an onboard reference standard and processing circuitry. The instrument automatically compares its output against the reference standard and adjusts calibration parameters without requiring external calibration facilities, thereby eliminating downtime and reducing shipping costs while maintaining calibration accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
An onboard reference standard serves as an intermediary calibration reference that enables the Holiday Detector to perform calibration locally. This reference standard acts as a mediator between the instrument and external calibration facilities, allowing accurate calibration without physical transportation to accredited calibration laboratories.
2Reliability
If Holiday Detectors are shipped to calibration facilities, then calibration certification is obtained, but operational expenses increase
Solution Approach 1:
The instrument performs self-calibration using onboard reference standard and processing circuitry, eliminating the need for expensive external calibration facility services. This self-service approach maintains calibration reliability while significantly reducing operational expenses associated with shipping and external calibration services.
3Difficulty of detecting and measuring
If handheld Holiday Detectors are used for defect detection, then defect identification capability is provided, but instrument calibration maintenance becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The Holiday Detector incorporates self-calibration functionality with onboard reference standard and processing circuitry that automatically maintains calibration. This eliminates the complex calibration maintenance process that would otherwise require coordination with external facilities, while preserving the instrument's defect detection capability through continuous automatic calibration.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Reduces shipping costs and downtime by enabling on-site calibration verification, ensuring accurate detector performance while maintaining operational availability and reducing operational expenses.
Implementation Method 1
the protective coating acts as a dielectric material and prevents current from flowing into the conductive substrate
Implementation Method 2
When the electrode is applied to an area in the vicinity of a defect, current flows from the electrode to the conductive substrate, resulting in a short circuit and thus an arc voltage or 'spark.'
Data Source
AI summary
In general, in one aspect, embodiments relate to a method of remotely verifying the calibration of a high voltage spark detector, that includes switching between a normal signal path and a pre-calibrated reference standard, comparing the normal signal path to the pre-calibrated reference, and remotely verifying the calibration of the high voltage spark detector, based at least in part on the comparison between the normal signal path and the pre-calibrated reference standard.