A device and method for detecting suspended submarine pipelines based on ultrasonic waves

Abstract

The present invention provides an ultrasonic-based submarine pipeline suspension detection device and method, which utilizes a pipeline robot carrying an ultrasonic probe to move inside a submarine pipeline to achieve comprehensive and reliable detection of pipeline suspension. The detection device includes a power device to drive the pipeline robot forward, an ultrasonic probe for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic signals, an odometer to record the travel distance and position information, and a microcomputer to process ultrasonic signals. The suspension height is calculated by the transit time or signal strength ratio between the ultrasonic transmission signal and the echo signal, the suspension length is calculated by combining the pulse interval and the robot speed, and the suspension point position is determined. The data storage device stores the processed data. The solution achieves high-precision detection at a low cost, effectively evaluates the suspension risk of the submarine pipeline, and ensures the safe operation of the pipeline.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to pipeline detection technology, and in particular to an ultrasonic-based submarine pipeline suspension detection device and method. Background Art

[0002] Submarine pipelines are the main means of transportation connecting submarine oil and gas fields with onshore processing facilities or offshore platforms. They are of great significance in terms of energy transportation, environmental protection, economic benefits, scientific and technological progress, and are important infrastructure supporting the development of modern economy and society. However, as submarine pipelines are subjected to long-term erosion by seawater, most of the pipelines will be suspended. Suspended submarine pipelines may be affected by ocean currents and waves to produce vortex-induced resonance. If the stress generated by vortex-induced resonance exceeds the fatigue limit of the pipeline, cracks will occur at the bottom of the pipeline due to stress concentration. It may even exceed the yield limit of the pipeline and cause the pipeline to break, resulting in oil and gas leakage. This will not only cause huge economic losses, but also have a bad impact on the natural ecological environment. Therefore, it is of great significance to conduct regular inspections of submarine pipelines.

[0003] At present, the main detection methods include using side-scan sonar and seabed profilers to scan the seabed to obtain seabed acoustic images, and then analyzing the seabed acoustic images to determine whether the submarine pipeline is suspended. However, using this method to detect submarine pipelines will result in low detection accuracy, high economic cost, high detection time cost, and be restricted by ship schedules and weather. In addition, there are also solutions that use ultrasonic probes to install on the outside of the pipeline and optical fibers to install inside the pipeline. These solutions are difficult to install and costly, and are quite difficult to implement in existing submarine pipelines.

[0004] The current mainstream method for detecting the phenomenon of submarine suspension is to use (1) side-scan sonar for detection. For example, Tao Changfei proposed using side-scan sonar to solve the problem of submarine pipeline suspension detection in 2019. (2) Zhejiang University proposed in 2023 to install an ultrasonic sensor array on the outside of the submarine pipeline to monitor the submarine pipeline suspension. (3) Zhao Xuefeng et al. proposed installing an attached optical fiber on the outside of the pipeline and using the distributed optical fiber active heating method to detect the phenomenon of submarine pipeline suspension.

[0005] In the existing pipeline detection methods, the detection device is difficult to install, the detection time cost is long, the detection economic cost is high, and the detection accuracy is low.

[0006] (1) When using side-scan sonar for detection, a ship is needed as a towing device, which is costly and limited by the ship schedule. It also has low accuracy and is not intuitive to detect the suspended phenomenon. This solution has high detection accuracy and low detection cost, and can achieve multiple inspections per year.

[0007] (2) The method of installing an ultrasonic sensor array on the outside of a submarine pipeline is difficult to install and has poor reliability, especially on existing submarine pipelines. Moreover, in order to comprehensively monitor different locations of the pipeline, the sensor array needs to be arranged at multiple locations along the length of the pipeline, which greatly increases the monitoring cost and is prone to missed detection.

[0008] (3) The cost of using distributed optical fiber active heating to detect the phenomenon of submarine pipeline suspension is extremely high, and it is extremely difficult to install this device on existing submarine pipelines. Compared with the distributed optical fiber heating method, this solution can save a lot of costs.

[0009] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the above background technology section is only used for understanding the background of the present application, and therefore may include information that does not constitute prior art known to ordinary technicians in the field. Summary of the invention

[0010] The main purpose of the present invention is to overcome the defects existing in the above-mentioned background technology and provide an ultrasonic-based submarine pipeline suspension detection device and method.

[0011] To achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0012] A submarine pipeline suspension detection device based on ultrasonic wave, comprising:

[0013] Pipeline robot, used to carry ultrasonic probes and move inside submarine pipelines to detect them along the seabed pipelines;

[0014] A power device, provided on the pipeline robot, for driving the pipeline robot to move forward inside the submarine pipeline;

[0015] An ultrasonic probe, installed on the pipeline robot, for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic signals to detect the phenomenon of the submarine pipeline being suspended;

[0016] A mileage wheel, provided on the pipeline robot, for recording the travel distance and position information of the pipeline robot;

[0017] A microcomputer is arranged inside the pipeline robot, and is used to control the ultrasonic probe to transmit and receive signals, and process the received ultrasonic signals; wherein the suspended height of the submarine pipeline is calculated according to the transit time between the ultrasonic transmission signal and the echo signal or according to the signal strength ratio of the ultrasonic echo signal to the transmission signal, the suspended length of the submarine pipeline is calculated in combination with the ultrasonic pulse interval and the running speed of the pipeline robot, and the specific position of the suspended point is determined in combination with the information recorded by the odometer wheel;

[0018] A data storage device is arranged inside the pipeline robot and is used for storing data processed by the microcomputer.

[0019] Furthermore, the pipeline robot comprises a probe extension and retraction device for making the ultrasonic probe close to the pipe wall, and the probe extension and retraction device is controlled by feedback of a pressure sensor to ensure that the ultrasonic probe is in close contact with the inner wall of the submarine pipeline without causing squeezing.

[0020] Furthermore, a thin layer of coupling agent is provided between the ultrasonic probe and the inner wall of the submarine pipeline to reduce friction damage to the ultrasonic probe housing during movement.

[0021] Furthermore, the ultrasonic probe includes a transducer, and the transducer includes piezoelectric ceramics. The piezoelectric ceramics vibrate in response to a pulse signal generated inside the ultrasonic probe, emit an ultrasonic signal, and receive an echo signal reflected by the seabed.

[0022] Furthermore, the center frequency of the ultrasonic probe is set to match the thickness of the wall of the submarine pipeline being tested, so that the emitted ultrasonic waves have good transmittance to the pipeline wall.

[0023] A method for detecting a suspended submarine pipeline uses the ultrasonic-based suspended submarine pipeline detection device to perform suspended submarine pipeline detection.

[0024] Furthermore, the suspended height of the submarine pipeline is calculated according to the transit time between the ultrasonic emission signal and the echo signal.

[0025] Furthermore, the suspended height of the submarine pipeline is calculated according to the signal strength ratio of the ultrasonic echo signal to the transmission signal. The specific formula is as follows:

[0026]

[0027] in is the signal strength ratio of the ultrasonic echo signal to the transmitted signal. is the reflection coefficient of the sound wave incident from the seawater layer and reflected by the seabed. is the transmission coefficient of sound waves through the pipe wall, is the attenuation coefficient of ultrasonic wave propagating in seawater layer, is the height of the seawater layer, is the base of natural logarithms.

[0028] The present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0029] The present invention provides an ultrasonic-based submarine pipeline suspension detection device and method, which comprehensively monitors the suspension phenomenon of submarine pipelines in a high-precision and low-cost manner. Compared with existing detection methods, the present invention has significant advantages.

[0030] Among the existing detection methods, such as side-scan sonar and seafloor profilers, although they can scan the seafloor and analyze seafloor acoustic images, these methods have problems such as low detection accuracy, high economic and time costs, and restrictions on ship schedules and weather. The method of installing an ultrasonic sensor array on the outside of the submarine pipeline can provide more direct monitoring data, but it is difficult to install and has poor reliability, especially in existing submarine pipelines. Although the distributed optical fiber active heating method can provide high-precision detection, it is extremely expensive and difficult to install.

[0031] In contrast, the detection device of the present invention uses a pipeline robot carrying an ultrasonic probe to move inside the submarine pipeline to realize the detection of the pipeline along the line. The microcomputer is arranged inside the pipeline robot to control the ultrasonic probe to transmit and receive signals and process the received ultrasonic signals. The suspended height of the submarine pipeline is calculated according to the transit time between the ultrasonic transmission signal and the echo signal or according to the signal strength ratio of the ultrasonic echo signal to the transmission signal. The suspended length of the submarine pipeline is calculated by combining the ultrasonic pulse interval and the running speed of the pipeline robot, and the specific position of the suspension point is determined by combining the information recorded by the odometer wheel, which improves the accuracy and reliability of monitoring and helps to timely discover and evaluate the suspension risk of the submarine pipeline.

[0032] In particular, compared with the method of installing an ultrasonic sensor array on the outside of a submarine pipeline, the present invention does not require the installation of an ultrasonic device on the outside of the submarine pipeline, and can directly detect the existing pipelines, with a wide range of applications, and completely overcomes the defects of installing an ultrasonic sensor array on the outside of a submarine pipeline, such as the difficulty of installation, poor installation reliability, and poor flexibility of applicability. At the same time, there is no need to install sensors at multiple locations outside the pipeline, and the pipeline can be fully inspected in a low-cost manner, which reduces the detection cost and improves the coverage and reliability of the detection.

[0033] In summary, the submarine pipeline suspension detection device of the present invention realizes high-precision and low-cost detection of the submarine pipeline suspension phenomenon. Compared with the prior art, the present invention not only improves the accuracy and reliability of detection, but also greatly reduces the economic and time costs, providing a strong guarantee for the safe operation of the submarine pipeline.

[0034] Other beneficial effects of the embodiments of the present invention will be further described below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] Figure 1 The figure is a schematic structural diagram of an ultrasonic-based submarine pipeline suspension detection device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the acoustic model of the ultrasonic-based suspended pipe internal detection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] The following is a detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention. It should be emphasized that the following description is only exemplary and is not intended to limit the scope and application of the present invention.

[0038] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or indirectly on the other element. When an element is referred to as being "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or indirectly connected to the other element. In addition, connection can be used for fixing as well as for coupling or communication.

[0039] It should be understood that the orientation or position relationship indicated by terms such as "length", "width", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside" and "outside" are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0040] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0041] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2The embodiment of the present invention provides a submarine pipeline suspension detection device based on ultrasonic wave, comprising: a pipeline robot 1, which is used as a carrier to carry an ultrasonic probe 3 and move inside the submarine pipeline to realize the detection of the submarine pipeline; a power device 7, which is arranged on the pipeline robot 1 and is used to drive the pipeline robot 1 to move inside the submarine pipeline; the ultrasonic probe 3, which is installed on the pipeline robot 1 and is used to transmit and receive ultrasonic signals to detect the phenomenon of submarine pipeline suspension; a mileage wheel, which is arranged on the pipeline robot 1 and is used to record the travel distance and position information of the pipeline robot 1; a microcomputer 4, which is arranged inside the pipeline robot 1 and is used to control the ultrasonic probe 3 to transmit and receive signals and process the received ultrasonic signals; wherein the suspension height of the submarine pipeline is calculated according to the transit time between the ultrasonic transmission signal and the echo signal or according to the signal strength ratio of the ultrasonic echo signal to the transmission signal, the suspension length of the submarine pipeline is calculated in combination with the ultrasonic pulse interval and the running speed of the pipeline robot 1, and the specific position of the suspension point is determined in combination with the information recorded by the mileage wheel; a data storage device 5, which is arranged inside the pipeline robot 1 and is used to store the data processed by the microcomputer 4.

[0042] The submarine pipeline suspension detection device of the present invention realizes high-precision and low-cost monitoring of the submarine pipeline suspension phenomenon by using an ultrasonic probe 3 and a pipeline robot 1 inside the pipeline. In the present invention, the echo signal of the ultrasonic wave emitted by the pipeline robot 1 is used to detect the submarine pipeline terrain, and the suspension height of the submarine pipeline is determined by calculating the transit time between the ultrasonic emission signal and the echo signal or according to the signal strength ratio of the ultrasonic echo signal to the emission signal, and the suspension length is calculated by combining the pulse time interval and the motion information of the pipeline robot 1, and the specific position of the suspension point is determined by using the information recorded by the odometer wheel, which not only improves the accuracy and reliability of monitoring, but also helps to timely discover and evaluate the suspension risk of the submarine pipeline, thereby ensuring the safe operation of the submarine pipeline. Compared with the prior art, the present invention has higher detection accuracy and lower economic cost, and is not restricted by ship schedule and weather. Compared with the method of installing an ultrasonic sensor array on the outside of the submarine pipeline, the present invention does not need to install any equipment on the outside of the pipeline, and can directly detect the existing pipeline, which greatly reduces the installation difficulty and cost, improves the detection accuracy and reliability, and has a wide range of applications.

[0043] In a preferred embodiment, the pipeline robot 1 includes a probe 3 extension device 2 for making the ultrasonic probe 3 close to the pipe wall, and the probe 3 extension device 2 is controlled by feedback from a pressure sensor to ensure that the ultrasonic probe 3 is in close contact with the inner wall of the submarine pipeline without squeezing. This design improves the transmission efficiency and reception quality of ultrasonic signals, ensures the accuracy and reliability of detection data, and reduces the wear of the probe 3 during long-term operation, thereby extending the service life of the equipment.

[0044] In a preferred embodiment, a thin layer of coupling agent 8 is provided between the ultrasonic probe 3 and the inner wall of the submarine pipeline to reduce friction damage to the housing of the ultrasonic probe 3 during movement. A thin layer of water or other suitable liquid can be used as the coupling agent. The use of the coupling agent can effectively reduce the friction between the probe and the inner wall of the pipeline and protect the probe from scratches and wear.

[0045] In some embodiments, the ultrasonic probe 3 includes a transducer, and the transducer includes piezoelectric ceramics. The piezoelectric ceramics vibrate in response to a pulse signal generated inside the ultrasonic probe 3, emit an ultrasonic signal, and receive an echo signal reflected by the seabed.

[0046] In a preferred embodiment, the center frequency of the ultrasonic probe 3 is set to match the thickness of the wall of the submarine pipeline being tested, so that the emitted ultrasonic wave has good transmittance to the pipeline wall 9 (such as a steel plate). When using ultrasonic waves to detect from the inside of the pipeline, it involves the transmission, reflection and attenuation of ultrasonic waves. The transmission of ultrasonic waves is related to the thickness of the pipe wall. The present invention selects ultrasonic waves of corresponding frequencies for operation according to the pipeline working conditions. The ultrasonic frequency matches the thickness of the pipeline to maximize the transmission coefficient of the sound wave to the pipeline, thereby improving the accuracy of the submarine pipeline suspension detection. Using the matching wave technology in the field of acoustics, the present invention can provide the most suitable ultrasonic probe selection through working condition analysis, and achieve the effect of accurate detection in the pipeline by matching the ultrasonic frequency of the ultrasonic probe 3 with the thickness of the pipe wall 9.

[0047] An embodiment of the present invention further provides a method for detecting a suspended submarine pipeline, which uses the ultrasonic-based suspended submarine pipeline detection device of any of the aforementioned embodiments to perform suspended submarine pipeline detection.

[0048] In some embodiments, the suspended height of the submarine pipeline is calculated based on the transit time between the ultrasonic transmission signal and the echo signal.

[0049] See also Figure 2 In other embodiments, the suspended height of the submarine pipeline is calculated according to the signal strength ratio of the ultrasonic echo signal to the transmission signal. The specific formula is as follows:

[0050]

[0051] in is the signal strength ratio of the ultrasonic echo signal to the transmitted signal. is the reflection coefficient of the sound wave incident from the seawater layer 10 and reflected by the seabed 11, is the transmission coefficient of sound waves through the pipe wall 9, is the attenuation coefficient of ultrasonic wave propagating in the seawater layer 10, is the height of the seawater layer, The designed detection method is based on the signal intensity ratio, taking into account the attenuation of sound waves in seawater, the seabed reflection coefficient and the pipeline wall transmission coefficient. These factors jointly affect the intensity of the echo signal. Therefore, it can comprehensively evaluate the suspended state of the submarine pipeline and provide accurate and reliable detection results, which is helpful to timely discover and prevent potential pipeline damage risks.

[0052] The specific embodiments of the present invention are further described below.

[0053] An ultrasonic-based in-pipeline detection device and method for the pipeline hanging phenomenon. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the detection device includes a pipeline robot 1 for carrying a transducer, an ultrasonic probe 3, a telescopic device to ensure that the transducer is close to the pipe wall, a microcomputer 4, a data storage device 5 for storing detection signals, and a host computer software for analyzing signals. The present invention uses ultrasonic echo signals from the inside of the pipeline to detect the terrain of the submarine pipeline. The ultrasonic transducer uses the pipeline robot 1 as a carrier and completes the inspection of the submarine pipeline with the pipeline robot 1. The suspended height of the submarine pipeline is calculated by using the transit time of the transmission signal and the echo signal or according to the signal intensity ratio of the ultrasonic echo signal to the transmission signal; the suspended length of the submarine pipeline can be calculated by combining the pulse time interval and the motion information of the pipeline robot 1; the suspended position of the submarine pipeline can be calculated by combining the mileage wheel information. The transmission of ultrasonic waves is related to the thickness of the pipe wall. Selecting a suitable ultrasonic frequency increases the transmission coefficient of the sound wave, so as to better realize the detection of suspended submarine pipelines.

[0054] The pipeline robot 1 is a carrier of the ultrasonic detection device. The pipeline robot 1 contains a power supply, a microcomputer 4 and a data storage device 5. The ultrasonic probe 3 and the microcomputer 4 communicate with each other by wire, and the ultrasonic probe 3 is installed on the probe extension device 2. During the detection process, the pipeline robot 1 can move forward along the pipeline at a uniform speed through the power device 7, and the microcomputer 4 sends a signal every 0.5s. After receiving the signal from the microcomputer 4, the ultrasonic probe 3 emits an ultrasonic wave. The sound wave is reflected by the seabed, and the echo signal is received by the transducer and recorded in the data storage device 5. After the pipeline robot 1 is recovered, the data can be read from the data storage device 5 by the host computer software, and analyzed to determine whether the submarine pipeline is suspended and calculate the suspended height and suspended length of the submarine pipeline.

[0055] The acoustic model of pipeline suspended internal detection based on ultrasonic wave is as follows Figure 2As shown. The acoustic model includes the communication line between the ultrasonic probe 3 and the microcomputer 4, the ultrasonic probe 3, a thin layer of coupling agent between the ultrasonic probe 3 and the pipe wall, the pipe wall of the submarine pipeline, the seawater layer generated by the suspended submarine pipeline, and the seabed. The acoustic model can assist in the selection of the ultrasonic probe 3 and improve the detection effect of the suspended submarine pipeline.

[0056] A method for detecting a pipeline hanging phenomenon includes the following steps:

[0057] ① Selection and assembly of ultrasonic probe 3: The center frequency of ultrasonic probe 3 is selected according to different pipe wall thickness conditions.

[0058] ② Launching: The pipeline robot 1 with the ultrasonic detection device is launched from the end A of the pipeline. The pipeline robot 1 moves at a constant speed in the submarine pipeline. The telescopic device ensures that the transducer is close to the inner wall of the pipeline.

[0059] ③ Transmitting and receiving signals: The microcomputer 4 communicates with the ultrasonic probe 3, the ultrasonic probe 3 transmits ultrasonic waves at regular time intervals, and the transducer receives the reflected signals.

[0060] ④ Signal compression and storage: To realize the communication between the ultrasonic transducer and the microcomputer 4, the microcomputer 4 receives the signal sent back by the ultrasonic transducer, performs signal filtering and signal compression on the signal, and stores it in the data storage device 5.

[0061] ⑤ Equipment recovery: Recover the pipeline robot 1 from the end B of the pipeline.

[0062] ⑥Signal analysis: restore the waveform from the data storage 5, and analyze the waveform to determine whether the hanging phenomenon occurs. If the hanging phenomenon occurs, calculate the hanging height of the pipeline.

[0063] Figure 1 The invention provides a pipeline robot that carries an ultrasonic probe for detection.

[0064] The detection system uses a pipeline robot 1 as a carrier, and carries an ultrasonic probe 3 to enter the pipeline for detection. The pipeline robot 1 can keep the pipeline robot moving at a constant speed inside the submarine pipeline, and the odometer records the position information of the pipeline robot. The pipeline robot 1 carries the ultrasonic probe into the submarine pipeline, and the probe telescopic device 2 can control the contact between the ultrasonic probe and the pipeline wall 9 without squeezing. The microcomputer 4 controls the timing of the ultrasonic probe sending and receiving signals. The ultrasonic probe emits ultrasonic waves, and the sound waves are reflected by the seabed and then received by the ultrasonic probe. The data storage 5 is used to store the received echo signal. When the pipeline robot is recovered, the host computer program can be used to analyze the signal data, determine the suspended state of the submarine pipeline, and calculate the suspended height and suspended length of the submarine pipeline.

[0065] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of an acoustic model for ultrasonic in-air detection of a pipeline provided according to an embodiment of the present invention, which can be used to assist in the selection of ultrasonic frequencies under different working conditions.

[0066] The communication cable 6 connects the ultrasonic probe 3 and the microcomputer inside the pipeline robot, thereby realizing communication between the microcomputer and the ultrasonic probe. A pulse signal is generated inside the ultrasonic probe 3, causing the piezoelectric ceramic inside the transducer to vibrate and emit an ultrasonic signal. There is a thin layer of water as a coupling agent 8 between the ultrasonic probe 3 and the pipeline wall 9, so that the outer shell of the ultrasonic probe 3 will not be excessively damaged due to friction with the pipeline wall 9 during movement. If the submarine pipeline is suspended in the air, a seawater layer 10 will be generated under the pipeline, and the height of the seawater layer 10 is the suspension height of the submarine pipeline. The ultrasonic wave passes through the pipeline wall 9 and the seawater layer 10, is reflected by the seabed 11, and the echo signal is captured by the ultrasonic probe 3. The ratio of the ultrasonic echo signal to the transmitted signal It is given by the following formula:

[0067]

[0068] in It is the reflection coefficient of the sound wave incident from the seawater layer 10 and reflected by the seabed 11. This coefficient is related to the acoustic impedance of the seabed sediment. It is the transmission coefficient of sound waves through the pipe wall 9, and the sound wave transmission coefficient is related to the thickness of the pipe wall 9 and the frequency of the ultrasonic wave. It is the attenuation coefficient of ultrasonic wave propagating in the seawater layer 10. The attenuation coefficient of ultrasonic wave in seawater is related to the frequency of ultrasonic wave. is the height of seawater layer 10.

[0069] An embodiment of the present invention provides an ultrasonic-based pipeline suspended internal detection method, the specific process of which includes:

[0070] Ultrasonic probe selection: according to Figure 2 The ultrasonic-based acoustic model for suspended pipeline detection shown selects an ultrasonic probe with a matching center frequency for different submarine pipeline wall thicknesses to achieve good ultrasonic penetration of the pipeline wall.

[0071] Pipeline robot deployment: The pipeline robot body 1 is deployed from the pipeline A end, and the pipeline robot moves forward at a constant speed along the pipeline laying path. The mileage wheel records the mileage information. The probe telescopic device 2 ensures that the ultrasonic probe 3 contacts the inner wall of the pipeline but does not squeeze it through the feedback of the pressure sensor.

[0072] Signal transmission and reception: The ultrasonic probe 3 communicates with the microcomputer 4 inside the pipeline robot. The microcomputer 4 sends commands to the ultrasonic probe every 0.5 seconds, and the ultrasonic probe emits ultrasonic waves. The ultrasonic waves are transmitted and reflected and then received by the ultrasonic probe 3.

[0073] Signal processing and storage: The ultrasonic probe 3 communicates with the microcomputer 4, and the microcomputer 4 performs high-pass filtering, signal compression and other calculations on the echo signal. The microcomputer 4 then transmits the compressed data to the data storage 5 for storage.

[0074] Pipeline robot recovery: recover the pipeline robot body 1 from the pipeline B end.

[0075] Host computer software analysis: The data in the data storage device 5 is transmitted to the host computer, which analyzes the detection signal. The pattern recognition model is used to determine whether the submarine pipeline is suspended. The suspended height of the submarine pipeline is calculated by the transit time between the ultrasonic transmission signal and the echo signal or the signal strength ratio of the ultrasonic echo signal to the transmission signal. The suspended length of the submarine pipeline is calculated by combining the ultrasonic pulse interval and the running speed of the pipeline robot. The position of the suspended point is determined by combining the information of the odometer wheel.

[0076] In summary, the present invention uses a pipeline robot as a carrier of an ultrasonic transducer. As the pipeline robot completes the inspection of the submarine pipeline, the ultrasonic echo signal is used to detect the submarine pipeline terrain, and the ultrasonic wave is used to detect the suspended phenomenon of the submarine pipeline from the inside of the pipeline. The present invention uses the transit time between the transmission signal and the echo signal or the signal strength ratio of the ultrasonic echo signal to the transmission signal to calculate the suspended height of the submarine pipeline; the suspended length of the submarine pipeline can be calculated by combining the pulse time interval and the motion information of the pipeline robot; the suspended position of the submarine pipeline can be calculated by combining the mileage wheel information. Compared with the method of installing an ultrasonic sensor array on the outside of the submarine pipeline, the present invention does not need to install an ultrasonic device on the outside of the submarine pipeline, and can directly detect the existing pipelines. It has a wide range of applications and completely overcomes the defects of difficult installation, poor installation reliability, and poor applicability and flexibility of installing an ultrasonic sensor array on the outside of the submarine pipeline. At the same time, there is no need to install sensors in multiple places, and the pipeline can be better monitored in a low-cost manner throughout the entire process, which reduces the monitoring cost and improves the monitoring reliability.

[0077] In general, the present invention can detect the suspended phenomenon of submarine pipelines at low cost and accurately, detect the submarine terrain buried by submarine pipelines with high precision, help evaluate the risk of free spanning of submarine pipelines, and solve the outstanding problems of high economic and time costs faced in the current submarine pipeline detection. The present invention also proposes to select matching ultrasonic frequencies for submarine pipelines of different specifications, so as to maximize the echo amplitude and improve the detection accuracy.

[0078] The above content is a further detailed description of the present invention in combination with specific / preferred embodiments, and it cannot be determined that the specific implementation of the present invention is limited to these descriptions. For ordinary technicians in the technical field to which the present invention belongs, without departing from the concept of the present invention, it can also make several substitutions or modifications to these described embodiments, and these substitutions or modifications should be regarded as belonging to the protection scope of the present invention. In the description of this specification, the description of the reference terms "an embodiment", "some embodiments", "preferred embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in combination with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily target the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described can be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In the absence of mutual contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of different embodiments or examples. Although the embodiments of the present invention and their advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and modifications can be made herein without departing from the scope of protection of the patent application.

Claims

1. A method for detecting a suspended submarine pipeline, characterized in that: A submarine pipeline suspension detection device based on ultrasonic waves is used to detect the submarine pipeline suspension. The submarine pipeline suspension detection device based on ultrasonic waves comprises: Pipeline robot, used to carry ultrasonic probes and move inside submarine pipelines to detect them along the seabed pipelines; A power device, provided on the pipeline robot, for driving the pipeline robot to move forward inside the submarine pipeline; An ultrasonic probe, installed on the pipeline robot, is used to transmit and receive ultrasonic signals, and to detect the submarine pipeline terrain from inside the pipeline using ultrasonic echo signals to detect the phenomenon of submarine pipeline suspension; A mileage wheel, provided on the pipeline robot, for recording the travel distance and position information of the pipeline robot; A microcomputer is arranged inside the pipeline robot, and is used to control the ultrasonic probe to transmit and receive signals, and process the received ultrasonic signals; wherein the suspended height of the submarine pipeline is calculated according to the signal strength ratio of the ultrasonic echo signal to the transmitted signal, the suspended length of the submarine pipeline is calculated in combination with the ultrasonic pulse interval and the running speed of the pipeline robot, and the specific position of the suspended point is determined in combination with the information recorded by the odometer wheel; A data storage device is provided inside the pipeline robot and is used to store data processed by the microcomputer; The microcomputer calculates the suspended height of the submarine pipeline according to the signal strength ratio of the ultrasonic echo signal to the transmission signal. The specific formula is as follows: ； in is the signal strength ratio of the ultrasonic echo signal to the transmitted signal. is the reflection coefficient of the sound wave incident from the seawater layer and reflected by the seabed. is the transmission coefficient of sound waves through the pipe wall, is the attenuation coefficient of ultrasonic wave propagating in seawater layer, is the height of the seawater layer, is the base of natural logarithms.

2. The method for detecting suspended submarine pipelines based on ultrasound according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pipeline robot comprises a probe extension and retraction device for making the ultrasonic probe close to the pipe wall. The probe extension and retraction device is controlled by feedback of a pressure sensor to ensure that the ultrasonic probe is in close contact with the inner wall of the submarine pipeline without causing extrusion.

3. The method for detecting suspended submarine pipelines based on ultrasound according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: A thin layer of coupling agent is provided between the ultrasonic probe and the inner wall of the submarine pipeline to reduce friction damage to the ultrasonic probe housing during movement.

4. The method for detecting suspended submarine pipelines based on ultrasound according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that: The ultrasonic probe includes a transducer, and the transducer includes piezoelectric ceramics. The piezoelectric ceramics vibrate in response to a pulse signal generated inside the ultrasonic probe, emit an ultrasonic signal, and receive an echo signal reflected by the seabed.

5. The method for detecting suspended submarine pipelines based on ultrasound according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that: The center frequency of the ultrasonic probe is set to match the thickness of the wall of the submarine pipeline to be tested, so that the emitted ultrasonic wave has good transmittance to the pipeline wall.

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