IP Library Granted Patent US 9,127,813
Granted Patent B2
US 9,127,813 · App. 13/403,094 · Granted Sep 8, 2015

Responding to moisture at one or more zones around an outer surface of a liquid-carrying pipe

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,127,813
App. No.
13/403,094
Granted
Sep 8, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for responding to moisture at one or more zones around an outer surface of a liquid-carrying pipe are provided. Embodiments include monitoring, by a moisture correction controller, a plurality of moisture sensors, each moisture sensor configured to detect moisture at a separate zone around the outer surface of the liquid-carrying pipe; based on the monitoring of the plurality of moisture sensors, calculating and tracking, for each zone, a level of moisture detected by a moisture sensor; based on the tracked levels of moisture detected at the zones, selecting, between condensation or a leak from within the liquid-carrying pipe as a source of the moisture detected at the zones around the liquid-carrying pipe; and administering a corrective action based on the selection of the source of the moisture detected at the zones around the liquid-carrying pipe.

Claims (47)

1. A method comprising:

by computer program instructions on a computing device,

monitoring a plurality of moisture sensors, each moisture sensor configured to detect moisture at a separate zone around an outer surface of a liquid-carrying pipe;

based on the monitoring of the plurality of moisture sensors, calculating and tracking, for each zone around the outer surface, a level of moisture detected by a moisture sensor;

based on the tracked levels of moisture detected at the zones, selecting between condensation or a leak from within the liquid-carrying pipe as a source of the moisture detected at the zones around the liquid-carrying pipe; and

administering, by the moisture correction controller, a corrective action based on the selection of the source of the moisture detected at the zones around the liquid-carrying pipe, including increasing a temperature of liquid within the liquid-carrying pipe in response to selecting condensation as the source of the moisture detected at the zones around the liquid-carrying pipe.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting between condensation or a leak from within the liquid-carrying pipe as a source of the moisture detected at the zones around the liquid-carrying pipe includes:

determining whether a moisture level differential between two adjacent zones is greater than a predetermined amount;

if the moisture level differential is greater than the predetermined amount, selecting a leak as the source of the moisture detected at the zones around the liquid-carrying pipe; and

if the moisture level differential is not greater than the predetermined amount, selecting condensation as the source of the moisture detected at the zones around the liquid-carrying pipe.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein administering a corrective action based on the selection of the source of the moisture detected at the zones around the liquid-carrying pipe includes:

increasing a speed of a fan directed to the liquid-carrying pipe in response to selecting condensation as the source of the moisture detected at the zones around the liquid-carrying pipe.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein administering a corrective action based on the selection of the source of the moisture detected at the zones around the liquid-carrying pipe includes:

decreasing a flow rate of liquid within the liquid-carrying pipe in response to selecting a leak as the source of the moisture detected at the zones around the liquid-carrying pipe.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein administering a corrective action based on the selection of the source of the moisture detected at the zones around the liquid-carrying pipe includes:

transmitting an alert to an administrator, the alert indicating the selection of the source of the moisture detected at the zones around the liquid-carrying pipe.

6. An apparatus comprising a computer processor and a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory having disposed within it computer program instructions that, when executed by the computer processor, cause the apparatus to carry out the steps of:

monitoring a plurality of moisture sensors, each moisture sensor configured to detect moisture at a separate zone around an outer surface of a liquid-carrying pipe;

based on the monitoring of the plurality of moisture sensors, calculating and tracking, for each zone around the outer surface, a level of moisture detected by a moisture sensor;

based on the tracked levels of moisture detected at the zones, selecting between condensation or a leak from within the liquid-carrying pipe as a source of the moisture detected at the zones around the liquid-carrying pipe; and

administering, by the moisture correction controller, a corrective action based on the selection of the source of the moisture detected at the zones around the liquid-carrying pipe, including increasing a temperature of liquid within the liquid-carrying pipe in response to selecting condensation as the source of the moisture detected at the zones around the liquid-carrying pipe.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein selecting between condensation or a leak from within the liquid-carrying pipe as a source of the moisture detected at the zones around the liquid-carrying pipe includes:

determining whether a moisture level differential between two adjacent zones is greater than a predetermined amount;

if the moisture level differential is greater than the predetermined amount, selecting a leak as the source of the moisture detected at the zones around the liquid-carrying pipe; and

if the moisture level differential is not greater than the predetermined amount, selecting condensation as the source of the moisture detected at the zones around the liquid-carrying pipe.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein administering a corrective action based on the selection of the source of the moisture detected at the zones around the liquid-carrying pipe includes:

increasing a speed of a fan directed to the liquid-carrying pipe in response to selecting condensation as the source of the moisture detected at the zones around the liquid-carrying pipe.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein administering a corrective action based on the selection of the source of the moisture detected at the zones around the liquid-carrying pipe includes:

decreasing a flow rate of liquid within the liquid-carrying pipe in response to selecting a leak as the source of the moisture detected at the zones around the liquid-carrying pipe.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein administering a corrective action based on the selection of the source of the moisture detected at the zones around the liquid-carrying pipe includes:

transmitting an alert to an administrator, the alert indicating the selection of the source of the moisture detected at the zones around the liquid-carrying pipe.

11. A computer program product for responding to moisture at one or more zones around an outer surface of a liquid-carrying pipe, the computer program product disposed upon a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions that, when executed, cause a computer to carry out the steps of:

monitoring a plurality of moisture sensors, each moisture sensor configured to detect moisture at a separate zone around an outer surface of a liquid-carrying pipe;

based on the monitoring of the plurality of moisture sensors, calculating and tracking, for each zone around the outer surface, a level of moisture detected by a moisture sensor;

based on the tracked levels of moisture detected at the zones, selecting between condensation or a leak from within the liquid-carrying pipe as a source of the moisture detected at the zones around the liquid-carrying pipe; and

administering, by the moisture correction controller, a corrective action based on the selection of the source of the moisture detected at the zones around the liquid-carrying pipe, including increasing a temperature of liquid within the liquid-carrying pipe in response to selecting condensation as the source of the moisture detected at the zones around the liquid-carrying pipe.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein selecting between condensation or a leak from within the liquid-carrying pipe as a source of the moisture detected at the zones around the liquid-carrying pipe includes:

determining whether a moisture level differential between two adjacent zones is greater than a predetermined amount;

if the moisture level differential is greater than the predetermined amount, selecting a leak as the source of the moisture detected at the zones around the liquid-carrying pipe; and

if the moisture level differential is not greater than the predetermined amount, selecting condensation as the source of the moisture detected at the zones around the liquid-carrying pipe.

13. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein administering a corrective action based on the selection of the source of the moisture detected at the zones around the liquid-carrying pipe includes:

increasing a speed of a fan directed to the liquid-carrying pipe in response to selecting condensation as the source of the moisture detected at the zones around the liquid-carrying pipe.

14. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein administering a corrective action based on the selection of the source of the moisture detected at the zones around the liquid-carrying pipe includes:

decreasing a flow rate of liquid within the liquid-carrying pipe in response to selecting a leak as the source of the moisture detected at the zones around the liquid-carrying pipe.

15. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein administering a corrective action based on the selection of the source of the moisture detected at the zones around the liquid-carrying pipe includes:

transmitting an alert to an administrator, the alert indicating the selection of the source of the moisture detected at the zones around the liquid-carrying pipe.

16. The computer program product of claim 11 wherein the computer readable medium comprises a storage medium.

Assignments (5)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 6, 2019
From: LENOVO ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS (SINGAPORE) PTE LTD.
To: LENOVO INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
Reel/Frame 050300/0878 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNMENT DOCUMENT CONTAINING TYPO ERRORS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 037101 FRAME: 0969. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Dec 28, 2015
From: LENOVO ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
To: LENOVO INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
Reel/Frame 037689/0190 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 12, 2015
From: LENOVO ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
To: LENOVO INTERNATIONAL LIMITED
Reel/Frame 037101/0969 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 10, 2014
From: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
To: LENOVO ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
Reel/Frame 034194/0111 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 23, 2012
From: CAMPBELL, KEITH M.; KAMATH, VINOD; WOOD, CHRISTOPHER L.
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 027750/0676 →