US 11,874,243 B1
Methods and apparatus for remote joint isolation monitoring
Gabriel Gonzales, Westminster, CO (US); Nicholas Bander, Littleton, CO (US); Ian Kinnear, Arvada, CO (US); Aaron Alfano, Littleton, CO (US); Tim Hurley, Littleton, CO (US); and Wade Troutman, Littleton, CO (US)
Assigned to GPT Industries, LLC, Wheat Ridge, CO (US)
Filed by GPT Industries, LLC, Wheat Ridge, CO (US)
Filed on Jan. 25, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/584,165.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/141,861, filed on Jan. 26, 2021.
Int. Cl. G01N 27/04 (2006.01); F16L 58/18 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 27/041 (2013.01) [F16L 58/18 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus, comprising:
a pipe junction, wherein the pipe junction comprises a first pipe section terminating in a first metal flange and a second pipe section terminating in a second metal flange, wherein the first metal flange is opposed to the second metal flange and first and second metal flanges are separated by an isolation gasket; and
an isolation testing unit operatively coupled to the pipe junction, the isolation testing unit consisting essentially of:
a potentiometer having a first pipe lead coupled to the first pipe section and a second pipe lead coupled to the second pipe section and at least one reference lead;
a single reference electrode that is coupled to the at least one reference lead, and
a processor comprising a comparator,
wherein a first pipe section potential as measured between the first pipe section and the reference electrode and a second pipe section potential as measured between the second pipe section and the reference electrode is obtained by the potentiometer, wherein the comparator determines a difference between the first pipe section potential and second pipe section potential and when the comparator determines the difference is greater than or equal to an alert threshold confirms, effective isolation.