Patent ID: 8220484

Claim:
A monitoring system for a conduit network comprising one or more conduit sections joined at one or more conduit nodes, comprising: one or more sensor devices disposed at selected ones of the one or more conduit nodes, wherein each of the one or more sensor devices is operable for sensing a blockage or breakage in an associated conduit section by one or more of transmitting a signal that is affected by the blockage or breakage to another sensor device that measures a transmitted signal after it has passed through or by the blockage or breakage and transmitting a signal that is reflected by the blockage or breakage back to itself with both the transmitted signal after it has passed through or by the blockage or breakage and a reflected signal after it has been reflected by the blockage or breakage being measured, wherein the signal is transmitted in a direction that is substantially parallel to an intended fluid flow direction in the associated conduit section, and wherein each of the one or more sensor devices is operable for communicating blockage or breakage information to a central location.