Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed for leak detection from a thief hatch. An example thief hatch includes a vent control stem coupled to first and second sealing plates, the first and second sealing plates to control fluid flow through the thief hatch based on translation of the vent control stem, and an indicator extending from the vent control stem to provide a visual indication of a condition of the fluid flow.

A pipeline pressure test that accounts for measurement uncertainties includes a method for performing a pressure test of a pipe section of a pipeline including receiving a desired pressure to be applied to the pipe section and a duration of time the desired pressure is to be applied to the pipe section, receiving a pressure measurement of a fluid, a temperature measurement of the fluid, a volume measurement of the fluid, and a pipe section strain measurement, determining a change in fluid pressure and a volume change, determining a pressure change uncertainty and a volume change uncertainty, checking that the pressure change uncertainty is within a pressure uncertainty threshold and that the volume change uncertainty is within a volume uncertainty threshold, determining whether the desired pressure has been applied to the inner surface of the pipe section for the duration of time; and outputting a result of the testing.

A flexible lid seal detector incorporates a compression body having a cavity including a sensor. The detector has a distal end comprising a plurality of concentric compression rings surrounding the cavity. An outer-most ring is defined by outer and inner shaping rims. The distal end includes a recessed lid deflection volume defined by the inner rim and a distal surface of the compression body. The deflection volume may receive a portion of a flexible lid when at least one of the rings applies a compressive force thereto, thereby deforming the lid into the deflection volume. The deflection volume may include a second compression ring and its respective inner and outer shaping rims. A seal detector system may include the detector with a controller configured to receive data from the sensor for a predetermined period of time while the detector applies the compressive force to the lid.

A pipeline pressure test that accounts for measurement uncertainties includes a method for performing a pressure test of a pipe section of a pipeline including receiving a desired pressure to be applied to the pipe section and a duration of time the desired pressure is to be applied to the pipe section, receiving a pressure measurement of a fluid, a temperature measurement of the fluid, a volume measurement of the fluid, and a pipe section strain measurement, determining a change in fluid pressure and a volume change, determining a pressure change uncertainty and a volume change uncertainty, checking that the pressure change uncertainty is within a pressure uncertainty threshold and that the volume change uncertainty is within a volume uncertainty threshold, determining whether the desired pressure has been applied to the inner surface of the pipe section for the duration of time; and outputting a result of the testing.

The invention provides an apparatus and method for testing the integrity of a package, the apparatus comprising a first volume detecting means for detecting a first volume of the package at a first position; conveying means for moving the package from the first position to a second position downstream from the first position; compression means for providing a compression force on the package; a second volume detecting means for detecting a second volume of the package at the second position; determining means for determining the integrity of the package based upon a change in volume of the package; and rejecting means for removing packages, the integrity of which is determined by the determining means not to be intact, wherein the determining means is in electronic signal communication with each volume detecting means independently, wherein the determining means is in electronic signal communication with the rejecting means, wherein the compression means is located above a portion of the conveying means and wherein each volume detecting means independently comprises either two cameras for producing an image of the package or a single time of flight camera.

A flexible lid seal detector incorporates a compression body having a cavity including a sensor. The detector has a distal end comprising a plurality of concentric compression rings surrounding the cavity. An outer-most ring is defined by outer and inner shaping rims. The distal end includes a recessed lid deflection volume defined by the inner rim and a distal surface of the compression body. The deflection volume may receive a portion of a flexible lid when at least one of the rings applies a compressive force thereto, thereby deforming the lid into the deflection volume. The deflection volume may include a second compression ring and its respective inner and outer shaping rims. A seal detector system may include the detector with a controller configured to receive data from the sensor for a predetermined period of time while the detector applies the compressive force to the lid.

The invention provides an apparatus and method for testing the integrity of a package, the apparatus comprising a first volume detecting means for detecting a first volume of the package at a first position; conveying means for moving the package from the first position to a second position downstream from the first position; compression means for providing a compression force on the package; a second volume detecting means for detecting a second volume of the package at the second position; determining means for determining the integrity of the package based upon a change in volume of the package; and rejecting means for removing packages, the integrity of which is determined by the determining means not to be intact, wherein the determining means is in electronic signal communication with each volume detecting means independently, wherein the determining means is in electronic signal communication with the rejecting means, wherein the compression means is located above a portion of the conveying means and wherein each volume detecting means independently comprises either two cameras for producing an image of the package or a single time of flight camera.

A device, system, and method for detecting a leak (and determining the leak rate of the leak) for equipment, particularly generators, the device including a main body connected to the tested equipment and to an air supply source, wherein the main body includes a number of stages each having a valve and orifice such that flow of air through the independent stages is selectively controllable, where a change in the differential pressure recorded during flow of the air through a particular stage indicates a leak, and wherein the differential pressure recorded can be used to calculate the rate of leak in the equipment.

An apparatus for inspecting the integrity of a seal of a package that includes a container and a seal membrane carried by the container. The apparatus comprises a conveyor configured to move the sealed package along a path and including a vacuum plenum section configured to create a sub-atmospheric pressure that is applied to the seal membrane of the sealed package as the package moves through the vacuum plenum section. The apparatus further comprises an imaging sensor configured to generate one or more images of the seal membrane following the application of a sub-atmospheric pressure thereto at the vacuum plenum section. The apparatus still further comprises an electronic processing device configured to process the one or more images of the seal membrane generated by the imaging sensor, and to evaluate the integrity of the seal of the package based on the one or more images.

Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed for leak detection from a thief hatch. An example thief hatch includes a vent control stem coupled to first and second sealing plates, the first and second sealing plates to control fluid flow through the thief hatch based on translation of the vent control stem, and an indicator extending from the vent control stem to provide a visual indication of a condition of the fluid flow.