Mecon Limited

These are a few of the technologies developed by Mecon as a result of consultancy work.

The Magic Carpet is a ground-acoustic sensor array used to detect leaks in buried pipes. Primarily designed for the water industry, it is able to detect leaks of any fluid from a pressurised pipeline, including liquid hydrocarbons.

The Magic Carpet is marketed by STesT Ltd.

The "Leak Radar"

Almost all existing technologies for finding leaks in water mains use the sound radiated from the leak to home in on it (including the Magic Carpet). This can sometimes lead to other sources of sound (such as flow obstructions in pipes, or part-open valves) being misidentified as leaks, leading to wasteful excavations. It also means that leaks which do not produce detectable levels of sound cannot be located.

 The "Leak Radar" uses a completely different principle of detection. It is a radio-frequency interferometer, which works by transmitting a low power radio-frequency (UHF) signal directly into the ground. The signal is reflected off the water issuing from the leak and returns to the antenna, where it is amplified and passed to a sensitive interferometer system. This effectively ignores any signal whose character does not change with time. If there is a leak, the signal reflected from it varies rapidly; the interferometer recognises the signal, which is then amplified, processed, and displayed to show its strength and character.

The system can be used either to confirm possible leaks located by other means, or to locate leaks which are known to exist but cannot be located by acoustic detectors.

The leak radar has been developed to its current form for STesT Limited.

The HAVSense®  Hand-arm vibration dosimeter measures vibration dosage in accordance with current ISO and European standards. It is wireless, and is worn between the fingers while operating power machinery. It can be worn inside a work glove without problems. It warns the user when first 50% and then 100% of the maximum allowable 24-hour exposure is reached. Detailed records of vibration exposure can be downloaded to a PC so that long term records can be maintained. A calibrator allows the device to be precisely calibrated on site.

We are seeking a commercial partner to bring the HAVSense to market.

The Advanced Pressure Tester is a system for testing new-laid gas pipes for leaks before the trench is backfilled. Using an acoustic system developed by Mecon for Advantica, the APT measures the average temperature of the gas in a pipe during pressure testing. The effects of temperature on gas pressure can then be allowed for so that leaks can be detected via the extremely small decay in gas pressure over time that a typical leak produces. The measurement is made from one end of the gas pipe and is entirely non invasive.

The APT was developed for Advantica PLC.

The Urchin autonomous leak detector is a 2-inch diameter, wireless device for detecting leaks in water mains. Inserted into a main through any standard fitting, it moves with the water flow, recording the positions of any leaks that it passes. 

The Urchin was developed for AES Ltd.

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