Fluid Pressure Leak Detection Using Dual Time-Scale Filtering
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing leak detection methods in closed-loop fluid systems, such as heating or cooling systems, are unreliable and prone to false positives due to variations in system pressure caused by temperature changes, and often require multiple sensors, making them inefficient and costly.
Innovation Solution
A method that uses filtered pressure signals over different time scales to detect leaks by comparing long-term and short-term pressure variations, determining an operating range, and issuing a warning based on deviations outside this range, potentially using only pressure sensors without additional inputs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If pressure signals are used for leak detection, then leak detection capability is provided, but false positives occur due to pressure variations from temperature changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the pressure signal analysis into two distinct time scales: a first time scale for capturing long-term pressure variations (including temperature effects) and a second, shorter time scale for capturing rapid pressure changes (indicative of leaks). By separating these temporal components, the system can distinguish between normal operational variations and actual leakage events, resolving the contradiction between reliability and measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic filtering techniques that adapt to different time scales of pressure variation. The first filtered pressure signal dynamically tracks long-term trends while the second filtered signal captures rapid changes. This dynamic approach allows the system to maintain measurement precision for leak detection while filtering out false positives caused by temperature-induced pressure variations.
2Measurement precision
If multiple sensors are used for leak detection, then detection accuracy is improved, but system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the pressure sensor system to detect leaks using only pressure measurements by leveraging the temporal characteristics of pressure variations. The method processes the pressure signal itself to extract leak information without requiring additional sensors for temperature, flow, or other parameters. This self-service approach maintains high detection accuracy while minimizing system complexity and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the pressure sensing system multi-functional by using the same pressure measurements for both monitoring normal operational variations and detecting leaks. The dual time-scale filtering approach allows a single pressure sensor to perform what would traditionally require multiple sensors, achieving universal detection capability without increasing hardware complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for detecting leakage in a fluid system, comprising: receiving a pressure signal indicative of measured pressure values of a pressure in the fluid system measured at different points in time; determining a first filtered pressure signal indicative of variations of the measured pressure values over a first time scale; determining a second filtered pressure signal indicative of variations of the measured pressure values over a second time scale, shorter than the first time scale; outputting a leakage warning based on a comparison of the first filtered pressure signal and the second filtered pressure signal.