Method and apparatus for identifying and locating a leak in the inner liner of a vessel having a laminated wall structure

摘要

A vessel for containing an electro-conductive fluid, the vessel having a laminated wall structure and including an outer structural shell, an inner corrosion-resistant lining made of electrically non-conductive material, constituting a barrier between the structural shell and electro- conductive fluid in the vessel. An electrically resistive medium is mounted between the structural shell and the corrosion-resistant lining, the resistive medium carrying an array of electrodes mounted in spaced apart relationship at fixed and known locations. A main electrode is mounted in the vessel extending into the electro-conductive fluid which forms an electric path between the main electrode and the resistive medium in occurence of a fault in the corrosion-resistant liner, such that electro-conductive fluid is allowed to contact the resistive medium. An electronic controller impresses a voltage difference across electrodes of the array for causing electric current to circulate through the resistive medium. The controller obtains voltage drop measurements across the resistive medium between electrodes of the array and the contact point of the electro-conductive fluid on the resistive medium, to determine the location of the fault, each of the voltage drop measurements being between a respective electrode of the array and the main electrode.