High Sensitivity External Leak Detection for Liquid Fuel Pipelines

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High Sensitivity External Leak Detection for
Liquid Fuel Pipelines

• David Parman P.Eng.
• Ken McCoy

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Pipeline Leak Detection

• The Problem
• How can we minimize environmental damage caused
  by small leaks in liquid fuel pipelines that go
  unnoticed for long periods?
• The Solution
• High Sensitivity External Leak Detection (HSELD)

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What is an HSELD system?

• A system that operates independently of the
  pipeline
• A system that directly detects leaked liquid
  using a continuously distributed, high
  sensitivity sensor
• A system that monitors its own integrity and
  checks for leaks on a 24/7 basis
• A system that compliments existing flow based
  leak detection to minimize your leak risk exposure

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Periodic inspection and testing

• Periodic tightness testing
• Right of way over-flights / Line Patrol
• Smart pigs
• Public discovery

At RISK !
Environmental Protection Risk
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SCADA (Flow Based) Leak Detection

• Response time is faster for higher leak rates
• Greater leak sensitivity leads to more risk of
  false alarms
• End User experience indicates good performance
  only down to about 12 of flow

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Spill size increases for slower leaks
At RISK !
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Combining SCADA with periodic testing helps but
7days
30days
60days
SCADA
Periodic Inspections
HSELD
Environmental Protection Gap
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At Risk area is substantially reduced by HSELD
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External Direct Measurement
Positioned alongside the pipeline
Installed into PVC well screen pipe
High Sensitivity sensor cable
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How it works
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20
10
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3
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Detection at 21 hours
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Time (hours)
Animation based on 10 liter/hour leak rate
(0.001 of flow), 66 solids
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Field demonstration

• Tests demonstrate TT5000 detects milliliters of
  fuel floating on water.

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Test results
Sample 1 Water Only Sample 2 Direct Fuel Sample 3 Sensor in sand Sample 4 Sensor in PVC Sample 5 Surface Test Sample 6 Water/Fuel Mix Test
Start Time 1115 1207 1212 1212 1258 1359
Start Temperature 15.5C 15.5C 15.5C 15.5C 15.5C 15 C
Alarm Time NO ALARM By 1830 1313 1324 1335 1416 1515
Ending Temperature 15 C 15 C 15 C 15 C 15 C 15 C
Elapsed Time 715 106 112 123 118 116
Total Fuel Used 1 liter H20 1 liter Jet A 8 liters Jet A 8 liters Jet A 10 cl Jet A poured into standing water puddle Bucket packed with sand, 1 liter of Jet A at the bottom, water added to saturation
Fuel Rate Amount / Interval All at once All at Once 1 liter/ 10 min 1 liter/ 10 min All at once All at Once
Alarm Panel Leak Location N/A 1 m 9 m 9 m N/A 1 m
Measured Distance to Leak N/A 1 m 9 m 9 m N/A 1 m
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Wilcox test details
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Project Design Considerations

• Trench style / construction
• Soil type
• Ground water conditions
• Degree of environmental protection required

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Trench Type
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Ground water considerations
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Where can you use HSELD systems?

• Alongside buried single wall pipelines
• Around buried valves
• Under above ground storage tanks
• On airport hydrant fueling systems
• Anywhere you need to reduce risk in High
  Consequence Areas

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AST Applications
Typical plan view
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Buried Valves and Manifolds
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Cross Country Pipelines
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Pipeline Project Installation
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Installation layout for pipeline
120 VAC
External Modbus Link to SCADA
Circuit 1
Circuit 2
Circuit 3
Circuit 4
Circuit 5
Circuit 6
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Airport Hydrant Fueling Systems
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Installation layout for airport hydrant fueling
system
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Regulatory Considerations

• Current regulations do not typically mandate leak
  detection to the level of HSELD protection
• API 1160 recognizes HSELD
• Some environmental agencies have formally
  recognized HSELD system
• Public N.I.M.B.Y. campaigns are resulting in
  greater efforts by operators to exceed regulatory
  requirements

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Florida State Approval
TraceTek TT5000 leak detection system for
single-walled underground bulk product piping
will provide environmental protection
substantially equivalent to that provided by
compliance with the requirements established in
Rules
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Third Party Validation
Third party testing of TT5000 direct bury
system by Ken Wilcox Associates demonstrates
that TraceTek works in single wall pipeline
applications with Jet Fuel .
In conclusion it must be noted that proper
installation and positioning of the sensor,
taking into account the local site conditions, is
critical to reliable detection of leaks.
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Summary
TraceTek High Sensitivity External Leak
Detection

• fills the gap between SCADA and periodic testing
• Provides 24/7 environmental and system integrity
  monitoring
• Reduces emergency response time by pinpointing
  leak location
• Has been tested, proven and accepted by
  environmental authorities
• Substantially reduces operator risk in high
  consequence areas