Monitoring of Pipeline Damage Current and Future Technologies

1
Monitoring of Pipeline Damage Current and
Future Technologies

• Narasi Sridhar
• Southwest Research Institute
• San Antonio, TX
• April 8, 2003

2
Pipeline Damage Monitoring

• Industry Challenges, Vision, and Goals
• Current Status
• Assessment of Recent Research Directions
• Requirements for Monitoring Systems
• Other Industry Technologies
• Planning the Future

3
Industry Technology Challenges
From DOE Natural Gas forum, September 2000

• Improve monitoring and assessment of system
  integrity
• Enhance system flexibility and throughput
• Reduce incidence and cause of subsurface damage
• Improve capability of cost effective construction
• Improve data quality for system planning and
  regulatory acceptance

4
RD Gaps and Funding Focus
OPS Workshop, 11/27/2001

• RD planning for longer time horizon
• Integrity management tools for distribution
  companies
• Improved Leak Detection and Mitigation
• Development of Direct Assessment Methods
• Real-time monitoring of Pipeline Integrity
  Factors

5
Most Important RD Areas
OPS Workshop, 11/27/2001

• Improved In-Line Inspection Technologies
• Real-Time Detection of Incipient Third-Party
  Damage
• Improved Data Integration Methods
• Improved Methods to Characterize External
  corrosion

6
Monitoring Needs Informal Survey

• Non-intrusive monitoring of internal corrosion
• Above-ground techniques to monitor active
  corrosion
• Early (real-time) detection of third party
  intrusion
• Above ground techniques for CP shielding
• Continuous monitoring of internal corrosion
• Monitoring of soil movement

7
Assessment of Current Research/ Technologies

• Existing Pipelines
• Future Pipe Installations

8
Overall Assessment of Damage Monitoring

• Existing Pipe, Above Ground (no excavation)
• No continuous, damage monitoring technique exists
• No publicized research
• Existing Pipe, Excavation to Access Pipe (ILI not
  included)
• Several techniques being investigated
• New Pipe
• Several techniques being investigated

9
Existing and New Pipelines

• Satellite-based Imaging Technology
• Pickles et al. (LLNL) DOE-funded program uses
  spectral imaging to detect changes in vegetation
  due to leaks. Other geomorphological changes
• Can not detect pipeline damage without leaks
• Fiber Optic Technologies
• Huebler (GTI) DOE-funded program uses optical
  time domain reflectometry to detect unauthorized
  construction near pipelines
• Detects intrusive activity, not damage

10
Existing and New Pipelines

• Electrochemical Sensors
• Holcomb et al. (Albany Research) DOE funded
  program employs electrochemical noise method to
  detect internal and external corrosion
• Yang et al. (SwRI) Internal funded program uses
  multielectrode array sensor to detect internal
  corrosion
• Ultrasonic/Acoustic Techniques
• Light et al. (SwRI) DOE-funded program uses
  magnetostrictive sensor mounted on pipelines to
  detect internal/external corrosion

11
Existing or New Pipes

• Electrical Resistance Methods
• CorrOcean Field Signature Method monitors
  resistance changes of an instrumented section
  installed inline with pipe
• FinoAG NoPig technology monitors changes in
  field asymmetry due to differences between high
  and low-frequency currents along pipe wall

12
New Pipes

• Carrington et al. (INEEL) DOE-funded program
  evaluates a multi-layered coating system with
  thermal-sprayed conductive interlayer which
  change resistance upon straining.
• Revie et al. (Canmet) Fiber optic system

13
Learning From Other Industries ?

• Chemical Process Industry
• Real-time monitoring common
• Limited geographical boundary, above ground
  access
• Aerospace Industry
• Real time monitoring limited and new
• Complex geometries, airworthiness issues
• Limited size scale
• Power Plants
• Real-time monitoring common
• Limited geographical boundary, above ground
  access
• Highway Infrastructure
• Real time monitoring experimental (at least for
  damage)
• Geographically extensive, but critical areas
  isolated (bridges, overpasses)

14
Unique Challenge of Pipelines

• Extensive lengths
• Buried
• Coated
• Hazardous if penetrated by sensors
• Uneconomical to excavate frequently
• Desirable to incorporate new technologies in
  existing manufacturing infrastructure

15
Potential New Technologies

• RF tagged sensors introduced in gas stream
• Micro-encapsulated coatings
• Embedded sensors/coating modifiers
• Self-healing agents
• Interspersed, instrumented, pipe sections

Gas Stream Tagged
Damage Location
Regular Pipe
Instrumented Section
Regular Pipe
16
Concluding Remarks

• Seek technologies used by other industry
• Monitoring should be combined with modeling
• Helps interpret information
• Assists in locating sensors at critical points
• Monitoring should yield output that eases
  decision-making
• Several technologies are being pursued, but
  monitoring of existing piping without excavation
  is not addressed adequately