Leak detection, containment and cuttoff system for a pipeline or other conduit

摘要

A pipeline leak detection, containment and cutoff system features a flexible tubular jacket fitted circumferentially around the pipeline for expansion by leaking fluid. A coil is wrapped on the jacket and has a terminal fitting that normally resides in an engaged position maintain a predetermined state of a control circuit that connected to a valve installed on the pipeline. When the jacket expands under the action of fluid leaking from the pipeline, this increases the coil diameter a the expanding area of the jacket, which pulls the terminal fitting from its engaged position, thereby changing the state of the control circuit and causing the valve to close the pipeline and prevent further leakage from same. Preferably multiple valves installed along the pipeline are wired in series such that control circuit closes all the valves under a change in the control circuit by any one of the coils.

主权项

1. A leak detection, containment and cutoff system for a conduit, the system comprising:
a flexible tubular jacket fitted circumferentially and conformingly around a circumferential wall of the conduit, said flexible tubular jacket comprising resilient material that provides said flexible tubular jacket with a resilient expandability in a radial direction of the conduit so that said flexible tubular jacket is expandable in said radial direction by fluid exiting the conduit in the event of a leak occurring in the conduit at a location beneath the flexible tubular jacket; a valve installed at a point along the conduit and moveable between open and closed positions allowing and preventing fluid flow through the conduit at said point; and a control system configured to cause movement of the valve into the closed position under expansion of the tubular jacket by the fluid leaking from the conduit, whereby said movement of the valve into the closed position terminates the leak; and wherein the flexible tubular jacket is configured such that the resilient expandability in the radial direction acts to contain said fluid inside the flexible jacket throughout an entire duration of the leak.