Pipeline Gap Detection System and Method for Monitoring Tunnels and Annulus

Abstract

This invention discloses a technique for implementing a system including a pipe section and a monitoring device. The pipe section includes a tube defining a bore and a fluid conduit within a tube annulus of the pipe section. The monitoring device includes: a plurality of bore sensors fluidly connected to the bore of the pipe section; an annulus sensor fluidly connected to the fluid conduit defined within the tube annulus of the pipe section; and a control subsystem. The control subsystem determines, at least in part, the presence of a gap in the tube of the pipe section based on first sensor data determined by the bore sensors to indicate bore fluid parameters present within the bore of the pipe section and second sensor data determined by the annulus sensor to indicate annulus fluid parameters present within the tube annulus of the pipe section.

Description

[0001] background

[0002] This disclosure relates generally to piping systems, and more particularly to monitoring devices that can be deployed in piping systems to detect gaps (e.g., leaks or unintentional openings) in the piping system.

[0003] Piping systems are commonly used to transport fluids (such as liquids and / or gases) from a fluid source to a fluid destination. For example, a piping system may be used to transport one or more hydrocarbons, such as crude oil, petroleum, natural gas, or any combination thereof. Additionally or alternatively, a piping system may be used to transport one or more other types of fluids, such as produced water, drinking water, fresh water, fracturing fluid, flowback fluid, carbon dioxide, or any combination thereof.

[0004] To facilitate fluid transport, in addition to pipe fittings (e.g., centerline and / or end fittings), a piping system may also include one or more pipe segments for connecting the segments to another piping component (such as another pipe fitting), another pipe segment, a fluid source, and / or a fluid destination. Typically, a pipe segment includes a tube defining (e.g., encapsulating) a bore that provides the primary fluid transport (e.g., flow) path through the segment. More specifically, the tube of a pipe segment can be configured to facilitate the isolation (e.g., insulation) of the fluid transported within its bore from environmental conditions outside the segment, for example, to reduce the possibility of the transported (e.g., bore) fluid leaking into the external environmental conditions and / or the external environmental conditions contaminating the transported fluid (e.g., clean and / or drinking water).

[0005] In any and at least some cases, a pipe segment deployed in a piping system may be damaged, thereby compromising its structural integrity. For example, a gap (e.g., a hole or unintentional opening) through a pipe segment may cause excessive (e.g., undesirable) fluid to leak directly from the segment into and / or flow directly into the segment from the external environment. In other words, operating a piping system with gaps in its deployed pipe segments may affect (e.g., reduce) the operational efficiency and / or reliability of the piping system, for example, by causing the transported fluid to leak into and / or become contaminated by the external environment. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This summary is provided to introduce a series of concepts further described in the detailed embodiments below. This summary is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an auxiliary means of limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0007] In one embodiment, the system includes a pipe segment and a monitoring device. The pipe segment includes a tube defining a bore and a fluid conduit within a tube annulus of the pipe segment. The monitoring device includes: a bore sensor fluidly connected to the bore of the pipe segment; an annulus sensor fluidly connected to the fluid conduit defined within the tube annulus of the pipe segment; and a control subsystem communicatively coupled to the bore sensor and the annulus sensor. The control subsystem determines the presence of a gap in the tube segment based at least in part on first sensor data determined by the bore sensor to indicate bore fluid parameters present within the bore of the pipe segment and second sensor data determined by the annulus sensor to indicate annulus fluid parameters present within the tube annulus of the pipe segment.

[0008] In another embodiment, a method of operating a monitoring device deployed in a piping system includes: determining a bore monitoring integrity status, indicating whether a gap may exist in the pipe segment, based at least in part on first sensor data determined by a plurality of bore sensors in the monitoring device to indicate one or more bore fluid parameters present in the bore of a pipe segment; using a control subsystem in the monitoring device. Additionally, the method includes: determining an annular monitoring integrity status, indicating whether a gap may exist in the pipe segment, based at least in part on second sensor data determined by one or more annular sensors in the monitoring device to indicate one or more annular fluid parameters present in the free space within the pipe annulus defined in the pipe segment; and further, the method includes: determining a cross-check integrity status, indicating whether a gap actually exists in the pipe segment, using the control subsystem, at least in part by cross-checking the bore monitoring integrity status and the annular monitoring integrity status.

[0009] In another embodiment, the monitoring device includes a bore sensor, one or more annular sensors, and a control subsystem communicatively coupled to the bore sensor and the one or more annular sensors. The bore sensor is fluidly connected to the bore of a pipe segment so that the plurality of bore sensors can determine first sensor data indicating the fluid pressure present within the bore of the pipe segment. The one or more annular sensors are fluidly connected to a free space defined within the annulus of the pipe segment so that the one or more annular sensors can determine second sensor data indicating the fluid pressure, fluid temperature, fluid velocity, fluid composition, or any combination thereof present within the annulus of the pipe segment. The control subsystem determines a bore monitoring integrity status indicating whether a gap may exist in the pipe segment based on the first sensor data indicating the fluid pressure present within the bore of the pipe segment; an annular monitoring integrity status indicating whether a gap may exist in the pipe segment based on the second sensor data indicating the fluid pressure, fluid temperature, fluid velocity, fluid composition, or any combination thereof present within the annulus of the pipe segment; and a cross-check integrity status indicating whether a gap actually exists in the pipe segment based on the bore monitoring integrity status and the annular monitoring integrity status. Attached Figure Description

[0010] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of an example piping system including pipe sections and pipe fittings according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0011] Figure 2 According to embodiments of this disclosure Figure 1 A side view of an example pipe segment, which includes a bore defined by its tube and a fluid conduit realized within the annulus of its tube.

[0012] Figure 3 According to embodiments of this disclosure Figure 2 An example of a section of pipe in which a helical fluid conduit is implemented within the annulus of its pipe.

[0013] Figure 4 This is a cross-sectional view of a portion of a piping system and an example of a monitoring device according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a chamber monitoring process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for determining the possible location of a gap along a pipe segment according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of an ambient air monitoring process according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a cross-checking process according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for adaptively adjusting the notched bore pressure pattern used in a bore monitoring algorithm according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for implementing a virtual sensor in a monitoring device according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0020] One or more specific embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. As used herein, the terms “coupled” or “coupled to” can indicate the establishment of a direct or indirect connection, and are therefore not limited to either, unless explicitly stated otherwise. The term “set” can refer to one or more items. Where possible, similar or identical reference numerals are used in the drawings to identify common or identical features. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In particular, for clarity, certain features and / or certain views of the drawings may be shown enlarged.

[0021] This disclosure relates throughout to piping systems that can be implemented and / or operated to transport (e.g., deliver) fluids (such as liquids and / or gases) from a fluid source to a fluid destination. Typically, a piping system may include piping fittings (such as centerline fittings and / or end fittings) and one or more pipe segments. More specifically, pipe segments may typically be secured and sealed within one or more piping fittings to facilitate fluid connection of the pipe segment to another piping component (such as another pipe segment), another piping fitting, a fluid source, and / or a fluid destination. As an illustrative and non-limiting example only, a piping system may include: a first end fitting secured to a first pipe segment to facilitate fluid connection of the first pipe segment to a fluid source; a centerline fitting secured between the first and second pipe segments to facilitate fluid connection of the first pipe segment to the second pipe segment; and a second end fitting secured to the second pipe segment to facilitate fluid connection of the second pipe segment to a fluid destination.

[0022] In any case, a pipe section typically comprises a tube that defines (e.g., encloses) a bore that provides a primary fluid transport (e.g., flow) path through the pipe section. More specifically, the tube of a pipe section can be configured to facilitate the isolation of the external environmental conditions of the pipe section from the conditions within its bore and thus the fluid flowing through it. In particular, the tube of a pipe section can be configured primarily to prevent fluid from flowing directly between the bore of the pipe section and its external environmental conditions, for example, in addition to providing thermal, pressure, and / or electrical isolation (e.g., insulation).

[0023] To facilitate improved fluid isolation, in some cases, the pipe section may be implemented using multiple pipe layers. For example, the pipe section may include an inner barrier (e.g., an inner liner) layer and an outer barrier (e.g., a shield and / or a sheath) layer, each implemented to extend (e.g., span) the length of the pipe section. In particular, the inner and outer barrier layers may each be implemented as continuous layers of solid material (such as plastic) extending along the length of the pipe section, although in at least some cases, fluid may still gradually permeate through the inner and / or outer barrier layers.

[0024] In some cases, the pipe section may additionally include one or more intermediate layers implemented between its inner and outer barrier layers, and thus within the annulus of the pipe section. Specifically, to facilitate increased tensile strength and / or its circumferential strength, in some cases, the intermediate layer of the pipe section may include one or more reinforcing (e.g., pressure armor and / or tensile armor) layers, each having one or more solid (e.g., reinforcing) strips made of a material with higher tensile strength and / or a higher linear modulus of elasticity (e.g., stiffness) compared to the materials used to implement the inner and / or outer barrier layers of the pipe section. For example, the solid strips in the reinforcing layers may be implemented using metals (such as steel), while the inner and outer barrier layers of the pipe section may be implemented using plastics (such as high-density polyethylene (HDPE)).

[0025] Additionally, in some embodiments, an intermediate layer within the tube segment can be implemented to define free space (e.g., gaps and / or fluid conduits) within the tube segment's annulus, for example, to improve the flexibility of the tube segment. As an illustrative and non-limiting example only, the intermediate (e.g., reinforcing) layer can be implemented in the tube segment at least partially by spirally wrapping solid strips around the inner barrier layer of the tube segment, leaving free space between adjacent solid strip wraps. Another layer (e.g., an intermediate or outer barrier) can then be implemented on the intermediate layer to cover the gap, thereby defining a spiral gap within the tube segment's annulus.

[0026] However, in some cases, the pipe section may be damaged, affecting (e.g., reducing) its integrity and therefore its ability to provide isolation (e.g., insulation) between the pipe section's bore and the external environmental conditions. For example, a gap (e.g., a hole or unintentional opening) through the pipe section may cause excessive (e.g., undesirable) fluid to flow directly from the pipe section to the external environmental conditions and / or directly into the pipe section from the external environmental conditions. In other words, at least in some cases, operating a piping system with gaps in the pipe sections deployed therein may affect (e.g., reduce) the operational efficiency and / or reliability of the piping system, for example, due to the leakage and / or contamination of the transported fluid by the gaps into the external environmental conditions. Additionally, in some cases, the pipe section may be damaged during the operation of the pipeline, thus after the initial installation of the pipe section.

[0027] Therefore, to facilitate improved pipeline operation efficiency and / or reliability, this disclosure provides techniques for implementing and / or operating monitoring devices in a pipeline system to detect the presence of gaps in pipe segments deployed within the system (e.g., during operation of the pipeline system). As will be described in more detail below, to facilitate the determination of the presence of gaps in pipe segments, the monitoring devices typically include a control subsystem implemented and / or operated to run (e.g., perform and / or execute) a bore monitoring algorithm (e.g., a process) and an annulus monitoring algorithm (e.g., a process). Specifically, a bore monitoring algorithm can be executed to determine whether a gap may be present in the pipe segment based on one or more fluid parameters (such as fluid pressure and / or fluid velocity) present within the bore of the pipe segment, while an annulus monitoring algorithm can be executed to determine whether a gap may be present in the pipe segment based on one or more fluid parameters (such as fluid pressure, fluid velocity, fluid temperature, and / or fluid composition) present within the pipe of the pipe segment.

[0028] Therefore, to achieve the performance of the annulus monitoring algorithm, the monitoring device typically includes one or more annulus sensors, each implemented as fluidly connected to the free space defined by the pipe annulus of the pipe segment and determining sensor data indicating one or more fluid parameters present in the pipe annulus of that pipe segment. Since the pipe segment is fixed and sealed within a pipe fitting, in some embodiments, the pipe fitting may include an annulus drain port implemented as fluidly connected to the pipe annulus of the pipe segment, and the annulus sensor may be fluidly connected to the annulus drain port on the pipe fitting, for example, directly or via one or more external fluid conduits, such as hoses. However, in some embodiments, one or more annulus sensors in the monitoring device may be additionally or alternatively arranged directly within the free space defined within the pipe annulus of the pipe segment.

[0029] In any case, to achieve the performance of the bore monitoring algorithm, the monitoring device typically includes multiple bore sensors, each implemented to be fluidly connected to the bore of the pipe segment and to determine sensor data indicating one or more fluid parameters present within the bore of the pipe segment. Since the bore of the pipe segment is fluidly connected to the assembly bore of the pipe fitting, in some embodiments, the pipe fitting may include a bore monitoring port implemented to be fluidly connected to the assembly bore, and the bore sensors may be fluidly connected to the bore monitoring port, for example, directly or via one or more external fluid conduits, such as hoses. However, in some embodiments, one or more bore sensors in the monitoring device may be additionally or alternatively arranged directly within the bore of the pipe segment and / or directly within the assembly bore of the pipe fitting.

[0030] Although the monitoring device includes a bore sensor and one or more annular sensors, in some embodiments, the bore sensor or the one or more annular sensors can be selectively turned off, for example, to save power. To enable the selective shutdown of the bore sensor or the one or more annular sensors, in some embodiments, the control subsystem can execute a machine learning algorithm (e.g., a process) to learn one or more expected relationships between one or more bore fluid parameters indicated by sensor data determined by the bore sensor and one or more annular fluid parameters indicated by sensor data determined by the one or more annular sensors. After a sufficiently long period of operation, the bore sensor or the one or more annular sensors can be turned off, and the control subsystem can at least partially replace the turned-off sensor by determining the fluid parameters associated with the turned-off sensor based on the learned expected relationship between the fluid parameters and another fluid parameter associated with the turned-off sensor.

[0031] In any case, bore detection algorithms typically assume that the sudden formation of a gap in the pipe section will generate a negative pressure wave that propagates away from the gap within the bore of that pipe section. However, in at least some cases, sensor data indicating bore fluid pressure may include noise, for example, that could be unintentionally interpreted as a pressure drop. Therefore, in some embodiments, the control subsystem executing the bore detection algorithm may determine whether a gap is likely to exist in the pipe section based on whether a bore pressure pattern indicating a gap is detected in sensor data determined by one or more bore sensors (e.g., after filtering the sensor data to remove at least a portion of the noise), rather than simply looking for a pressure drop.

[0032] In some embodiments, the notch pressure pattern used in the bore monitoring algorithm can be predetermined. However, as will be described in more detail below, in some embodiments, the notch pressure pattern can be adaptively (e.g., dynamically) adjusted, for example, via a machine learning algorithm executed by the control subsystem. In fact, in some embodiments, different notch pressure patterns can be used during different execution cycles of the bore monitoring algorithm.

[0033] When a gap may exist in a pipe segment, the control subsystem in the monitoring device may additionally execute a bore monitoring algorithm to determine the possible location of the gap along the pipe segment in order to facilitate improvement (e.g., patching and / or repair) of the gap. Specifically, the gap location determination provided by the bore monitoring algorithm may be based on the premise that the propagation speed of the pressure wave through the bore of the pipe segment varies in a known manner with the fluid flow velocity through the bore. For example, the pressure wave may propagate downstream at a bore fluid velocity greater than the speed of sound (e.g., with fluid flow). On the other hand, the pressure wave may propagate upstream at a bore fluid velocity less than the speed of sound (e.g., against fluid flow).

[0034] Therefore, to facilitate determining the velocity of the negative pressure wave generated by the notch in the pipe section propagating to the bore sensor in the monitoring device, the control subsystem in the monitoring device can determine the flow velocity of the bore fluid within the bore of that pipe section, for example, based on sensor data determined by another bore sensor and / or the operating status of the bore fluid pump. To further facilitate determining the possible location of the notch, the control subsystem can additionally determine the time difference between when the notch bore pressure pattern is detected at different bore sensors. In this way, the control subsystem can then determine the possible location of the notch relative to the bore sensor based on the time difference and the downstream and / or upstream propagation velocities.

[0035] However, because the assumption is that a sudden gap in a pipe segment will generate a negative pressure wave, bore detection algorithms typically provide only a single transient opportunity to detect the presence of a gap. Furthermore, in some cases, the bore detection algorithm may inadvertently miss gaps in the pipe segment, for example, because the gap bore pressure pattern is improperly set to account for actual noise. Additionally, in some cases, the bore detection algorithm may inadvertently detect gaps in the pipe segment even when they do not actually exist, for example, because the gap bore pressure pattern is improperly set to account for actual noise.

[0036] Therefore, to improve the accuracy of gap detection, in addition to the bore monitoring algorithm, the control subsystem in the monitoring device can execute an annular monitoring algorithm (e.g., process). Typically, the annular monitoring algorithm is based on the premise that the inner and outer barrier layers of the pipe segment are implemented to provide fluid isolation and that fluid gradually permeates through the inner and / or outer barrier layers at a predictable rate (e.g., which can be predicted at least in part based on models, empirical testing, environmental conditions outside the pipe segment, fluid parameters input (e.g., supply) to the pipe segment, implementation parameters of the pipe segment (such as material and / or thickness), or any combination thereof). Therefore, when the bore of the pipe segment is pressurized to generate fluid flow, in some embodiments, the control subsystem executing the annular monitoring algorithm can determine that a gap may exist in the inner barrier layer of the pipe segment when sensing data determined by the annular sensor indicates that the fluid pressure in the pipe annulus of the pipe segment exceeds an upper pressure threshold and / or the fluid velocity in the pipe annulus of the pipe segment exceeds an upper velocity threshold. On the other hand, since the external environmental conditions of the pipe section are usually at low pressure, the control subsystem can determine that there may be a gap in the outer barrier layer of the pipe section when the sensor data determined by the annulus sensor indicates that the fluid pressure in the pipe annulus of the pipe section drops below the lower pressure threshold and / or the fluid velocity in the pipe annulus of the pipe section drops below the lower velocity threshold.

[0037] Additionally, in some embodiments, when sensor data determined by the annulus sensor indicates that the amount of external ambient fluid in the annulus of a pipe segment exceeds an ambient fluid volume threshold (e.g., this threshold is set at least in part based on the expected permeation rate of the external ambient fluid through the outer barrier layer when there are no gaps therein), the control subsystem executing the annulus monitoring algorithm can determine that a gap may exist in the outer barrier layer of the pipe segment. Similarly, in some embodiments, when sensor data determined by the annulus sensor indicates that the amount of bore fluid in the annulus of a pipe segment exceeds a bore fluid volume threshold (e.g., this threshold is set at least in part based on the expected permeation rate of the bore fluid through the inner barrier layer when there are no gaps therein), the control subsystem executing the annulus monitoring algorithm can determine that a gap may exist in the inner barrier layer of the pipe segment. Furthermore, in some embodiments, when sensor data determined by the annulus sensor indicates that the fluid temperature in the annulus of a pipe segment matches the expected bore fluid temperature (e.g., within an error threshold set to account for measurement (e.g., sensor) errors), the control subsystem executing the annulus monitoring algorithm can determine that a gap may exist in the inner barrier layer of the pipe segment. Similarly, in some embodiments, when sensor data determined by the annulus sensor indicates that the fluid temperature in the annulus of a pipe segment matches the expected temperature of the external environmental conditions (e.g., within an error threshold set to account for measurement (e.g., sensor) errors), the control subsystem executing the annulus monitoring algorithm can determine that there may be a gap in the outer barrier layer of the pipe segment.

[0038] In any case, to improve the accuracy of gap detection, the control subsystem in the monitoring equipment can then execute a cross-checking algorithm (e.g., a process) to cross-check (e.g., cross-correlate) the integrity status determined by the bore monitoring algorithm and the integrity status determined by the annular monitoring algorithm, and determine the cross-checked integrity status. For example, when both the bore monitoring integrity status and the annular monitoring integrity status indicate that a gap is impossible in the pipe segment, the control subsystem can determine the cross-checked integrity status to indicate that there is no gap in the pipe segment. Similarly, when both the bore monitoring integrity status and the annular monitoring integrity status indicate that a gap may exist in the pipe segment, the control subsystem can determine the cross-checked integrity status to indicate that a gap exists in the pipe segment.

[0039] However, at least in some cases, the integrity status determined by executing a bore monitoring algorithm and the integrity status determined by executing an annular monitoring algorithm may differ. In such instances, the control subsystem in the monitoring device can typically conform to the annular monitoring integrity status, for example, because the annular monitoring algorithm typically analyzes annular fluid parameters that are more persistently varying, and therefore typically provides a larger gap detection window compared to the corresponding bore monitoring algorithm. In other words, when the bore monitoring integrity status indicates that a gap may exist in the pipe segment, but the corresponding annular monitoring integrity status indicates that a gap is impossible in the pipe segment, the control subsystem can determine a cross-check integrity status to indicate that a gap does not actually exist in the pipe segment. In other words, in such instances, the control subsystem can determine that the execution of the bore monitoring algorithm resulted in a false alarm, and therefore, the piping system in which the pipe segment is deployed can continue to actively allow bore fluid to flow through the pipe segment.

[0040] However, to improve the accuracy of subsequent notch detection, in some embodiments, the bore detection algorithm can be adaptively (e.g., dynamically). Specifically, in some such embodiments, the notch pressure pattern used in the bore detection algorithm can be adaptively adjusted, for example, to exclude notch pressure patterns that previously caused false alarms. Indeed, as described above, in some such embodiments, the notch pressure pattern used in the bore detection algorithm can be adaptively adjusted by implementing a machine learning algorithm (e.g., using a control subsystem in the monitoring device).

[0041] Furthermore, in some embodiments, when the bore monitoring integrity status indicates that a gap is unlikely to exist in a pipe segment, but the corresponding annular monitoring integrity status indicates that a gap may exist in that pipe segment, the control system executing the cross-checking algorithm can determine the cross-checking integrity status to indicate that a gap actually exists in the pipe segment. However, the accuracy of gap location detection provided by the annular monitoring algorithm is generally limited compared to the bore monitoring algorithm. Therefore, to facilitate the determination of the possible location of the gap, the gap bore pressure pattern used in the bore monitoring algorithm can be adaptively adjusted to enable the bore monitoring algorithm to detect gaps, for example, at least in part by executing a machine learning algorithm via the control subsystem.

[0042] Specifically, when the bore detection algorithm inadvertently misses a gap in a pipe segment, in some embodiments, the gap bore pressure pattern used in the bore detection algorithm can be adaptively adjusted, at least in part, by identifying the time when one or more annular fluid parameters initially indicate the possible presence of a gap in the pipe segment. Based on the time when one or more annular fluid parameters initially indicate the possible presence of a gap in the pipe segment, the distribution of one or more bore fluid parameters occurring during a time period around that time can then be determined. The gap bore pressure pattern to be used in subsequent execution cycles of the bore detection algorithm can then be set, at least in part, based on one or more bore pressure patterns occurring in the distribution of one or more bore fluid parameters.

[0043] In any case, the control subsystem in the monitoring equipment can then instruct (e.g., present) the cross-check integrity status to the user (such as an operator or service technician), for example, at least in part by instructing an electronic display to show a graphical user interface (GUI) that provides a visual representation of the cross-check integrity status. Specifically, the control subsystem can indicate whether a gap actually exists in a pipe segment deployed in the piping system. Additionally, when a gap exists in a pipe segment, the control subsystem can indicate the possible location of the gap along the pipe segment and / or in possible sublayers of pipe that may include the gap. In any case, in this way, this disclosure provides techniques for implementing and / or operating monitoring equipment in a piping system to improve the accuracy of gap detection, which in at least some cases can facilitate improved operational efficiency and / or operational reliability of the piping system.

[0044] To help illustrate, an example of piping system 10 is provided below. Figure 1 As shown in the illustration. As in the depicted example, piping system 10 may connect a fluid source 12 to a fluid destination 14. By way of example only and without limitation, fluid source 12 may be a production well and fluid destination 14 may be a fluid storage tank. In other cases, fluid source 12 may be a first (e.g., leased facility) storage tank and fluid destination 14 may be a second (e.g., refinery) storage tank.

[0045] In any case, pipeline system 10 can generally be implemented and / or operated to facilitate the transport (e.g., delivery) of fluids (such as gases and / or liquids) from borehole fluid source 12 to borehole fluid destination 14. Indeed, in some embodiments, pipeline system 10 can be used for a wide range of applications, including but not limited to onshore and offshore oil and gas applications. For example, in such embodiments, pipeline system 10 can be used to transport one or more hydrocarbons, such as crude oil, petroleum, natural gas, or any combination thereof. Additionally or alternatively, pipeline system 10 can be used to transport one or more other types of fluids, such as produced water, fresh water, fracturing fluid, flowback fluid, carbon dioxide, or any combination thereof.

[0046] To facilitate fluid flow to the bore fluid destination 14, in some embodiments, the bore fluid source 12 may include one or more bore fluid pumps 16 implemented and / or operated to inject (e.g., pump and / or supply) fluid from the bore fluid source 12 into the bore of the piping system 10. However, it should be understood that the depicted examples are intended to be illustrative only and not limiting. In particular, in other embodiments, one or more bore fluid pumps 16 may not be implemented at the bore fluid source 12, for example, when the fluid flow through the bore of the piping system 10 is generated by gravity. Additionally or alternatively, in other embodiments, one or more bore fluid pumps 16 may be implemented in the piping system 10 and / or at the bore fluid destination 14.

[0047] To facilitate the delivery of fluid from the bore fluid source 12 to the bore fluid destination 14, as depicted in the example, the piping system 10 may include one or more piping fittings (e.g., connectors) 18 and one or more pipe segments 20. For example, the depicted piping system 10 includes a first pipe segment 20A, a second pipe segment 20B, and an Nth pipe segment 20N. Additionally, the depicted piping system 10 includes: a first pipe (e.g., end) fitting 18A connecting the bore fluid source 12 to the first pipe segment 20A; a second pipe (e.g., centerline) fitting 18B connecting the first pipe segment 20A to the second pipe segment 20B; and an Nth pipe (e.g., end) fitting 18N connecting the Nth pipe segment 20N to the bore fluid destination 14.

[0048] However, it should be understood again that the examples depicted are intended to be illustrative only and not limiting. In particular, in other embodiments, the piping system 10 may include fewer than three (e.g., two or one) pipe segments 20 or more than three (e.g., four, five or more) pipe segments 20. Additionally or alternatively, in other embodiments, the piping system 10 may include fewer than four (e.g., three or two) pipe fittings 18 or more than four (e.g., five, six or more) pipe fittings 18.

[0049] In any case, as described above, pipe segment 20 typically comprises tubing that can be used to transport (e.g., transfer and / or convey) water, gas, oil, and / or any other suitable type of fluid. The tubing of pipe segment 20 can be made of any suitable type of material, such as plastic, metal, and / or composite (e.g., fiber-reinforced composite) materials. In fact, as will be described in more detail below, in some embodiments, the tubing of pipe segment 20 can be implemented using multiple different tubing layers. For example, the tubing of pipe segment 20 may include a first high-density polyethylene (e.g., internal corrosion protection) layer, one or more reinforcing layers (e.g., steel strip) outside the first high-density polyethylene layer, and a second high-density polyethylene (e.g., external corrosion protection) layer outside the one or more reinforcing layers.

[0050] Additionally, as in the depicted example, one or more (e.g., second and / or Nth) pipe segments 20 in the piping system 10 may be curved. To facilitate bending in the pipe segments 20, in some embodiments, the pipe segments 20 may be flexible, for example, such that the pipe segments 20 can be wound onto a reel and / or rolled up (e.g., during transport and / or before deployment of the pipe segments 20). In other words, in some embodiments, one or more pipe segments 20 in the piping system 10 may be flexible pipes, such as bonded flexible pipes, non-bonded flexible pipes, flexible composite pipes (FCP), thermoplastic composite pipes (TCP), or reinforced thermoplastic pipes (RTP). Indeed, in at least some cases, increasing the flexibility of the pipe segments 20 can facilitate improved deployment efficiency of the piping system 10, for example, by eliminating bends (e.g., elbows) in the pipe fittings 18 and / or by transporting the pipe segments 20 to the piping system 10, deploying them in the piping 10, or both using tighter reels.

[0051] To facilitate improved pipe flexibility, in some embodiments, the tube segment 20 defining (e.g., enclosing) its bore may additionally define free space (e.g., one or more gaps) in its annulus free of solid material. Indeed, in some embodiments, the free space in the annulus of the tube segment 20 may extend (e.g., span) the length of the tube segment 20, and thus define (e.g., enclose) one or more fluid conduits separated from the bore within the annulus. In other words, in such embodiments, fluid may flow through the tube segment 20 via its bore, the fluid conduits defined within its annulus, or both.

[0052] To aid illustration, an example of a pipe segment 20 including a tube 22 having a fluid conduit (e.g., free space) 24 implemented in its annulus 25 is shown. Figure 2As shown in the figure, the pipe segment 22 is implemented using multiple pipe layers, including an inner barrier (e.g., lining) layer 26 and an outer barrier (e.g., shield and / or sheath) layer 28. In some embodiments, the inner barrier layer 26 and / or outer barrier layer 28 of the pipe segment 22 may be implemented using composite materials and / or plastics such as high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and / or heat-resistant polyethylene (PE-RT)). Although multiple specific layers are depicted, it should be understood that the techniques described in this disclosure can be widely applied to composite pipe structures comprising two or more layers, for example, with vulcanized rubber or plastic single-layer hoses. In any case, as depicted, the inner surface 30 of the inner barrier layer 26 defines (e.g., encapsulates) a bore 32 through which fluid can flow, for example, to facilitate the delivery of fluid from a bore fluid source 12 to a bore fluid destination 14.

[0053] Additionally, as depicted, the tube annulus 25 of tube segment 20 is formed between its inner barrier layer 26 and its outer barrier layer 28. As will be described in more detail below, the tube annulus 25 of tube segment 20 may include one or more intermediate layers. Furthermore, as depicted, a fluid conduit 24 extending along the length of tube segment 20 is defined (e.g., encapsulated) within the tube annulus 25. As mentioned above, the fluid conduit 24 within the tube annulus 25 may be free of solid material. Therefore, a tube segment 22 including one or more fluid conduits 24 defined therein may include less solid material and thus exert less resistance to bending, for example, compared to a solid tube segment 22 and / or a tube segment 22 that does not include fluid conduits 24 defined within its annulus 25. Furthermore, to further improve pipe flexibility, in some embodiments, one or more layers of tube segment 20 may be unbonded to one or more other layers of tube segment 22, and thus tube segment 20 may be an unbonded tube.

[0054] However, it should be understood that the examples depicted are intended to be illustrative only and not limiting. In particular, in other embodiments, pipe segment 20 may include fewer than two (e.g., one) or more than two (e.g., three, four or more) fluid conduits 24 defined in its tubular annulus 25. Additionally or alternatively, in other embodiments, the fluid conduits 24 defined in the tubular annulus 25 of pipe segment 20 may not extend parallel to the bore 32 of pipe segment 20, for example, such that the fluid conduits 24 are inclined relative to the longitudinal extent of bore 32.

[0055] To aid illustration, an example of a portion 36 of a pipe segment 20, including an inner barrier layer 26 and an intermediate layer 34 contained within the annulus 25 of its pipe segment 22, is shown below. Figure 3As shown in the figure. In some embodiments, one or more intermediate layers 34 of the pipe segment 22 may be implemented at least partially using composite materials and / or metals, such as carbon steel, stainless steel, duplex stainless steel, super duplex stainless steel, or any combination thereof. In other words, at least in some such embodiments, the intermediate layer 34 of the pipe segment 22 may be implemented using conductivity, which in at least some cases enables the communication of electrical (e.g., control and / or sensor) signals via the intermediate layer 34.

[0056] In any case, as depicted, the intermediate layer 34 is helically arranged (e.g., wound and / or wrapped) on the inner barrier layer 26, such that free space is left between adjacent wraps to define the fluid conduit 24. In other words, in some embodiments, the intermediate layer 34 may be achieved at least in part by wrapping a metal (e.g., steel) strip around the inner barrier layer 26 at a non-zero layup angle (e.g., 54 degrees) relative to the longitudinal extent of the bore 32. In any case, as depicted, the resulting fluid conduit 24 extends helically along the pipe segment 20, for example, such that the fluid conduit 24 is tilted at 54 degrees relative to the axial extent of the bore 32.

[0057] In some embodiments, the outer barrier layer 28 may be disposed directly over the depicted intermediate layer 34, and thus cover and / or define (e.g., encapsulate) the depicted fluid conduit 24. However, in other embodiments, the tube annulus 25 of the tube segment 22 may include multiple (e.g., two, three, four, or more) intermediate layers 34. In other words, in such embodiments, one or more additional intermediate layers 34 may be disposed over the depicted intermediate layer 34. Indeed, in some such embodiments, one or more additional intermediate layers 34 may also be arranged helically, leaving gaps between adjacent windings to realize one or more corresponding fluid conduits 24 within the tube segment 22.

[0058] For example, a first additional intermediate layer 34 may be helically arranged on the depicted intermediate layer 34 using the same non-zero ply angle as the depicted intermediate layer 34 to cover (e.g., define and / or encapsulate) the depicted fluid conduit 24 and implement another fluid conduit 24 in the first additional intermediate layer 34. Furthermore, a second additional intermediate layer 34 may be helically arranged on the first additional intermediate layer 34 using another non-zero ply angle, which is the reciprocal of the non-zero ply angle of the depicted intermediate layer 34, to implement another fluid conduit 24 in the second additional intermediate layer 34. Furthermore, a third additional intermediate layer 34 may be helically arranged on the second additional intermediate layer 34 using the same non-zero ply angle as the second additional intermediate layer 34 to cover other fluid conduits 24 in the second additional intermediate layer 34 and implement another fluid conduit 24 in the third additional intermediate layer 34. In some embodiments, an outer barrier layer 28 may be arranged on the third additional intermediate layer 34 and thus cover (e.g., define and / or encapsulate) other fluid conduits 24 in the third additional intermediate layer 34.

[0059] Although implemented using multiple pipe layers, in some cases, the pipe of pipe segment 20 may be damaged, affecting its integrity and thus its ability to provide isolation (e.g., insulation) between the bore 32 of pipe segment 20 and the external environmental conditions. For example, a gap (e.g., a hole or unintentional opening) in pipe segment 22 may cause excessive (e.g., undesirable) fluid to flow directly from pipe segment 20 to the external environmental conditions and / or directly into pipe segment 20 from the external environmental conditions. In other words, at least in some cases, operating the piping system 10 with gaps in pipe segment 20 may affect (e.g., reduce) the operational efficiency and / or operational reliability of the piping system 10, for example, due to the loss of transported fluid to external environmental conditions and / or contamination caused by the gaps. Additionally, in some cases, pipe segment 20 may be damaged during operation of the piping system 10 and thus after its initial installation. Therefore, in order to facilitate improved pipeline operation efficiency and / or pipeline operation reliability, this disclosure provides techniques for implementing and / or operating monitoring equipment in a pipeline system 10 to detect the presence of gaps in pipe segments 20 deployed in the pipeline system 10 (e.g., during operation of the pipeline system 10).

[0060] To aid in illustration, an example of a portion 38 of the piping system 10 and the monitoring device 40 is shown below. Figure 4As shown in the figure, a portion 38 of the piping system 10 includes pipe fittings 18, namely an upstream (e.g., first) pipe fitting 42 and a downstream (e.g., second) pipe fitting 44, and a pipe segment 20. Specifically, as depicted, a first end of the pipe 22 of the pipe segment 20 is secured and sealed in a first cavity 46A of the upstream pipe fitting 42, such that the bore 32 of the pipe segment 20 is fluidly connected to the upstream mounting cavity 48A of the upstream pipe fitting 42. Similarly, as depicted, a second end of the pipe segment 22 is secured and sealed in a second cavity 46B of the downstream pipe fitting 44, such that the bore 32 of the pipe segment 20 is fluidly connected to the downstream mounting cavity 48B of the downstream pipe fitting 44.

[0061] Additionally, as in the illustrated example, the monitoring device 40 in the piping system 10 typically includes a control subsystem 50, a plurality of bore sensors 52, and one or more annular sensors 54. Specifically, each bore sensor 52 in the monitoring device 40 may be implemented and / or operated to determine timestamped sensor data indicating one or more fluid parameters present in the bore 32 of the pipe segment 20 at different times. For example, the bore sensor 52 may include a pressure sensor that determines sensor data indicating the fluid pressure within the bore 32 of the pipe segment 20. Additionally, the bore sensor 52 may include one or more flow meters that determine sensor data indicating the velocity of the bore fluid within the bore 32 of the pipe segment 20.

[0062] On the other hand, each annular sensor 54 in the monitoring device 40 can be implemented and / or operated to determine timestamped sensor data indicating one or more fluid parameters present in the annulus 25 of the pipe segment 20 at different times. For example, one or more annular sensors 54 may include a pressure sensor that determines sensor data indicating the fluid pressure in the annulus 25 of the pipe segment 20. Additionally, one or more annular sensors 54 may include a flow meter that determines sensor data indicating the fluid velocity in the annulus 25 of the pipe segment 20. Furthermore, one or more annular sensors 54 may include a temperature sensor that determines sensor data indicating the fluid temperature in the annulus 25 of the pipe segment 20. Additionally, one or more annular sensors 54 may include a fluid composition sensor that determines sensor data indicating the amount (e.g., percentage and / or concentration) of one or more fluid components present in the annulus 25 of the pipe segment 20.

[0063] In any case, in order for the annulus sensor 54 to determine sensor data indicating one or more fluid parameters within the annulus 25 of the pipe segment 20, the annulus sensor 54 may be fluidly connected to the free space (e.g., one or more fluid conduits 24) defined within the annulus 25. As in the depicted example, since the pipe 22 of the pipe segment 20 is secured and sealed in the upstream pipe fitting 42 and the downstream pipe fitting 44, in some embodiments, annulus drain ports 56 may be formed in one or more pipe fittings 18 such that the annulus drain ports 56 lead to the corresponding lumen 46, and the annulus sensor 54 may be fluidly connected to each annulus drain port 56. Specifically, in the depicted example, the upstream pipe fitting 42 includes a first annulus drain port 56A and the first annulus sensor 54A is connected to the first annulus drain port 56A. Additionally, in the depicted example, the downstream pipe fitting 44 includes a second annulus drain port 56B, and the second annulus sensor 54B is connected to the second annulus drain port 56B.

[0064] However, it should be understood that the examples depicted are intended to be illustrative and not limiting. Specifically, in other embodiments, the monitoring device 40 may include a single annulus sensor 54. Additionally, in other embodiments, the annulus sensor 54 may be fluidly connected to a corresponding annulus outlet 56 via one or more external fluid conduits (such as hoses). Furthermore, in other embodiments, the monitoring device 40 may additionally or alternatively include one or more annulus sensors 54 disposed directly within the pipe annulus 25 of the pipe segment 20. Moreover, although a single pipe segment 20 is depicted, in other embodiments, multiple pipe segments 20 may be connected between the upstream pipe fitting 42 and the downstream pipe fitting 44, for example, via one or more centerline pipe fittings 18. Indeed, in some embodiments, one or more annulus sensors 52 and / or one or more bore sensors 52 in the monitoring device may be deployed at the centerline pipe fitting 18 and / or the pipe end fitting 18.

[0065] In any case, in order for the bore sensor 52 to determine sensor data indicating one or more fluid parameters present within the bore 32 of the pipe segment 20, the bore sensor 52 may be fluidly connected to the bore 32 of the pipe segment 20. As in the depicted example, since the bore 32 of the pipe segment 20 connects to the mounting bore 48 of the upstream pipe fitting 42 and the downstream pipe fitting 44, in some embodiments, a bore monitoring port 58 may be formed in each pipe fitting of the pipe fitting 18 such that the bore monitoring port 58 leads to the corresponding mounting bore 48, and the bore sensor 52 may be fluidly connected to each bore monitoring port 58. Specifically, in the depicted example, the upstream pipe fitting 42 includes a first bore monitoring port 58A, and the first bore sensor 52A is connected to the first bore monitoring port 58A. Additionally, in the depicted example, the downstream pipe fitting 44 includes a second bore monitoring port 58B, and the second bore sensor 52B is connected to the second bore monitoring port 58B.

[0066] However, it should be understood again that the examples depicted are intended to be illustrative only and not limiting. In particular, in other embodiments, the monitoring device 40 may additionally or alternatively include one or more bore sensors 52 disposed directly within the bore 32 of the pipe section 20. Furthermore, in other embodiments, the monitoring device 40 may additionally or alternatively include one or more bore sensors 52 disposed directly within the mounting bore 48 of the pipe fitting 18.

[0067] In any case, sensor data determined by the bore sensor 52 and one or more annular sensors 54 in the monitoring device 40 can be transmitted to the control subsystem 50 in the monitoring device 40 for processing via one or more sensor signals 59. Specifically, in some embodiments, the fluid parameter sensors in the monitoring device 40 can be implemented and / or operated to transmit one or more sensor signals 59 to the control subsystem 50 via a wireless connection. However, in some embodiments, the fluid parameter sensors in the monitoring device 40 can be implemented and / or operated to transmit one or more sensor signals 59 to the control subsystem 50 via a wired connection.

[0068] In any case, to enable communication with the outside of the control subsystem 50, as in the described example, the control subsystem 50 typically includes one or more I / O devices 60. Specifically, to enable communication with fluid parameter sensors, the I / O devices 60 of the control subsystem 50 may include one or more input / output (I / O) ports (e.g., terminals). Additionally, to facilitate the communication of the integrity status of pipe segment 20 to a user (e.g., an operator), in some embodiments, the I / O devices 60 of the control subsystem 50 may include one or more user output devices, such as electronic displays implemented and / or operated to display a graphical user interface (GUI) that provides a visual representation of the integrity status (e.g., whether a gap exists in pipe segment 20). Furthermore, to enable user interaction with the control subsystem 50, the I / O devices 60 of the control subsystem 50 may include one or more user input devices, such as hard buttons, soft buttons, a keyboard, a mouse, etc.

[0069] To facilitate the processing of sensor data, as in the depicted example, the control subsystem 50 in the monitoring device 40 typically includes one or more processors 62 and a memory 64. Specifically, in some embodiments, the memory 64 in the control subsystem 50 may include one or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media implemented and / or operable to store data and / or executable instructions. For example, the memory 64 may store sensor data based at least in part on one or more sensor signals 59 received from a fluid parameter sensor. Additionally, as depicted, for example, in addition to machine learning algorithm 72, the memory 64 may also store a bore monitoring algorithm 66, annular space monitoring algorithm 68, and cross-checking algorithm 70. Therefore, in some embodiments, the memory 64 may include volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM), and / or non-volatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, solid-state drive (SSD), hard disk drive (HDD), or any combination thereof.

[0070] Additionally, in some embodiments, the processor 62 in the control subsystem 50 may include processing circuitry implemented and / or operated to process data and / or execute instructions stored in the memory 64. In other words, in some such embodiments, the processor 62 in the control subsystem 50 may include one or more general-purpose microprocessors, one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), one or more field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or any combination thereof. For example, the processor 62 in the control subsystem 50 may execute instructions stored in the memory 64 to determine a control signal that instructs a fluid parameter sensor to return a sensor signal 59 indicating one or more fluid parameters (such as fluid temperature, fluid flow rate, fluid composition, and / or fluid temperature) to the control subsystem 50.

[0071] Furthermore, the processor 62 in the control subsystem 50 can process sensor data according to one or more sets of instructions (e.g., algorithms) stored in the memory 64. Specifically, as will be described in more detail below, to facilitate the determination of whether a gap exists in the pipe segment 20, the control subsystem 50 can execute an annulus monitoring algorithm 68 based on sensor data indicating one or more fluid parameters present within the pipe annulus 25 of the pipe segment 20. Additionally, the control subsystem 50 can execute a bore monitoring algorithm 66 based on sensor data indicating one or more fluid parameters present within the bore 32 of the pipe segment 20, to determine whether a gap exists in the pipe segment 20 and, if so, to determine the possible location of the gap along the pipe segment 20.

[0072] To help illustrate, an example of the borehole monitoring process 74 is shown in... Figure 5 As described in the description. Typically, the bore monitoring process 74 includes: determining the bore pressure pattern indicating a gap in the pipe section (process block 76), determining multiple bore pressure distributions over time (process block 78), and determining whether a gap bore pressure pattern is detected (decision block 80). Additionally, when a gap bore pressure pattern is detected, the bore monitoring process 74 typically includes: determining an integrity status to indicate whether a gap may exist in the pipe section (process block 82) and determining the possible location of the gap along the pipe section (process block 84).

[0073] Although specific blocks are described in a particular order corresponding to embodiments of this disclosure, it should be understood that the exemplary bore monitoring process 74 is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. In particular, in other embodiments, the bore monitoring process 74 may include one or more additional blocks and / or omit one or more of the depicted blocks. For example, some embodiments of the bore monitoring process 74 may additionally include a bore (process block 86) through which bore fluid flows through a pipe section, while other embodiments of the bore monitoring process 74 do not. Additionally, in other embodiments, one or more of the depicted blocks may be performed in a different order, for example, such that a notched bore pressure pattern is determined after one or more bore pressure distributions are determined. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the bore monitoring process 74 may be performed at least in part by executing instructions (such as a bore monitoring algorithm 66, which is stored in a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium (such as the memory 64 of the control subsystem 50)) using processing circuitry (such as one or more processors 62 of the control subsystem 50).

[0074] For example, in such embodiments, a control subsystem 50 in a monitoring device 40 deployed in the piping system 10 can determine one or more chamber pressure patterns that are intended to indicate the presence of a gap in a pipe segment 20 deployed in the piping system 10 (process block 76). Specifically, in some embodiments, the gap chamber pressure pattern used in the chamber monitoring algorithm 66 can be predetermined and stored in the memory 64 of the control subsystem 50. However, as will be described in more detail below, in some embodiments, the gap chamber pressure pattern can be adaptively (e.g., dynamically) adjusted, for example, via a machine learning algorithm 72 executed by the control subsystem 50 and / or between different execution cycles of the chamber monitoring algorithm 66.

[0075] In any case, as described above, at least in some cases, damage (e.g., one or more gaps) affecting the ability of pipe segment 20 to provide fluid isolation may occur after the initial deployment of pipe segment 20 in piping system 10, for example, during operation of piping system 10. Therefore, in some embodiments, the bore monitoring algorithm 66 (process block 86) may be performed while bore fluid is actively flowing (e.g., pumped) through the bore 32 of pipe segment 20. Specifically, to facilitate active flow of bore fluid through the bore 32 of pipe segment 20, in some embodiments, the control subsystem 50 in piping system 10 may instruct a bore fluid pump 16 fluidly connected to the bore 32 to inject (e.g., supply) bore fluid into the bore 32, for example, via one or more control signals. However, in other embodiments, the bore monitoring algorithm 66 may be performed when bore fluid is not actively flowing through the monitored bore 32 of pipe segment 20.

[0076] As described above, to facilitate the detection of the presence and / or possible location of gaps in pipe segment 20, the control subsystem 50 in the monitoring device 40 can additionally determine multiple chamber pressure distributions (e.g., trajectories) that change over time (process block 78). Specifically, based on corresponding timestamped sensor data, the control subsystem 50 can determine the chamber pressure distribution of each of the multiple fluid pressure chamber sensors 52 in the monitoring device 40. For example, the control subsystem 50 can determine a first chamber pressure distribution associated with the first chamber sensor 52A based on first sensor data indicating the chamber fluid pressure at the first chamber sensor 52A. Similarly, the control subsystem 50 can determine a second chamber pressure distribution associated with the second chamber sensor 52B based on second sensor data indicating the chamber fluid pressure at the second chamber sensor 52B.

[0077] To facilitate determining whether a gap may exist in pipe segment 20, control subsystem 50 can then determine whether a gap chamber pressure pattern is detected in one or more of the chamber pressure distributions (decision block 80). Specifically, control subsystem 50 can determine a chamber monitoring integrity status to indicate that a gap is unlikely to exist in pipe segment 20 when no gap chamber pressure pattern is detected in any chamber pressure distribution. On the other hand, control subsystem 50 can determine a chamber monitoring integrity status to indicate that a gap may exist in pipe segment 20 when a gap chamber pressure pattern is detected in one or more of the chamber pressure distributions (process block 82). In some embodiments, the chamber monitoring integrity status can be stored in memory 64 of control subsystem 50 for subsequent retrieval. When a gap may exist, to facilitate gap mitigation, control subsystem 50 can additionally determine the possible location of the gap along pipe segment 20 based at least in part on multiple chamber pressure distributions (process block 84).

[0078] To help illustrate, an example of the process 88 used to determine the possible location of the gap along pipe segment 20 is shown in... Figure 6 As described in the description. Typically, process 88 includes: determining the time difference between when a notched bore pressure pattern is detected at different bore sensors (process block 90). Additionally, process 88 typically includes: determining the expected propagation velocity of the pressure wave within the bore of the pipe segment based on the bore fluid velocity (process block 94); and determining the possible location of the notch along the pipe segment based on the time difference, the expected propagation velocity of the pressure wave, and the location of the bore sensors (process block 96).

[0079] Although specific blocks are described in a particular order corresponding to embodiments of this disclosure, it should be understood that exemplary process 88 is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. In particular, in other embodiments, process 88 for determining the possible location of the notch along pipe segment 20 may include one or more additional blocks and / or omit one or more of the depicted blocks. For example, some embodiments of process 88 may include determining the flow rate of the bore fluid within the bore of the pipe segment (process block 92), while other embodiments of the process do not include this. Additionally, in other embodiments, one or more of the depicted blocks may be performed in a different order, for example, such that the flow rate of the bore fluid within the bore of the pipe segment is determined before determining the time difference between when a notch bore pressure pattern is detected at different bore sensors. Furthermore, in some embodiments, process 88 for determining the possible location of the notch along pipe segment 20 may be performed at least in part by executing instructions (such as bore monitoring algorithm 66, stored in a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium (such as memory 64 of control subsystem 50)) using processing circuitry (such as one or more processors 62 of control subsystem 50).

[0080] For example, to facilitate determining the possible location of the notch along pipe segment 20, in such embodiments, the control subsystem 50 in the monitoring device 40 can determine the time difference between when a notch chamber pressure pattern is detected at different chamber sensors 52 in the monitoring device 40 (process block 90). As described above, the control subsystem 50 can determine the chamber pressure distribution (e.g., trajectory) of each of the plurality of chamber sensors 52 in the monitoring device 40 over time based on corresponding timestamped sensor data. Therefore, by comparing the notch chamber pressure pattern with the chamber pressure distribution associated with the chamber sensor 52, the control subsystem 50 can determine the time at which the notch chamber pressure pattern was detected at that chamber sensor 52. For example, the control subsystem 50 can determine that the notch chamber pressure pattern was detected at the first chamber sensor 52A at a first time based on the first chamber pressure distribution associated with the first fluid pressure chamber sensor 52A, and determine that the notch chamber pressure pattern was detected at the second chamber sensor 52B at a second time based on the second chamber pressure distribution associated with the second fluid pressure chamber sensor 52B. Then, the control subsystem 50 can determine the time difference between when a notch pattern is detected at the first chamber sensor 52A and the second chamber sensor 52B based on the duration between the first time and the second time.

[0081] To facilitate determining the possible location of the gap along pipe segment 20, control subsystem 50 may additionally determine one or more expected propagation velocities of the pressure wave through the bore 32 of pipe segment 20 (process block 94). Specifically, in some embodiments, control subsystem 50 may determine the expected upstream propagation velocity of the pressure wave (process block 98) and / or determine the expected downstream propagation velocity of the pressure wave (process block 100). In any case, as described above, the propagation velocity of the pressure wave within the bore 32 of pipe segment 20 generally varies in a known manner with the flow rate of the fluid within the bore 32. For example, control subsystem 50 may determine that the expected upstream propagation velocity is a fluid flow rate less than the speed of sound and / or determine that the expected downstream propagation velocity is a fluid flow rate greater than the speed of sound.

[0082] Therefore, in order to facilitate the determination of the expected propagation speed of the pressure wave, and thus the possible location of the gap along pipe segment 20, in some embodiments, the control subsystem 50 may additionally determine the flow rate of the bore fluid within the bore 32 of the pipe segment 20 (process block 92). In some such embodiments, the control subsystem 50 may determine the bore fluid flow rate based on sensor data determined by a bore sensor (e.g., a flow meter) 52 fluidly connected to the bore 32 of the pipe segment 20. Additionally or alternatively, the control subsystem 50 may determine the bore fluid flow rate based at least in part on the operating state of a bore fluid pump 16 fluidly connected to the bore 32 of the pipe segment 20.

[0083] However, in some cases, the speed of sound may be much faster (e.g., several orders of magnitude faster) than the velocity of the fluid flowing through the bore 32 of pipe section 20. Therefore, in some embodiments, the control subsystem 50 can determine that both the expected upstream and downstream propagation speeds of the pressure wave within the bore 32 of pipe section 20 are equal to the speed of sound. In other words, in such embodiments, the control subsystem 50 can determine the expected propagation speed of the pressure wave within the bore 32 of pipe section 20 independently of the velocity of the fluid flowing through the bore 32.

[0084] In any case, after determining one or more expected propagation velocities of the pressure wave along pipe segment 20, control subsystem 50 can determine the possible location of the notch along pipe segment 20 based on the time difference between when a notched bore pattern is detected at different bore sensors 52, one or more expected propagation velocities, and the location of the bore sensors 52 (process block 96). Specifically, control subsystem 50 can identify the possible location of the notch as a location along pipe segment 20 that results in a time difference when the pressure wave travels at the expected velocity to the location of the different bore sensors 52. Additionally, in some embodiments, control subsystem 50 can indicate the possible location of the notch in bore monitoring integrity status, for example, by storing the location in memory 64 of control subsystem 50. In this way, monitoring equipment 40 deployed in piping system 10 can be operated to determine the possible location of the notch along pipe segment 20 deployed in piping system 10, which, at least in some cases, can facilitate, for example, improving the operational efficiency and / or operational reliability of piping system 10 by facilitating the improvement of the notch.

[0085] However, since it relies on the premise of a sudden gap forming and generating a one-time negative pressure wave, as mentioned above, the execution of the bore detection algorithm 66 can provide a relatively short gap detection window. Furthermore, as mentioned above, the ability of the bore detection algorithm 66 to detect gaps in pipe segment 20 depends on the bore pressure pattern used in the bore detection algorithm 66 being appropriately set to detect the negative pressure wave caused by the sudden gap formation while taking noise into account. In other words, in some cases, executing only the bore detection algorithm 66 may unintentionally miss gaps in pipe segment 20.

[0086] Therefore, return to Figure 4 To improve the accuracy of notch detection, the control subsystem 50 in the monitoring device 40 can also execute an annular monitoring algorithm 68 in addition to the bore detection algorithm 66. Specifically, the control subsystem 50 can execute the annular monitoring algorithm 68 based on sensor data indicating one or more fluid parameters present in the annulus 25 of the pipe segment 20, in order to determine whether a notch may exist in the pipe segment 20. Since the inner barrier layer 26 and outer barrier layer 28 of the pipe segment 20 are implemented to provide fluid isolation, a notch in the pipe segment 20 may cause a more persistent change in one or more annular fluid parameters, thus providing a larger notch detection window compared to the bore detection algorithm 66.

[0087] To help illustrate, an example of the annular space monitoring process 102 is shown in... Figure 7As described in the description. Typically, the annulus monitoring process 102 includes: determining the fluid parameters present in the annulus of the pipe segment (process block 104). In addition, the annulus monitoring process 102 typically includes: determining whether the annulus fluid parameters indicate a gap (decision block 106); and if the annulus fluid parameters indicate a gap, determining the integrity status to indicate the possible presence of a gap in the pipe segment (process block 108).

[0088] Although specific blocks are described in a particular order corresponding to embodiments of this disclosure, it should be understood that the exemplary annular monitoring process 102 is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. In particular, in other embodiments, the annular monitoring process 102 may include one or more additional blocks and / or omit one or more of the depicted blocks. For example, some embodiments of the annular monitoring process 102 may additionally include a bore (process block 110) through which bore fluid flows through a pipe section, while other embodiments of the annular monitoring process 102 do not. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the annular monitoring process 102 may be executed at least in part by using processing circuitry (such as one or more processors 62 of the control subsystem 50) to execute instructions (such as an annular monitoring algorithm 68, which is stored in a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium (such as the memory 64 of the control subsystem 50)).

[0089] For example, in such embodiments, a control subsystem 50 in a monitoring device 40 deployed in the piping system 10 can determine one or more fluid parameters present in the pipe annulus 25 of the pipe segment 20 deployed in the piping system 10 (process block 104). For example, in some embodiments, the control subsystem 50 can determine the fluid pressure present in the pipe annulus 25 of the pipe segment 20 based on sensor data determined by a fluid pressure annulus sensor 54 (process block 112). Additionally, in some embodiments, the control subsystem 50 can determine the fluid velocity present in the pipe annulus 25 of the pipe segment 20 based on sensor data determined by a flow meter annulus sensor 54 (process block 114). For example, in some embodiments, the control subsystem 50 can determine the fluid composition present in the pipe annulus 25 of the pipe segment 20 based on sensor data determined by a fluid composition annulus sensor 54 (process block 116). Furthermore, in some embodiments, the control subsystem 50 can determine the fluid temperature present in the pipe annulus 25 of the pipe segment 20 based on sensor data determined by a fluid temperature annulus sensor 54 (process block 118).

[0090] In any case, as described above, at least in some cases, damage (e.g., one or more gaps) affecting the ability of pipe segment 20 to provide fluid isolation may occur after the initial deployment of pipe segment 20 in piping system 10, for example, during the operation of piping system 10. Therefore, in some embodiments, annularity monitoring algorithm 68 (process block 110) may be performed when bore fluid is actively flowing (e.g., pumped) through the bore 32 of pipe segment 20. Specifically, to facilitate active flow of bore fluid through the bore 32 of pipe segment 20, in some embodiments, control subsystem 50 in piping system 10 may instruct a bore fluid pump 16 fluidly connected to the bore 32 to inject (e.g., supply) bore fluid into the bore 32, for example, via one or more control signals. However, in other embodiments, annularity monitoring algorithm 68 may be performed when bore fluid is not actively flowing through the monitored bore 32 of pipe segment 20.

[0091] In any case, control subsystem 50 can then determine whether the annular fluid parameters indicate a gap, and if the annular fluid parameters indicate a gap, determine the annular monitoring integrity status to indicate that a gap may exist in pipe segment 20 (process block 108). In fact, in some embodiments, executing the annular monitoring algorithm 68 can enable control subsystem 50 to determine that one or more pipe layers of pipe segment 20 may include a gap. For example, because the environmental conditions outside pipe segment 20 are typically at lower pressures, in some such embodiments, control subsystem 50 can determine that a gap may exist in the outer barrier layer 28 of pipe segment 20 when the fluid pressure in the pipe annulus 25 of pipe segment 20 drops below a lower limit fluid pressure threshold and / or the fluid flow rate in the pipe annulus 25 of pipe segment 20 drops below a lower limit fluid flow rate threshold (process block 120). On the other hand, when its bore 32 is pressurized to generate fluid flow, the control subsystem 50 can determine that there may be a gap in the inner barrier layer 26 of the pipe segment 20 when the fluid pressure in the pipe annulus 25 of the pipe segment 20 exceeds the upper limit fluid pressure threshold and / or the fluid velocity in the pipe annulus 25 of the pipe segment 20 exceeds the upper limit fluid velocity threshold (process block 122).

[0092] Additionally, since the outer barrier layer 28 of pipe segment 20 is typically implemented to provide fluid isolation, in some such embodiments, the control subsystem 50 can determine that a gap may exist in the outer barrier layer 28 of pipe segment 20 when the amount of ambient fluid within the pipe annulus 25 of pipe segment 20 is greater than an ambient fluid volume threshold (e.g., an ambient fluid volume threshold set at least in part based on the expected permeation rate of ambient fluid through the outer barrier layer 28 where a gap is unlikely to exist) (process block 124). Similarly, since the inner barrier layer 26 of pipe segment 20 is typically implemented to provide fluid isolation, the control subsystem 50 can determine that a gap may exist in the inner barrier layer 26 of pipe segment when the amount of bore fluid within the pipe annulus 25 of pipe segment is greater than a bore fluid volume threshold (e.g., a bore fluid volume threshold set at least in part based on the expected permeation rate of bore fluid through the inner barrier layer 26 where a gap is unlikely to exist) (process block 126). Furthermore, since the outer barrier layer 28 of pipe segment 20 can provide thermal insulation, in some such embodiments, the control subsystem 50 can determine that a gap may exist in the outer barrier layer 28 of pipe segment 20 when the fluid temperature within the pipe annulus 25 of pipe segment 20 matches the expected external ambient temperature (e.g., within an error threshold that facilitates taking into account measurement (e.g., sensor) errors) (process block 128). Similarly, since the inner barrier layer 26 of pipe segment 20 can provide thermal insulation, the control subsystem 50 can determine that a gap may exist in the inner barrier layer 26 of pipe segment 20 when the fluid temperature within the pipe annulus 25 of pipe segment 20 matches the expected chamber fluid temperature (e.g., within an error threshold that facilitates taking into account measurement (e.g., sensor) errors) (process block 130).

[0093] Although it is possible to identify when a gap is located only in the outer barrier layer 28 of pipe segment 20, in at least some cases, when gaps exist in both the outer barrier layer 28 and the inner barrier layer 26 of pipe segment 20, the influence of the bore fluid on the fluid parameters present in the tube annulus 25 of pipe segment 20 may outweigh the influence of external environmental conditions on the fluid parameters present in the tube annulus 25 of pipe segment 20. In other words, in such instances, when a gap exists in the inner barrier layer 26 and another gap exists in the outer barrier layer 28, the control subsystem 50 may only detect the possible presence of a gap in the inner barrier layer 26. However, a gap in the inner barrier layer 26 of pipe segment 20 can often lead to the formation of a corresponding gap in the outer barrier layer 28 of pipe segment 20 when there is no gap in the outer barrier layer 28 (e.g., due to the pressure applied to the bore 32 of pipe segment 20 to generate fluid flow therein). Therefore, in some embodiments, when the control subsystem 50 determines that there may be a gap in the inner barrier layer 26 of the pipe segment 20, the control subsystem 50 can determine (e.g., assume) that another gap has been formed or will be formed through the outer barrier layer 28, and thus indicate that the active fluid flow through the pipe segment 20 should be stopped.

[0094] On the other hand, a gap in the outer barrier layer 28 of pipe segment 20 does not necessarily indicate a gap in the inner barrier layer 26 of the same pipe segment 20, for example, because external environmental conditions are typically at lower pressures. In other words, a gap in the outer barrier layer 28 of pipe segment 20 may not necessarily allow fluid to flow directly through the pipe 22 of the pipe segment 20. Therefore, in some embodiments, when the control subsystem 50 determines that a gap may only exist in the outer barrier layer 28 of pipe segment 20, the control subsystem 50 may instruct the fluid to continue actively flowing through the pipe segment 20, which can facilitate improved pipeline uptime, at least in some cases.

[0095] In any case, in some embodiments, the control subsystem 50 may then store the annular monitoring integrity status in memory 64 for subsequent retrieval, the annular monitoring integrity status indicating whether a gap may exist in the pipe segment. In fact, in some embodiments, when a gap may exist, the control subsystem 50 may additionally indicate in the annular monitoring integrity status which sublayer of pipe segment 20 might include the gap. In this way, the monitoring device 40 deployed in the piping system 10 can be operated to facilitate the detection of the presence of a gap in the pipe segment 20 deployed in the piping system 10 based on one or more fluid parameters present within the pipe annulus 25 of the pipe segment 20.

[0096] However, returning to Figure 4To improve the accuracy of gap detection, control subsystem 50 may additionally execute cross-checking algorithm 70. Specifically, as will be described in more detail below, control subsystem 50 may execute cross-checking algorithm 70 to process the bore monitoring (e.g., first) integrity status determined by executing bore monitoring algorithm 66 and the annular monitoring (e.g., second) integrity status determined by executing annular monitoring algorithm 68. For example, control subsystem 50 may execute cross-checking algorithm to determine a cross-check integrity status based on the bore monitoring integrity status and the annular monitoring integrity status, which indicates whether a gap actually exists in pipe segment 20.

[0097] To help illustrate, an example of cross-checking process 132 is provided below. Figure 8 As described in the description. Typically, the cross-check process 132 includes: determining the bore monitoring integrity status and the annular monitoring integrity status (process block 134); determining whether the bore monitoring integrity status indicates a possible gap in the pipe section (process block 136); determining whether the annular monitoring integrity status indicates a possible gap in the pipe section (process block 138); and indicating the cross-check integrity status (process block 139). Additionally, the cross-check process 132 typically includes: determining the cross-check integrity status to indicate a gap in the pipe section when both the bore monitoring integrity status and the annular monitoring integrity status indicate a possible gap, or when the bore monitoring integrity status indicates no gap and the annular monitoring integrity status indicates a possible gap (process block 140); and determining the cross-check integrity status to indicate no gap in the pipe section when both the bore monitoring integrity status and the annular monitoring integrity status indicate no gap, or when the bore monitoring integrity status indicates a possible gap and the annular monitoring integrity status indicates no gap (process block 142). In addition, when the bore monitoring integrity status indication is unlikely to have a gap but the annular monitoring integrity status indication may have a gap, the cross-checking process 132 typically includes: rerunning the bore monitoring algorithm to determine the possible location of the gap in the pipe section (process block 144).

[0098] Although specific blocks are described in a particular order corresponding to embodiments of this disclosure, it should be understood that the exemplary cross-checking process 132 is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. In particular, in other embodiments, the cross-checking process 132 may include one or more additional blocks and / or omit one or more of the depicted blocks. For example, some embodiments of the cross-checking process 132 may additionally include adjusting the notched bore pressure mode to reduce sensitivity (process block 146) when the bore monitoring integrity status indicates a possible notch and the annular monitoring integrity status indicates an impossibility of a notch. Additionally, in other embodiments, one or more of the depicted blocks may be performed in a different order, such that the annular monitoring integrity status is determined to indicate a possible notch before determining whether the bore monitoring integrity status indicates a possible notch. Furthermore, in some embodiments, the cross-checking process 132 may be performed at least in part by executing instructions (such as a cross-checking algorithm 70, stored in a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium (such as the memory 64 of the control subsystem 50)) using processing circuitry (such as one or more processors 62 of the control subsystem 50).

[0099] For example, in such embodiments, the control subsystem 50 in the monitoring device 40 can determine the bore monitoring integrity state generated by executing the bore monitoring algorithm 66 and the annular monitoring integrity state 68 generated by executing the annular monitoring algorithm (process block 134). As described above, in some embodiments, the bore monitoring integrity state and the annular monitoring integrity state can be stored in the memory 64 of the control subsystem 50. Therefore, in such embodiments, the control subsystem 50 can determine the bore monitoring integrity state and the annular monitoring integrity state at least in part by retrieving the bore monitoring integrity state and the annular monitoring integrity state from the memory 64.

[0100] As described above, the bore monitoring integrity status can indicate whether a gap is likely to exist in pipe segment 20, for example, in addition to indicating the possible location of the gap along pipe segment 20 (when a gap is expected to exist in pipe segment 20). Additionally, as described above, the annular monitoring integrity status can indicate whether a gap is likely to exist in pipe segment 20, for example, in addition to indicating the possible location of the gap along pipe segment 20 (when a gap is expected to exist in pipe segment 20). When both the bore monitoring integrity status and the annular monitoring status indicate that a gap is unlikely to exist in pipe segment 20, the control subsystem 50 can determine a cross-check integrity status to indicate that a gap is not present in pipe segment 20 (process block 142). Similarly, when both the bore monitoring integrity status and the annular monitoring integrity status indicate that a gap is likely to exist in pipe segment 20, the control subsystem 50 can determine a cross-check integrity status to indicate that a gap exists in pipe segment 20, for example, in addition to indicating the possible location of the gap along pipe segment 20 and / or the possible location of the gap along pipe segment 20 and / or the possible location of the gap along pipe segment 20 (process block 140).

[0101] However, at least in some cases, the bore monitoring integrity status may indicate the possible presence of a gap in pipe segment 20, while the annular monitoring integrity status indicates that a gap is impossible in pipe segment 20, and vice versa. In such instances, control subsystem 50 may typically conform to the integrity status determined by executing annular monitoring algorithm 68, for example, since annular monitoring algorithm 68 typically provides a larger gap detection window compared to the corresponding bore monitoring algorithm 66. In other words, when the bore monitoring integrity status indicates the possible presence of a gap and the annular monitoring integrity status indicates that a gap is impossible, control subsystem 50 may determine to cross-check the integrity status to indicate that a gap is actually not present in pipe segment 20 (process block 142). That is, in such instances, control subsystem 50 may determine that executing the corresponding bore monitoring algorithm 66 results in a false alarm.

[0102] When the execution of the bore detection algorithm 66 results in a false alarm, in order to improve the accuracy of subsequent notch detection, in some embodiments, the control subsystem 50 may adaptively adjust the notch pressure pattern used in the bore detection algorithm 66 to reduce negative pressure wave sensitivity (process block 146). Specifically, as described above, in some such embodiments, the notch pressure pattern used in the bore detection algorithm may be adaptively adjusted via a machine learning algorithm 72 executed by the control subsystem 50 to reduce negative pressure wave sensitivity. For example, to reduce sensitivity, the machine learning algorithm 72 may adaptively set the notch pressure pattern to exclude notch pressure patterns that previously caused false alarms.

[0103] On the other hand, when the bore monitoring integrity status indicates that a gap is unlikely to exist but the annular monitoring integrity status indicates that a gap may exist, the control subsystem 50 can determine the cross-check integrity status to indicate that a gap actually exists in pipe segment 20 (process block 140). However, as mentioned above, the ability of the annular monitoring algorithm 68 to identify the possible location of the gap along pipe segment 20 is generally limited compared to the corresponding bore monitoring algorithm 66. Therefore, when the bore monitoring integrity status indicates that a gap is unlikely to exist but the annular monitoring integrity status indicates that a gap may exist, the control subsystem 50 can rerun the bore monitoring algorithm 66 to determine the possible location of the gap along pipe segment 20 (process block 144).

[0104] However, since a previous execution cycle of the bore detection algorithm 66 inadvertently missed a notch, the notch pressure pattern used in the bore detection algorithm 66 can be adaptively adjusted before rerunning it. Specifically, to facilitate the detection of the notch's presence and thus its location along pipe segment 20, the notch pressure pattern used in the bore detection algorithm 66 can be adaptively adjusted to improve negative pressure wave sensitivity (process block 148). Indeed, as described above, in some embodiments, the notch pressure pattern used in the bore detection algorithm 66 can be adaptively adjusted via a machine learning algorithm 72 executed by the control subsystem 50 to improve negative pressure wave sensitivity.

[0105] To further illustrate, an example of the process 150 for adaptively adjusting the chamber pressure pattern used in the chamber monitoring algorithm 66 to improve the sensitivity of the negative pressure wave is provided. Figure 9 As described in the text. Typically, process 150 includes: determining the time when the annular fluid parameters initially indicate the presence of a gap in the pipe section (process block 152); and identifying the chamber pressure distribution over a time period near when the annular fluid parameters initially indicated the gap (process block 154). Additionally, process 150 typically includes: setting a gap chamber pressure pattern based on the chamber pressure distribution over the time period (process block 156).

[0106] Although specific boxes are described in a particular order corresponding to embodiments of this disclosure, it should be understood that exemplary process 150 is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. In particular, in other embodiments, process 150 for adaptively adjusting the chamber pressure pattern used in chamber monitoring algorithm 66 to improve negative pressure wave sensitivity may include one or more additional boxes and / or omit one or more of the depicted boxes. Furthermore, in some embodiments, process 150 for adaptively adjusting the chamber pressure pattern used in chamber monitoring algorithm 66 to improve negative pressure wave sensitivity may be performed at least in part by using processing circuitry (such as one or more processors 62 of control subsystem 50) to execute instructions (such as machine learning algorithm 72, which is stored in a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium (such as memory 64 of control subsystem 50)).

[0107] For example, in such embodiments, the control subsystem 50 in the monitoring device 40 can determine the time when the annular fluid parameters indicated in the sensor data determined by the annular sensor 54 initially indicate the presence of a gap in the pipe segment 20 (process block 152). Specifically, in some such embodiments, the control subsystem 50 can determine the time when the sensor data determined by the annular sensor 54 initially indicates that the fluid pressure within the pipe annulus 25 of the pipe segment 20 exceeds an upper fluid pressure threshold or falls below a lower fluid pressure threshold. Additionally, in some such embodiments, the control subsystem 50 can determine the time when the sensor data determined by the annular sensor 54 initially indicates that the fluid velocity within the pipe annulus 25 of the pipe segment 20 exceeds an upper fluid velocity threshold or falls below a lower fluid velocity threshold. Furthermore, in some such embodiments, the control subsystem 50 can determine the time when the sensor data determined by the annular sensor 54 initially indicates that the fluid temperature within the pipe annulus 25 of the pipe segment matches the expected chamber fluid temperature or the expected ambient temperature. Furthermore, in some such embodiments, the control subsystem 50 can determine the time when the sensor data determined by the annulus sensor 54 initially indicates that the fluid composition within the annulus 25 of the pipe segment exceeds the ambient fluid volume threshold or the borehole fluid volume threshold.

[0108] In any case, the control subsystem 50 can then determine the chamber pressure distribution associated with each of the one or more chamber sensors 52 in the monitoring device 40 within a time period near the time when the annular fluid parameters initially indicate the presence of a gap (process block 154). Specifically, in some embodiments, the control subsystem 50 can select the time period within which the chamber pressure distribution associated with the chamber sensor 52 is determined, at least in part, based on the difference between the expected propagation velocity of the internal pressure wave within the bore 32 of the pipe segment 20 and the expected propagation velocity of the annular fluid parameter change within the pipe annulus 25 of the pipe segment 20. For example, when the expected propagation velocity of the pressure wave within the bore 32 matches the expected propagation velocity of the annular fluid parameter change within the pipe annulus 25, the control subsystem can determine the chamber pressure distribution within a time period centered on the time when the annular fluid parameters initially indicate the presence of a gap. Additionally, when the expected propagation velocity of the pressure wave within the bore 32 is faster than the expected propagation velocity of the annular fluid parameter change within the pipe annulus 25, the control subsystem 50 can determine the chamber pressure distribution within a time period prior to the time when the annular fluid parameters initially indicate the presence of a gap. Furthermore, when the expected propagation speed of the pressure wave in the bore 32 is lower than the expected propagation speed of the annular fluid parameter change in the tube annulus 25, the control subsystem 50 can determine the chamber pressure distribution over a period of time after the time when the annular fluid parameters initially indicate the presence of a gap.

[0109] Then, the control subsystem 50 can set the notch chamber pressure pattern to be used during subsequent execution cycles of the chamber monitoring algorithm 66 based on one or more chamber pressure distributions over a time period (process block 156). Specifically, the control subsystem 50 can set the notch chamber pressure pattern at least partially based on the chamber pressure patterns that appear during the chamber pressure distributions associated with the chamber sensor 52. More specifically, to facilitate improving the ability of the chamber monitoring algorithm 66 to detect notches during subsequent execution cycles, the control subsystem 50 can set the notch chamber pressure pattern at least partially by cross-correlating chamber pressure patterns from chamber pressure distributions associated with multiple different chamber sensors 52, for example, to identify the chamber pressure pattern appearing in each of the chamber pressure distributions while taking noise into account. In this way, the monitoring device 40 deployed in the piping system 10 can operate to adaptively adjust the notch chamber pressure pattern used in the monitoring device 40 to improve negative pressure wave sensitivity, which, at least in some cases, can facilitate improving the subsequent notch detection accuracy provided by the chamber monitoring algorithm 66.

[0110] In any case, return to Figure 8 In process 132, the control subsystem 50 in monitoring device 40 can then indicate the cross-check integrity status (process block 139). Specifically, to facilitate indicating the cross-check integrity status, in some embodiments, the control subsystem 50 can instruct an electronic device (e.g., I / O device 60) to display a graphical user interface (GUI) that presents a visual representation of the cross-check integrity status. Additionally or alternatively, the control subsystem can indicate the cross-check integrity status at least in part by instructing a speaker (e.g., I / O device 60) to output an audio representation providing the cross-check integrity status.

[0111] In any case, as described above, the cross-check integrity status typically indicates whether a gap actually exists within pipe segment 20. Therefore, indicating the cross-check integrity status can include indicating whether a gap actually exists in pipe segment 20 (process block 158). Additionally, as described above, when a gap exists in pipe segment 20, in some embodiments, the corresponding cross-check integrity status can indicate the possible location of the gap along pipe segment 20, for example, this is determined at least in part by executing the bore monitoring algorithm 66. Therefore, in such embodiments, when a gap exists, indicating the cross-check integrity status can include indicating the possible location of the gap along pipe segment 20 (process block 160).

[0112] Furthermore, as described above, in some embodiments, when a gap exists in pipe segment 20, the corresponding cross-check integrity status can indicate one or more sub-layers of pipe segment 20 that may include the gap, for example, this is determined at least in part by performing annularity monitoring algorithm 68. Therefore, in such embodiments, indicating the cross-check integrity status when a gap exists can include indicating the sub-layers of pipe segment 20 that may include the gap (process block 162). For example, control subsystem 50 can indicate whether a gap is likely to exist in the inner barrier layer 26 of pipe segment 20 and thus can be assumed that the gap exists in the outer barrier layer 28 of pipe segment 20. Alternatively, control subsystem 50 can indicate whether the gap is likely to exist only in the outer barrier layer 28 of pipe segment 20.

[0113] As described above, in some embodiments, identifying possible gaps in the pipe layer of pipe segment 20 allows control subsystem 50 to determine whether continuous fluid flow through pipe segment 20 is expected to reduce the operational efficiency and / or operational reliability of the corresponding piping system 10, and therefore whether piping system 10 should stop actively allowing fluid to flow through pipe segment 20. Thus, in such embodiments, indicating a cross-check integrity status may include indicating whether to stop actively allowing fluid to flow through pipe segment 20 (process block 164). For example, since a gap in the outer barrier layer 28 of pipe segment 20 can generally be assumed when a gap may be present in the inner barrier layer 26, control subsystem 50 may indicate that piping system 10 should stop actively allowing fluid to flow through pipe segment 20 when a gap is detected in the inner barrier layer 26 of pipe segment 20. On the other hand, since it is generally not assumed that there is a gap in the inner barrier layer 26 of the pipe segment 20 when there is a gap in the outer barrier layer 28 of the pipe segment 20, the control subsystem 50 can instruct the piping system 10 to continue to actively allow the bore fluid to flow through the pipe segment 20 when only a gap in the outer barrier layer 28 of the pipe segment 20 is detected, which can facilitate increasing the uptime of the piping system 10, at least in some cases.

[0114] In any case, this disclosure provides techniques for implementing and / or operating a monitoring device 40 in a piping system 10, at least in part, based on one or more bore fluid parameters determined by bore sensor 52 and one or more annular fluid parameters determined by one or more annular sensors 54, to improve the accuracy of notch detection. This can facilitate improved operational efficiency and / or operational reliability of the piping system 10, at least in some cases. Although embodiments of the techniques in which bore sensor 52 and one or more annular sensors 54 are respectively turned on in the monitoring device 40 are described, in other embodiments, the bore sensor 52 or the one or more annular sensors 54 may be selectively turned off for a period of time, for example, to save power. In order to enable the bore sensor 52 or one or more annular sensors 52 to be selectively turned off while improving notch detection accuracy, in some embodiments, the control subsystem 50 in the monitoring device 40 may implement a virtual sensor that enables the control subsystem 50 to determine the fluid parameters expected to be detected by the turned-off sensor based on the fluid parameters determined by the turned-on sensor, for example, at least in part by executing a machine learning algorithm 72 that learns the expected relationship between one or more bore fluid parameters determined by the bore sensor 52 and one or more annular fluid parameters determined by the one or more annular sensors 54.

[0115] To help illustrate, an example of the process 166 used to implement a virtual sensor in monitoring device 40 is provided below. Figure 10 As described in the description. Typically, process 166 includes: determining actual bore fluid parameters via a bore sensor and actual annular fluid parameters via an annular sensor (process block 168); and learning a desired relationship between the actual bore fluid parameters and the actual annular fluid parameters (process block 170). Additionally, process 166 typically includes: shutting down the bore sensor or annular sensor (process block 172); re-determining the actual fluid parameters via an open fluid parameter sensor (process block 174); and determining a desired fluid parameter associated with the shut-down fluid parameter sensor based on the re-determined actual fluid parameters and the learned desired relationship (process block 176).

[0116] Although specific boxes are described in a particular order corresponding to embodiments of this disclosure, it should be understood that exemplary process 166 is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. In particular, in other embodiments, process 166 for implementing a virtual sensor in monitoring device 40 may include one or more additional boxes and / or omit one or more of the depicted boxes. Furthermore, in some embodiments, process 166 for implementing a virtual sensor in monitoring device 40 may be performed at least in part by executing instructions (such as machine learning algorithm 72, which is stored in a tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium (such as memory 64 of control subsystem 50)) using processing circuitry (such as one or more processors 62 of control subsystem 50).

[0117] For example, in such embodiments, the control subsystem 50 in the monitoring device 40 may determine one or more actual fluid parameters present within the bore 32 of the pipe section 20 based on sensor data determined by the bore sensor 52, and one or more actual fluid parameters present within the pipe annulus 25 of the pipe section 20 based on sensor data determined by one or more annulus sensors 54 (process block 168). For example, the control subsystem 50 may determine the fluid pressure and / or fluid velocity present within the bore 32 of the pipe section 20 based on the sensor data determined by the bore sensor 52. Additionally, the control subsystem 50 may determine the fluid pressure, fluid temperature, fluid velocity, fluid composition, or any combination thereof present within the pipe annulus 25 based on sensor data determined by one or more annulus sensors 54.

[0118] Control subsystem 50 can then learn the expected relationship between one or more actual bore fluid parameters and one or more actual annular fluid parameters (process block 170). For example, control subsystem 50 can analyze the actual fluid pressure in bore 32 and the actual fluid pressure and actual fluid velocity in annular space 25 to determine how the actual annular fluid velocity and actual annular fluid pressure vary with actual bore fluid pressure. Additionally or alternatively, control subsystem 50 can analyze the actual fluid pressure in bore 32 and the actual fluid pressure and actual fluid velocity in annular space 25 to determine how the actual bore fluid pressure varies with actual annular fluid velocity and actual annular fluid pressure.

[0119] After learning one or more expected relationships, the bore sensor 52 or one or more annular sensors 54 in the monitoring device 40 can be turned off, for example, to save power (process block 172). Specifically, in some embodiments, the control subsystem 50 can instruct the fluid parameter sensors to turn off via control signals. However, in other embodiments, the fluid parameter sensors in the monitoring device 40 can be turned off manually, for example, by a user, operator, or service technician.

[0120] In any case, control subsystem 50 can then redetermine one or more actual fluid parameters based on sensor data subsequently determined by one or more of the open fluid parameter sensors (process block 174). In other words, when bore sensor 52 is closed, control subsystem 50 can redetermine one or more actual annular fluid parameters based on sensor data determined by one or more annular sensors 54. Conversely, when one or more annular sensors 54 are closed, control subsystem 50 can redetermine one or more bore fluid parameters based on sensor data determined by bore sensor 52.

[0121] Based on one or more redefined actual fluid parameters and one or more learned expected relationships, control subsystem 50 can then determine one or more expected fluid parameters associated with one or more closed fluid parameter sensors (process block 176). For example, when bore sensor 52 is closed, control subsystem 50 can apply the learned expected relationships to one or more redefined actual annular fluid parameters to determine one or more bore fluid parameters that are expected to be detected when bore sensor 52 is open. In such an instance, control subsystem 50 can then execute bore monitoring algorithm 66 based on one or more expected bore fluid parameters, for example, according to Figure 5 The exemplary bore monitoring process is described in 745.

[0122] On the other hand, when one or more annular sensors 54 are turned off, the control subsystem 50 can apply the learned expected relationships to one or more redefined actual bore fluid parameters to determine one or more annular fluid parameters that would have been detected if the one or more annular sensors 54 were turned on. In such an instance, the control subsystem 50 can then execute an annular monitoring algorithm 68 based on one or more expected annular fluid parameters, for example, according to Figure 7 An exemplary annularity monitoring process 102. In this way, the present disclosure provides techniques for implementing and / or operating monitoring equipment in a pipeline system to improve the accuracy of gap detection, which in at least some cases can facilitate improved operational efficiency and / or operational reliability of the pipeline system.

[0123] While this disclosure has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art who benefit from this disclosure will understand that other embodiments can be designed without departing from the scope of this disclosure as set forth herein. Therefore, the scope of this disclosure should be limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A piping system comprising: a pipe segment, wherein the pipe segment comprises a pipe defining a bore and a fluid conduit within a pipe annulus of the pipe segment; and a monitoring apparatus, wherein the monitoring apparatus comprises: a plurality of bore sensors fluidly connected to the bore of the pipe segment; an annulus sensor fluidly connected to the fluid conduit defined within the pipe annulus of the pipe segment; and a control subsystem communicatively coupled to the plurality of bore sensors and the annulus sensor, wherein the control subsystem is configured to determine whether a breach exists in the pipe of the pipe segment based at least in part on first sensor data determined by the plurality of bore sensors to indicate a bore fluid parameter present within the bore of the pipe segment and second sensor data determined by the annulus sensor to indicate an annulus fluid parameter present within the pipe annulus of the pipe segment.

2. The piping system of claim 1, comprising a pipe fitting, wherein: an end of the pipe of the pipe segment is fixed and sealed in a pipe cavity of the pipe fitting such that a make-up bore of the pipe fitting is fluidly connected to the bore of the pipe segment; the pipe fitting comprises a bore monitoring port to the make-up bore of the pipe fitting; and a bore sensor of the plurality of bore sensors is fluidly connected to the bore monitoring port on the pipe fitting.

3. The piping system of claim 2, comprising another pipe fitting, wherein: another end of the pipe of the pipe segment is fixed and sealed in another pipe cavity of the other pipe fitting such that another make-up bore of the other pipe fitting is fluidly connected to the bore of the pipe segment; the other pipe fitting comprises another bore monitoring port to the other make-up bore of the other pipe fitting; and another bore sensor of the plurality of bore sensors is fluidly connected to the other bore monitoring port on the pipe fitting.

4. The piping system of claim 1, comprising a pipe fitting, wherein: an end of the pipe of the pipe segment is fixed and sealed in a pipe cavity of the pipe fitting such that a make-up bore of the pipe fitting is fluidly connected to the bore of the pipe segment; the pipe fitting comprises an annulus vent fluidly connected to the fluid conduit defined by the pipe annulus of the pipe segment; and the annulus sensor is fluidly connected to the annulus vent on the pipe fitting.

5. The piping system of claim 4, comprising: another pipe fitting; and another annulus sensor, wherein: another end of the pipe of the pipe segment is fixed and sealed in another pipe cavity of the other pipe fitting such that another make-up bore of the other pipe fitting is fluidly connected to the bore of the pipe segment; the other pipe fitting comprises another annulus vent fluidly connected to the fluid conduit defined within the pipe annulus of the pipe segment; and the other annulus sensor is fluidly connected to the other annulus vent on the pipe fitting. ​ ​ ​ 6. The pipeline system of claim 1, wherein the control subsystem is configured to: determine, based at least on the first sensor data determined by the plurality of bore sensors, a bore-monitored integrity state indicative of whether a breach likely exists in the pipe of the pipe segment; determine, based on the second sensor data determined by the annulus sensors, an annulus-monitored integrity state indicative of whether a breach likely exists in the pipe of the pipe segment; and determine, based on the bore-monitored integrity state and the annulus-monitored integrity state, a cross-check integrity state indicative of whether a breach actually exists in the pipe of the pipe segment.

7. The pipeline system of claim 6, wherein the control subsystem is configured to determine the bore-monitored integrity state at least in part by: determining, based at least in part on the first sensor data determined by the plurality of bore sensors, a plurality of bore pressure profiles each associated with a bore sensor of the plurality of bore sensors; determining a breach bore pressure pattern expected to be caused by a negative pressure wave resulting from a sudden breach of the pipe of the pipe segment; determining the bore-monitored integrity state to indicate that a breach likely exists in the pipe of the pipe segment when the breach bore pressure pattern is detected in the plurality of bore pressure profiles; and determining the bore-monitored integrity state to indicate that a breach does not likely exist in the pipe of the pipe segment when the breach bore pressure pattern is not detected in the plurality of bore pressure profiles.

8. The plumbing system of claim 7, wherein, when a breach likely exists in the pipe of the pipe segment, the control subsystem is configured to determine a likely location of the breach along the pipe segment based at least in part on when the breach bore pressure pattern is detected at different bore sensors of the plurality of bore sensors.

9. The pipeline system of claim 6, wherein the control subsystem is configured to determine the annulus-monitored integrity state at least in part by: determining, based on the second sensor data determined by the annulus sensors, a fluid pressure, a fluid flow rate, a fluid composition, a fluid temperature, or any combination thereof, present within the pipe annulus of the pipe segment; and determining the annulus-monitored integrity state to indicate that a breach likely exists in the pipe of the pipe segment when: the fluid pressure within the pipe annulus of the pipe segment exceeds an upper fluid pressure threshold or falls below a lower fluid pressure threshold; the fluid flow rate within the pipe annulus of the pipe segment exceeds an upper fluid flow rate threshold or falls below a lower fluid flow rate threshold; the fluid composition within the pipe annulus of the pipe segment includes bore fluid greater than a bore fluid amount threshold or external environmental fluid greater than an environmental fluid amount threshold; the fluid temperature within the pipe annulus of the pipe segment matches an expected external environmental temperature or an expected bore fluid temperature; or any combination thereof.

10. The plumbing system of claim 9, wherein, when a breach likely exists in the pipe of the pipe segment, the control subsystem is configured to determine the annulus-monitored integrity state at least in part by: determining the annulus monitor integrity status to indicate a potential presence of the breach in an outer barrier layer of the pipe segment when the fluid pressure within the pipe annulus of the pipe segment falls below the lower fluid pressure threshold, when the fluid flow rate within the pipe annulus of the pipe segment falls below the lower fluid flow rate threshold, when the fluid composition within the pipe annulus of the pipe segment includes an external ambient fluid greater than the ambient fluid amount threshold, when the fluid temperature within the pipe annulus of the pipe segment matches the expected external ambient temperature, or any combination thereof.

11. The pipeline system of claim 6, wherein the control subsystem is configured to determine the cross-check integrity status at least in part by: determining the cross-check integrity status to indicate a presence of the breach in the pipe of the pipe segment when the bore monitor integrity status indicates a potential presence of the breach and the annulus monitor integrity status indicates a potential presence of the breach, and when the bore monitor integrity status indicates an unlikely presence of the breach and the annulus monitor integrity status indicates a potential presence of the breach; and determining the cross-check integrity status to indicate an absence of the breach in the pipe of the pipe segment when the bore monitor integrity status indicates an unlikely presence of the breach and the annulus monitor integrity status indicates an unlikely presence of the breach, and when the bore monitor integrity status indicates a potential presence of the breach and the annulus monitor integrity status indicates an unlikely presence of the breach.

12. The pipeline system of claim 6, wherein the control subsystem is configured to: adjust a breach bore pressure pattern used to determine the bore monitor integrity status to decrease negative pressure wave sensitivity when the bore monitor integrity status indicates a potential presence of the breach and the annulus monitor integrity status indicates an unlikely presence of the breach; and adjust the breach bore pressure pattern used to determine the bore monitor integrity status to increase negative pressure wave sensitivity when the bore monitor integrity status indicates an unlikely presence of the breach and the annulus monitor integrity status indicates a potential presence of the breach.

13. A method of operating a monitoring device deployed in a pipeline system, the method comprising: ​ ​ determining, using a control subsystem of the monitoring device, a bore monitoring integrity status indicative of whether a breach is likely present in a pipe segment deployed in the pipeline system based at least in part on first sensor data determined by a plurality of bore sensors of the monitoring device to be indicative of one or more bore fluid parameters present within a pipe bore of the pipe segment; determining, using the control subsystem, an annulus monitoring integrity status indicative of whether a breach is likely present in the pipe segment based at least in part on second sensor data determined by one or more annulus sensors of the monitoring device to be indicative of one or more annulus fluid parameters present within a free space defined in an annulus of pipe of the pipe segment; and determining, using the control subsystem, a cross-check integrity status indicative of whether a breach is actually present in the pipe segment based at least in part by cross-checking the bore monitoring integrity status and the annulus monitoring integrity status against one another.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein determining the bore monitoring integrity status comprises: determining, based at least in part on the first sensor data determined by the plurality of bore sensors, a plurality of bore pressure profiles each associated with a bore sensor of the plurality of bore sensors; determining a breach bore pressure pattern expected to be indicative of a breach present in the pipe segment; determining the bore monitoring integrity status to indicate that a breach is likely present in the pipe segment in response to determining that the breach bore pressure pattern is detected in the plurality of bore pressure profiles; and determining the bore monitoring integrity status to indicate that a breach is not likely present in the pipe segment in response to determining that the breach bore pressure pattern is not detected in the plurality of bore pressure profiles.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein determining the annulus monitoring integrity status comprises: determining, based on the second sensor data determined by the one or more annulus sensors, a fluid pressure, a fluid flow rate, a fluid composition, a fluid temperature, or any combination thereof, present within the annulus of pipe of the pipe segment; and determining the annulus monitoring integrity status to indicate that a breach is likely present in the pipe segment in response to: determining that the fluid pressure within the annulus of pipe of the pipe segment exceeds an upper fluid pressure threshold; determining that the fluid pressure within the annulus of pipe of the pipe segment falls below a lower fluid pressure threshold; determining that the fluid flow rate within the annulus of pipe of the pipe segment exceeds an upper fluid flow rate threshold; determining that the fluid flow rate within the annulus of pipe of the pipe segment falls below a lower fluid flow rate threshold; determining that the fluid composition within the annulus of pipe of the pipe segment includes a bore fluid greater than a bore fluid amount threshold; determining that the fluid composition within the annulus of pipe of the pipe segment includes an external ambient fluid greater than an ambient fluid amount threshold; determining that the fluid temperature within the annulus of pipe of the pipe segment matches an expected external ambient temperature; determining that the fluid temperature within the annulus of pipe of the pipe segment matches an expected bore fluid temperature; or any combination thereof.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein determining the cross-check integrity status comprises: determining the cross-check integrity status to indicate that an actual girth of the pipe segment exists in response to determining that the bore monitoring integrity status indicates that a girth is likely present and the annulus monitoring integrity status indicates that a girth is likely present, and in response to determining that the bore monitoring integrity status indicates that a girth is not likely present and the annulus monitoring integrity status indicates that a girth is likely present; and determining the cross-check integrity status to indicate that an actual girth of the pipe segment exists in response to determining that the bore monitoring integrity status indicates that a girth is not likely present and the annulus monitoring integrity status indicates that a girth is not likely present, and in response to determining that the bore monitoring integrity status indicates that a girth is likely present and the annulus monitoring integrity status indicates that a girth is not likely present.

17. The method of claim 13, comprising adjusting a girth bore pressure pattern used to determine the bore monitoring integrity status to reduce negative pressure wave sensitivity in response to determining that the bore monitoring integrity status indicates that a girth is likely present and the annulus monitoring integrity status indicates that a girth is not likely present; and adjusting a girth bore pressure pattern used to determine the bore monitoring integrity status to increase negative pressure wave sensitivity in response to determining that the bore monitoring integrity status indicates that a girth is not likely present and the annulus monitoring integrity status indicates that a girth is likely present.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein: adjusting the girth bore pressure pattern to reduce negative pressure wave sensitivity comprises excluding bore pressure patterns of the bore monitoring integrity status that indicate that a girth is likely present; and adjusting the girth bore pressure pattern to increase negative pressure wave sensitivity comprises: determining a time at which an annulus fluid parameter of the one or more annulus fluid parameters indicated by the second sensor data initially indicates that a girth of the pipe segment is likely present; determining a bore pressure profile over a time period around the time at which the annulus fluid parameter initially indicates that a girth of the pipe segment is likely present; and setting the girth bore pressure pattern based on bore pressure patterns that occur during the bore pressure profile.

19. A monitoring apparatus, comprising: a plurality of bore sensors, wherein the plurality of bore sensors are configured to be fluidically connected to a pipe bore of a pipe segment to enable the plurality of bore sensors to determine first sensor data indicative of fluid pressure present within the pipe bore of the pipe segment; one or more annulus sensors, wherein the one or more annulus sensors are configured to be fluidically connected to a free space defined within a pipe annulus of the pipe segment to enable the one or more annulus sensors to determine second sensor data indicative of fluid pressure, fluid temperature, fluid flow rate, fluid composition, or any combination thereof, present within the pipe annulus of the pipe segment; and a control subsystem configured to be communicatively coupled to the plurality of bore sensors and the one or more annulus sensors, and configured to: determine a bore monitoring integrity status indicative of whether a girth of the pipe segment is likely present based on the first sensor data indicative of fluid pressure present within the pipe bore of the pipe segment; determining, based on the second sensor data indicative of the fluid pressure, the fluid temperature, the fluid flow rate, the fluid composition, or any combination thereof present within the pipe annulus of the pipe segment, an annulus-monitored integrity state indicative of whether a gash is likely present in the pipe segment; and determining, based on the bore-monitored integrity state and the annulus-monitored integrity state, a cross-check integrity state indicative of whether a gash is actually present in the pipe segment.

20. The monitoring device of claim 19, wherein the control subsystem is configured to: determine the bore-monitored integrity state at least in part by: determining a plurality of bore pressure profiles each associated with a bore sensor of the plurality of bore sensors based at least in part on the first sensor data indicative of a fluid pressure present within the pipe bore of the pipe segment; determining a gash bore pressure pattern expected to be indicative of a gash present in the pipe segment; determining the bore-monitored integrity state to indicate that a gash is likely present in the pipe segment when the gash bore pressure pattern is detected in the plurality of bore pressure profiles; and determining the bore-monitored integrity state to indicate that a gash is not likely present in the pipe segment when the gash bore pressure pattern is not detected in the plurality of bore pressure profiles; determine the annulus-monitored integrity state at least in part by: determining the annulus-monitored integrity state to indicate that a gash is likely present in the pipe segment when the fluid pressure within the pipe annulus of the pipe segment exceeds an upper fluid pressure threshold, when the fluid pressure within the pipe annulus of the pipe segment falls below a lower fluid pressure threshold, when the fluid flow rate within the pipe annulus of the pipe segment exceeds an upper fluid flow rate threshold, when the fluid flow rate within the pipe annulus of the pipe segment falls below a lower fluid flow rate threshold, when the fluid composition within the pipe annulus of the pipe segment includes a bore fluid greater than a bore fluid amount threshold, when the fluid composition within the pipe annulus of the pipe segment includes an external environmental fluid greater than an environmental fluid amount threshold, when the fluid temperature within the pipe annulus of the pipe segment matches an expected external environmental temperature, when the fluid temperature within the pipe annulus of the pipe segment matches an expected bore fluid temperature, or any combination thereof; and determining the annulus-monitored integrity state to indicate that a gash is not likely present in the pipe segment when the fluid pressure within the pipe annulus of the pipe segment does not exceed the upper fluid pressure threshold, when the fluid pressure within the pipe annulus of the pipe segment does not fall below the lower fluid pressure threshold, when the fluid flow rate within the pipe annulus of the pipe segment does not exceed the upper fluid flow rate threshold, when the fluid flow rate within the pipe annulus of the pipe segment does not fall below the lower fluid flow rate threshold, when the fluid composition within the pipe annulus of the pipe segment does not include a bore fluid greater than the bore fluid amount threshold, when the fluid composition within the pipe annulus of the pipe segment does not include an external environmental fluid greater than the environmental fluid amount threshold, when the fluid temperature within the pipe annulus of the pipe segment does not match the expected external environmental temperature, when the fluid temperature within the pipe annulus of the pipe segment does not match the expected bore fluid temperature, or any combination thereof. the fluid pressure within the pipe annulus of the pipe segment does not drop below the lower fluid pressure threshold, when the fluid flow rate within the pipe annulus of the pipe segment does not exceed the upper fluid flow rate threshold, when the fluid flow rate within the pipe annulus of the pipe segment does not drop below the lower fluid flow rate threshold, when the fluid composition within the pipe annulus of the pipe segment does not include bore fluid greater than the bore fluid amount threshold, when the fluid composition within the pipe annulus of the pipe segment does not include external environmental fluid greater than the environmental fluid amount threshold, when the fluid temperature within the pipe annulus of the pipe segment does not match an expected external environmental temperature, and when the fluid temperature within the pipe annulus of the pipe segment does not match an expected bore fluid temperature, the annulus-monitored integrity status is determined to indicate that a breach is not likely present in the pipe segment; and the cross-check integrity status is determined at least in part by: when the bore-monitored integrity status indicates that a breach is not likely present and the annulus-monitored integrity status indicates that a breach is likely present, the cross-check integrity status is determined to indicate that a breach is actually present in the pipe segment; and when the bore-monitored integrity status indicates that a breach is likely present and the annulus-monitored integrity status indicates that a breach is not likely present, the cross-check integrity status is determined to indicate that a breach is actually present in the pipe segment.

21. A pipeline system comprising: a pipe segment, wherein the pipe segment comprises a pipe defining a pipe bore and a fluid conduit within a pipe annulus of the pipe segment; and a monitoring device, wherein the monitoring device comprises: means for sensing first sensor data in the pipe bore of the pipe segment; means for sensing second sensor data in the pipe annulus of the pipe segment; and means for determining whether a breach is present in the pipe of the pipe segment based at least in part on the first sensor data and the second sensor data. ​

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