Ultrasonic networking system and method for natural gas wellsite pipeline sulfur deposition detection

Abstract

The application discloses an ultrasonic networking system and method for natural gas well site pipeline sulfur deposition detection, and relates to the technical field of ultrasonic nondestructive testing. The system comprises a plurality of ultrasonic detection sub-stations, an edge computing gateway and a central server installed on the pipe wall. The detection sub-station comprises a multi-channel ultrasonic transducer array, an adaptive composite coupling component and an embedded data acquisition control module. The composite coupling component uses a miniature fluid driving component to pump a thixotropic high acoustic gel, realizing maintenance-free dynamic self-healing coupling. The control module uses CFAR detection and multi-feature classification algorithm to accurately separate the steel-sulfur-gas multi-interface echo to calculate the deposition thickness. The edge computing gateway gathers multi-point data to perform trend correlation analysis, and the central server constructs a multi-dimensional evolution model and outputs a graded warning accordingly. The application realizes non-invasive and continuous high-precision monitoring of pipeline sulfur deposition under non-stop working conditions, effectively predicting the risk of regional blockage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of ultrasonic nondestructive testing technology, specifically to an ultrasonic networking system and method for detecting sulfur deposition in natural gas well pipelines. Background Technology

[0002] The statements in this section are provided only as background information in connection with this disclosure and may not constitute prior art.

[0003] In recent years, with the continuous development and production release of high-sulfur natural gas resources, the natural gas transported in well site surface processing systems often contains a high proportion of sulfur-containing components such as hydrogen sulfide. During the depressurization and cooling processes (especially in areas with significant temperature and pressure fluctuations, such as downstream of throttle valves and at the outlet of cooling heat exchange equipment), the Joule-Thomson effect causes phase transitions in the gas components, resulting in the precipitation of elemental sulfur, which gradually deposits on the inner wall of the pipeline, forming deposit layers of varying thicknesses. As operating time increases, sulfur deposition can reduce the effective cross-sectional area of ​​the pipeline, increase local resistance, and even induce blockages, posing a serious threat to the safe production of high-sulfur gas fields.

[0004] Currently, the main methods for monitoring sulfur deposition on-site are as follows: First, direct inspection after shutting down the pipeline by opening the cover. This method requires interrupting production, is labor-intensive, and faces the risk of leakage of highly toxic gases. Second, indirect inference using corrosion probes. However, this method is subject to interference from multiple factors and has limited quantitative accuracy. Third, abnormal analysis of operating parameters (temperature and pressure drop). This method has a delayed response and cannot determine the specific spatial location and thickness of sulfur deposition.

[0005] Ultrasonic non-destructive testing technology can theoretically identify the thickness of additional layers on the inner wall of pipelines. However, directly applying existing traditional ultrasonic testing technology to long-term online continuous monitoring of high-pressure natural gas well site pipelines presents the following prominent technical problems:

[0006] 1. Acoustic coupling failure during long-term online operation. Traditional ultrasonic probes often use statically applied coupling agent. In field well sites, when faced with the thermal expansion and contraction of pipelines, high-frequency vibrations, and extreme temperature differences, the coupling agent is prone to drying out, loss, or air gaps, leading to the breakage of the acoustic transmission channel and failing to meet the requirements of long-term maintenance-free online monitoring.

[0007] 2. Low accuracy of interface echo extraction under complex pipe flow conditions. Under continuous operation, the high-pressure natural gas turbulence in the pipe will generate strong random background noise. At the same time, the acoustic impedance difference between the steel pipe wall, the elemental sulfur deposit layer and the natural gas fluid is small, which makes the weak "steel-sulfur-gas" multi-interface echoes easily submerged by noise. Traditional single fixed threshold extraction algorithms are difficult to accurately identify the interface and calculate the true deposition thickness.

[0008] 3. Isolated single-point data lacks the ability to predict regional risks in pipeline networks. Traditional ultrasonic testing equipment can only output the absolute value of thickness at a single point, and cannot identify isolated noise caused by random sensor errors. It also cannot spatially link the evolution trends of different circumferential angles and different upstream and downstream measuring points within the same pipe section, making it difficult for the system to distinguish between normal thickness fluctuations and real regional accelerated blockage risks, resulting in low early warning accuracy. Summary of the Invention

[0009] The purpose of this invention is to address the technical problems existing in current online detection of sulfur deposition in natural gas pipelines, such as poor long-term stability of probe coupling, difficulty in extracting multi-interface echoes under complex flow conditions, and the inability of single-point monitoring to predict regional blockage risks. This invention provides an ultrasonic networking system and method for detecting sulfur deposition in natural gas well site pipelines. Based on an adaptive self-healing coupling mechanism, a multi-interface intelligent recognition algorithm, and multi-point trend collaborative analysis of edge gateways, it achieves non-invasive, continuous, and high-precision three-dimensional visualization monitoring and early warning of pipeline sulfur deposition under conditions of uninterrupted operation.

[0010] The technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

[0011] An ultrasonic networking system for detecting sulfur deposition in natural gas well site pipelines includes:

[0012] Several ultrasonic testing substations are installed on the outer walls of different target pipeline sections at the gas transmission station. Each ultrasonic testing substation includes:

[0013] A multi-channel ultrasonic transducer array is arranged along the θ direction of the pipeline circumference. The ultrasonic transducer array combines vertical incident and small-angle oblique incident methods to penetrate the steel pipe wall of the pipeline to emit ultrasonic waves and receive steel-sulfur-gas multi-interface echo signals formed by reflection from the steel pipe wall, the sulfur deposit layer inside the pipe and the natural gas fluid.

[0014] An adaptive composite coupling component is disposed between the ultrasonic transducer array and the outer wall of the pipe. The adaptive composite coupling component includes a coupling state sensing unit, a micro fluid drive component, and interconnected micro gel storage cavity and capillary compensation channel. The micro gel storage cavity is pre-filled with thixotropic high acoustic conductivity gel.

[0015] An embedded data acquisition and control module is electrically connected to the ultrasonic transducer array and the adaptive composite coupling component. The acquisition and control module is used to: receive and process the steel-sulfur-gas multi-interface echo signal; perform multi-interface identification by executing constant false alarm rate (CFAR) detection and multi-feature classification algorithm to separate the echo components of each interface in the steel-sulfur-gas multi-interface echo signal and calculate the deposition layer thickness of the sulfur deposition layer to generate detection data containing the deposition layer thickness and the corresponding circumferential angle θ; and receive the interface state signal fed back by the coupling state sensing unit. When it is determined that the coupling performance has decreased, the microfluidic drive component is triggered to pump the thixotropic high-conductivity acoustic gel from the micro reservoir cavity into the coupling interface through the capillary compensation channel.

[0016] A communication module, connected to the embedded data acquisition and control module, is used to send the detection data to the edge computing gateway;

[0017] At least one of the edge computing gateways is communicatively connected to multiple ultrasonic testing substations to aggregate the testing data from the multiple ultrasonic testing substations to form multi-point data, and to perform a multi-point trend correlation analysis algorithm on the multi-point data to identify spatial correlation patterns of accelerated sulfur deposition at multiple measurement points in the same area.

[0018] A central server, communicatively connected to the edge computing gateway, is used to construct time-angle-thickness multidimensional data, including time, circumferential angle θ, and deposition layer thickness, by combining the time of acquiring the detection data. Based on the time-angle-thickness multidimensional data, a deposition evolution model is constructed, and according to the deposition evolution model and the spatial correlation pattern, hierarchical alarms and deposition distribution visualization results are output.

[0019] Furthermore, the adaptive composite coupling component further includes: a multi-layer acoustic structure consisting of a wear-resistant acoustic diaphragm and a microporous buffer layer with an opening ratio of 20% to 40%, wherein the thixotropic high acoustic conductivity gel is filled between the microporous buffer layer and the outer wall of the pipe; and a diaphragm-type elastic loading mechanism for providing an adjustable loading pressure of 0.5 to 2.0 N for each probe in the multi-channel ultrasonic transducer array to adapt to the thermal expansion and contraction of the pipe.

[0020] Furthermore, the multi-channel ultrasonic transducer array is adjustable in the 30° to 90° interval along the circumferential θ direction, and the array contains 4 to 12 probes; the ultrasonic detection substation also includes an annular clamp with angle scale and limiting holes, and the multi-channel ultrasonic transducer array is fixed to the outer wall of the pipe by the annular clamp. Each probe is equipped with a unique identification code, so that the repeatability error after disassembly and maintenance does not exceed 0.5°.

[0021] Furthermore, the embedded data acquisition and control module adopts an FPGA and embedded CPU architecture, supports microsecond-level synchronous acquisition of multiple data channels, and the transmission jitter error between channels is less than or equal to 50 ns; the embedded data acquisition and control module emits orthogonal coded pulses to drive the multi-channel ultrasonic transducer array, and the orthogonal coded pulses include any one of m-sequence, Golay code or Barker code.

[0022] Furthermore, when performing the multi-interface recognition, the embedded data acquisition and control module sequentially improves the signal-to-noise ratio of the steel-sulfur-gas multi-interface echo signal through matched filtering and pulse compression processing, and extracts the echo envelope through Hilbert transform and bandpass pre-whitening. The embedded data acquisition and control module is also externally connected to a temperature and pressure sensor, and dynamically corrects and compensates the set sound velocity through a short-range calibration path of a reference wedge.

[0023] Furthermore, the edge computing gateway includes a high-precision time synchronization module to ensure that the data alignment error between different ultrasonic detection substations does not exceed 100 ns; and each ultrasonic detection substation has local autonomous operation capability, automatically entering offline mode when communication with the edge computing gateway is lost, continuing to collect and calculate the deposition layer thickness according to a set period, compressing and storing historical data locally, and automatically uploading and supplementing data in batches through the communication module after communication is restored.

[0024] Furthermore, the central server is configured with a two-dimensional and three-dimensional deposition thickness distribution generation module, which serves as a carrier for outputting the visualization results of the deposition distribution. This module is used to overlay the detection data of multiple ultrasonic detection substations with a time evolution dimension to generate a dynamic deposition map. The central server supports bidirectional abnormal signal data interaction and control strategy distribution with the SCADA system via Modbus TCP, OPC UA, or MQTT protocols.

[0025] This invention also proposes a detection method for an ultrasonic networking system used for sulfur deposition detection in natural gas well site pipelines, as described above, comprising the following steps:

[0026] The multi-channel ultrasonic transducer array is arranged and fixed according to a set circumferential angle θ, and initial acoustic coupling is achieved by injecting the thixotropic high-conductivity gel through the micro fluid drive component.

[0027] The embedded data acquisition and control module initiates an automatic frequency sweep test, controlling the multi-channel ultrasonic transducer array to transmit ultrasonic waves through the steel pipe wall of the pipeline in a combination of vertical and small-angle oblique incidence, and receives the steel-sulfur-gas multi-interface echo signal formed by reflection from the steel pipe wall, the sulfur deposit layer inside the pipe, and the natural gas fluid.

[0028] The embedded data acquisition and control module identifies each interface in the steel-sulfur-gas multi-interface echo signal through CFAR detection and multi-feature classification, separates the echo components of each interface, and calculates the deposition layer thickness of the sulfur deposition layer to generate detection data containing the deposition layer thickness and the corresponding circumferential angle θ.

[0029] The edge computing gateway aggregates the detection data from the multiple ultrasonic detection substations to form multi-point data, and performs a multi-point trend correlation analysis algorithm on the multi-point data to identify spatial correlation patterns of accelerated sulfur deposition at multiple measurement points in the same area.

[0030] The central server combines the time of acquiring the detection data to construct time-angle-thickness multidimensional data containing time, circumferential angle θ, and sediment layer thickness. Based on the time-angle-thickness multidimensional data, a sedimentation evolution model is constructed, and according to the sedimentation evolution model and the spatial correlation pattern, hierarchical alarms and sediment distribution visualization results are output.

[0031] Furthermore, the multi-feature classification and recognition performed by the embedded data acquisition and control module is based on the comprehensive extraction of the amplitude, phase, full width at half maximum (FWHM), main frequency, and group delay features of the steel-sulfur-gas multi-interface echo signal to eliminate interface noise interference caused by flowing natural gas.

[0032] Furthermore, in the step of outputting graded alarms: when the central server determines that the change in the thickness of the deposition layer measured at a single point exceeds a preset first threshold, it automatically triggers a mild deposition warning; when the change in the thickness of the deposition layer exceeds a preset second threshold, and the spatial correlation mode determines that multiple measuring points in the same area meet the criteria for accelerated deposition, it triggers a moderate or severe regional blockage warning.

[0033] Compared with existing technologies, the advantages of this invention are:

[0034] 1. Solving the problem of long-term online coupling failure and achieving maintenance-free stable monitoring: Addressing the issues of easy loss and drying of traditional coupling agents, this invention utilizes an adaptive composite coupling component. This component leverages the unique rheological properties of a thixotropic, highly conductive acoustic gel, which is semi-solid at rest and liquefies under shear force. This, combined with a coupling state sensing unit and a micro-fluid drive component, forms a closed-loop control system. When a decrease in acoustic coupling performance is detected (such as a sudden change in interface impedance), the system automatically triggers the fluid drive component to pump the gel into the coupling interface through a capillary compensation channel, expelling air gaps and achieving a dynamic self-healing coupling. This ensures long-term maintenance-free online operation of the system under harsh outdoor vibration and temperature conditions.

[0035] 2. Overcoming interference from high-pressure turbulent noise within the pipe and improving the accuracy of sediment layer thickness identification: Addressing the issue of small acoustic impedance differences and strong background noise at the steel-sulfur-gas interface, this invention employs a multi-channel transducer array combining vertical and small-angle oblique incidence in hardware, effectively generating mode conversion to enhance multi-interface reflection characteristics. In software, the embedded data acquisition and control module utilizes constant false alarm rate (CFAR) detection and a multi-feature classification algorithm. This not only dynamically estimates background noise power and adaptively adjusts the detection threshold but also integrates features such as amplitude, phase reversal, and group delay to accurately separate weak interface echo signals masked by natural gas flow noise, significantly improving the robustness and absolute accuracy of thickness measurement under continuous operation.

[0036] 3. Overcoming the limitations of isolated monitoring points to achieve accurate early warning of regional deposition and blockage risks in pipeline networks: Addressing the problem that single-point monitoring is prone to false alarms and cannot reflect the overall evolution pattern, this invention introduces a two-tier network architecture that coordinates edge computing gateways and a central server. The edge computing gateway performs multi-point trend correlation analysis algorithms on the aggregated multi-point data, effectively filtering out random errors from single sensors and identifying the true spatial correlation patterns of deposition acceleration within the same physical area (such as the bottom of the pipeline). The central server further constructs a time-angle-thickness multi-dimensional data evolution model, thereby transforming discrete data into a dynamic deposition map and implementing a strict, three-dimensional, hierarchical early warning mechanism. This provides accurate spatial positioning and decision-making basis for intervention measures such as solvent injection without interrupting production. Attached Figure Description

[0037] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the accompanying drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in the embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings.

[0038] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of an ultrasonic networking system for detecting sulfur deposition in natural gas well site pipelines, provided as an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0039] It should be noted that relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0040] The features and performance of the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to embodiments.

[0041] Example 1

[0042] Please see Figure 1 This embodiment provides an ultrasonic networking system for detecting sulfur deposition in natural gas well site pipelines. This system is particularly suitable for pipelines transporting high-sulfur natural gas stations and well site surface processes (such as downstream of throttle valves, outlets of cooling and heat exchange equipment, and critical sections with severe temperature and pressure fluctuations after dehydration units). Typical suitable pipeline materials are carbon steel, low-alloy steel, or corrosion-resistant stainless steel, with inner diameters ranging from DN50 to DN800, wall thicknesses from 8 to 24 mm, operating temperatures from -20℃ to 85℃, pressure ranges from 1 to 50 MPa, and design flow velocities from 0 to 30 m / s.

[0043] Specifically, the system architecture and working principle are as follows:

[0044] An ultrasonic networking system for detecting sulfur deposition in natural gas well site pipelines includes:

[0045] Several ultrasonic testing substations are installed on the outer walls of different target pipeline sections at the gas transmission station. Each ultrasonic testing substation is installed on the outside of the pipeline in a non-invasive manner as an independent working unit. Each of the ultrasonic testing substations includes:

[0046] A multi-channel ultrasonic transducer array is arranged along the θ direction of the pipeline circumference. This array combines vertical and small-angle oblique incidence to penetrate the steel pipe wall and emit ultrasonic waves. It also receives echo signals from the steel pipe wall, the sulfur deposits inside the pipe, and the natural gas fluid, forming a multi-interface signal of steel-sulfur-gas. In this embodiment, the probe of the multi-channel ultrasonic transducer array is an industrial-grade piezoelectric dual-crystal longitudinal wave probe with a selectable center frequency of 2–7 MHz (preferably nominal 5 MHz, bandwidth ≥ ±50%). The probe housing is made of corrosion-resistant 316L stainless steel with a surface hardening treatment, and has a diameter of 12 mm and a thickness of 8 mm. For harsh on-site conditions, the probe housing has a protection rating ≥ IP67, and with a sound-guiding pad resistant to ≥120℃, it can operate stably in frequently disturbed locations such as downstream horizontal sections or bends. The probe interface adopts a quick-lock and foolproof design, with a single probe replacement time ≤ 2 minutes. To accurately remove complex deposits from the inner wall of the tube, the array supports a combination of vertical beam incidence and small-angle oblique incidence at 5°–15°. Vertical incidence is mainly used to obtain the time of flight of absolute thickness, while small-angle oblique incidence can generate specific mode conversion and reflection characteristics at the interfaces where the acoustic impedance difference between "steel-sulfur" and "sulfur-gas" is small, thereby effectively separating and receiving multi-interface echoes.

[0047] An adaptive composite coupling component is disposed between the ultrasonic transducer array and the outer wall of the pipe. This component includes a coupling state sensing unit, a micro-fluidic drive component, and interconnected micro-storage cavities and capillary compensation channels. The micro-storage cavities are pre-filled with thixotropic, high-conductivity acoustic gel. In this embodiment, it should be noted that this is the core hardware innovation that overcomes coupling failure caused by extreme outdoor temperature differences and frequent vibrations. The thixotropic, high-conductivity acoustic gel possesses unique rheological properties: it exhibits a high-viscosity semi-solid state at rest without shear force, making it difficult to flow; however, under external pumping pressure (shear force), its viscosity rapidly decreases, exhibiting liquid flowability. Based on this characteristic, the coupling state sensing unit (e.g., a micro-impedance or capacitive sensor) is attached to the coupling interface to monitor changes in the interface's capacitance or acoustic impedance in real time (when the coupling layer dries out or bubbles form, the interface dielectric constant and impedance will abruptly change). The micro-fluidic drive component is preferably a micro-piezoelectric pump or a micro-electromagnetic actuator. The volume of the micro-storage cavity is set to ≥3 mL.

[0048] An embedded data acquisition and control module is electrically connected to the ultrasonic transducer array and the adaptive composite coupling component. The acquisition and control module is used to: receive and process the steel-sulfur-gas multi-interface echo signal; perform multi-interface identification by executing constant false alarm rate (CFAR) detection and multi-feature classification algorithm to separate the echo components of each interface in the steel-sulfur-gas multi-interface echo signal and calculate the deposition layer thickness of the sulfur deposition layer to generate detection data containing the deposition layer thickness and the corresponding circumferential angle θ; and receive the interface state signal fed back by the coupling state sensing unit. When it is determined that the coupling performance has decreased, the module triggers the microfluidic drive component to pump the thixotropic high-conductivity acoustic gel from the micro reservoir cavity into the coupling interface through the capillary compensation channel. In this embodiment, it should be noted that in the closed-loop control of automatic gel replenishment, when the embedded data acquisition and control module determines that the interface state value fed back by the sensing unit deviates from the health threshold (e.g., an abnormally increased impedance value indicating the presence of an air gap), it actively outputs a high-level pulse drive signal to the micro-fluid drive component. The drive component operates and applies pressure to the thixotropic gel to liquefy it, allowing it to penetrate into the tiny gap between the probe and the pipe wall through the capillary compensation channel. After the drive stops, the gel returns to a semi-solid state, completing a dynamic self-healing coupling, thus ensuring maintenance-free online monitoring for several months. In the multi-interface recognition algorithm, for the background noise generated by the high-pressure natural gas flow, the CFAR (constant false alarm rate) detection can dynamically adjust the decision threshold according to the real-time power of the background noise, ensuring accurate capture of weak sulfur layer interface echoes even when the flow regime changes drastically, greatly improving the robustness of thickness measurement.

[0049] The communication module, connected to the embedded data acquisition and control module, is used to send the detection data to the edge computing gateway. In this embodiment, it should be noted that this module supports wired (RS485 / Industrial Ethernet) or wireless (LoRa / NB-IoT / 4G) multi-standard data transmission, adapting to well sites with different explosion-proof levels and wiring conditions.

[0050] At least one of the aforementioned edge computing gateways is communicatively connected to multiple ultrasonic testing substations. It aggregates the detection data from these substations to form multi-point data and performs a multi-point trend correlation analysis algorithm on the multi-point data to identify spatial correlation patterns of accelerated sulfur deposition at multiple measurement points in the same area. In this embodiment, it should be noted that the thickening observed in a single measurement may be due to random probe error, but the spatial correlation patterns of the edge computing gateway can be analyzed in a coordinated manner. A single edge computing gateway can connect to and aggregate data from up to 32 substations, performing preliminary data integration, comparison, and redundancy verification in real time. It also supports issuing work instructions and performing remote firmware upgrades. For example, when the gateway detects that upstream measurement point A and downstream measurement point B on the same physical pipe segment both show a non-linear increase in thickness Δh > 0.5 mm for three consecutive days, it can be determined as a real regional hydrogen sulfide crystallization deposition event, filtering out isolated noise.

[0051] A central server, communicatively connected to the edge computing gateway, is used to construct time-angle-thickness multidimensional data, including time, circumferential angle θ, and deposition layer thickness, by combining the time of acquiring the detection data. Based on the time-angle-thickness multidimensional data, a deposition evolution model is constructed, and according to the deposition evolution model and the spatial correlation pattern, hierarchical alarms and deposition distribution visualization results are output.

[0052] In this embodiment, it should be noted that the server not only outputs a simple thickness line graph, but also generates a θ-h graph (revealing the high-incidence accumulation characteristics at the bottom of the pipe cross-section in the 270° direction) and a th graph (revealing the aging evolution of deposition over time). Simultaneously, it can generate an intuitive deposition risk radar map, providing precise spatial positioning for anti-clogging solvent injection operations under conditions of no pipe cleaning and no interruption of flow. To save communication resources, each detection substation uses a sliding window method to compress and store historical data in offline mode, and periodically uploads it to the central server.

[0053] Furthermore, in order to optimize the engineering adaptability of the above system:

[0054] The adaptive composite coupling component further includes: a multi-layer acoustic structure consisting of a wear-resistant acoustic diaphragm and a microporous buffer layer with an opening ratio of 20%–40%, wherein the thixotropic high acoustic conductivity gel fills the space between the microporous buffer layer and the outer wall of the pipe; and a diaphragm-type elastic loading mechanism for providing an adjustable loading pressure of 0.5–2.0 N for each probe in the multi-channel ultrasonic transducer array to adapt to the thermal expansion and contraction of the pipe. Specifically, the wear-resistant acoustic diaphragm (such as polyurethane or fluoropolymer, 0.8–1.5 mm thick) protects the probe surface; the microporous buffer layer with an opening ratio of 20%–40% stores and evenly distributes the pumped thixotropic gel and compensates for unevenness on the pipe surface.

[0055] To eliminate the interference of extreme ambient temperatures on ultrasonic sound velocity, the adaptive composite coupling component is also equipped with a temperature-maintaining device (temperature-maintaining unit), which is connected to the control module to keep the coupling layer temperature within a set range, thereby significantly reducing thickness measurement errors caused by sound velocity drift. Furthermore, for rapid on-site deployment, the ultrasonic testing substation, in addition to using ring clamps (single clamp adjustment range ≥100 mm), also supports fixing to the outer wall of the pipe via a magnetic suction component with a quick-release mechanism, ensuring that the total assembly and disassembly time for a single measuring point does not exceed 30 minutes. Moreover, each probe not only has a phase calibration function to eliminate phase drift and crosstalk between channels, but also has a QR code or unique ID radio frequency tag (RFID) affixed to its probe area or fixing mechanism, enabling unique identification and record binding of measuring points in conjunction with the intelligent inspection system.

[0056] To isolate the impact of high-frequency pipeline vibration on measurement accuracy, all probes and clamp structures are covered by an integrated mounting bracket, which is fixed to the station's pipe rack. The bracket base uses four-point adjustable screw feet to accommodate pipe sections of different heights and is equipped with a rubber damping layer to absorb vibration. The entire detection substation is encased in an aluminum alloy explosion-proof shell as a protective cover, with an outer layer of insulating rubber to ensure stable operation of the system in harsh environments such as rain, snow, high humidity, or high corrosion.

[0057] The multi-channel ultrasonic transducer array is adjustable in the 30° to 90° interval along the circumferential θ direction, and the array contains 4 to 12 probes. The ultrasonic testing substation also includes an annular clamp with an angle scale and a precise positioning slot (limiting hole). The multi-channel ultrasonic transducer array is fixed to the outer wall of the pipe by the annular clamp, so that the repeatability error after disassembly and maintenance does not exceed 0.5°, ensuring the spatial consistency of multi-angle interface characteristic measurement.

[0058] The embedded data acquisition and control module adopts an FPGA and embedded CPU architecture, supporting microsecond-level synchronous acquisition of multiple data channels (≥8 channels), with a transmission jitter error between channels less than or equal to 50 ns. Its transmitter output pulse transmission voltage is adjustable from 50 to 350 V, and the pulse width is adjustable from 0.05 to 1.0 μs. The receiver uses a high-precision ADC chip with a sampling rate ≥50 MS / s and an ADC resolution ≥12 bits. Simultaneously, the module is equipped with a local touch display terminal, supporting on-site waveform playback, parameter setting, and alarm prompts, and provides an SD card or USB local interface for on-site maintenance and data retrieval. The embedded data acquisition and control module emits orthogonal coded pulses to drive the multi-channel ultrasonic transducer array; these orthogonal coded pulses include any one of m-sequences, Golay codes, or Barker codes. It should be noted that, compared with traditional spike pulses, the orthogonal encoded pulses used in this embodiment can disperse a large amount of energy over a wider time window for transmission. Then, through decoding and compression at the receiving end, it can penetrate extremely thick steel walls and highly attenuated sulfide layers without increasing the peak transmission voltage (meeting explosion-proof requirements).

[0059] When performing the multi-interface identification, the embedded data acquisition and control module sequentially performs matched filtering and pulse compression processing to improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the steel-sulfur-gas multi-interface echo signal by ≥10 dB, and extracts the echo envelope through Hilbert transform and bandpass pre-whitening. The embedded data acquisition and control module is also externally connected to a temperature and pressure sensor, and dynamically corrects and compensates the set sound velocity using a short-range calibration path of the reference wedge. In this embodiment, it should be noted that due to the drastic temperature variation in the station pipeline from -20℃ to 85℃, the sound velocity within the steel and acoustic wedge will drift significantly. Through real-time monitoring by the temperature and pressure sensor and self-calibration of the built-in short-range path, the sound velocity is dynamically corrected, ensuring that the accuracy of the dual-path (vertical + oblique incidence) simultaneous inversion deposition thickness reaches ±0.05 mm. To adapt to complex and variable gas transmission conditions, the embedded data acquisition and control module can automatically match the operating parameters of different channels. Specifically, this module incorporates an adaptive control algorithm that dynamically adjusts the amplitude, frequency, and pulse width of the transmitted pulse based on the pipe material, operating pressure, temperature, and estimated deposition thickness range, while simultaneously optimizing the receiver gain, sampling rate, and filter bandwidth. This comprehensive parameter adaptive adjustment capability ensures that the system maintains extremely high signal-to-noise ratio and measurement accuracy under various field conditions.

[0060] The edge computing gateway includes a high-precision time synchronization module to ensure that the data alignment error between different ultrasonic detection substations does not exceed 100 ns. Furthermore, each ultrasonic detection substation possesses local autonomous operation capabilities, automatically entering offline mode when communication with the edge computing gateway is lost. It continues to collect and calculate the deposition layer thickness according to a set cycle, compresses and stores historical data locally, and automatically uploads supplementary data in batches through the communication module after communication is restored. In this embodiment, it should be noted that the offline autonomous capability (local storage of ≥30 days of measurement data) greatly enhances the system data integrity under unstable communication environments at field well sites.

[0061] The central server is equipped with two-dimensional and three-dimensional deposition thickness distribution generation modules, serving as the carrier for outputting the visualization results of the deposition distribution. This module overlays the detection data from multiple ultrasonic testing substations onto the station structure map using a time evolution dimension to generate a dynamic deposition map. The central server supports seamless integration with the SCADA system via industrial communication protocols such as Modbus TCP, OPC UA, or MQTT, enabling bidirectional abnormal signal data exchange and control strategy distribution. At the advanced operation and maintenance management level, the central server not only generates dynamic deposition maps but also incorporates historical trend playback and abnormal event recording functions. Maintenance personnel can perform high-precision searches by well number, time period, or specific measurement point conditions for accident review and data mining. Furthermore, the central server has remote parameter and strategy distribution capabilities, allowing the station control room to adjust the acquisition cycle, early warning thresholds, and analysis models of the edge gateway and each testing substation with a single click, completely realizing unattended operation and remote closed-loop intelligent control of the entire pipeline network.

[0062] Furthermore, please refer to Table 1. For natural gas transmission stations of different sizes, in order to optimize hardware deployment costs while ensuring communication reliability, this embodiment also provides flexible networking deployment strategies, as follows:

[0063] (1) For small-scale scenarios with a single site (the number of target pipe segments < 5), it is recommended to deploy 3 to 6 ultrasonic testing substations and configure 1 edge computing gateway. It is recommended to use wired RS485 or industrial Ethernet for communication to ensure the absolute stability of the underlying data.

[0064] (2) For medium-sized sites (5 to 10 target pipe sections), it is recommended to deploy 8 to 12 ultrasonic testing substations and configure 1 to 2 edge computing gateways. It is recommended to use LoRa or NB-IoT wireless communication to reduce the construction difficulty of explosion-proof conduit wiring on site.

[0065] (3) For large-scale scenarios with multiple parallel stations (target pipe segments > 10), it is recommended to deploy 12 to 30 ultrasonic detection substations and configure 3 to 5 edge computing gateways. It is recommended to adopt a hybrid communication architecture of "distributed LoRa + central 4G", that is, the bottom substations aggregate data to the edge computing gateway through LoRa, and the edge computing gateway then transmits the multi-point data to the central server in the station control room through the 4G network.

[0066] Table 1 Typical deployment strategies for different station sizes

[0067]

[0068] Example 2

[0069] This embodiment provides a detection method for an ultrasonic networking system used for sulfur deposition detection in natural gas well site pipelines, as described above. This method not only enables rapid system deployment but also comprehensively defines a complete automated monitoring process from bottom-level acoustic signal extraction to top-level evolution model construction. Based on a specific application scenario of a high-sulfur gas field in a basin, the method specifically includes the following steps:

[0070] Step S1: Based on the natural gas pipeline flow simulation and temperature and pressure profile, select the target pipeline section in the high-incidence area of ​​sulfur deposition before the throttle valve or after the cooler;

[0071] In this embodiment, it should be noted that when high-sulfur natural gas passes through a throttling valve or cooler, the Joule-Thomson effect causes a drastic drop in temperature and pressure inside the pipe, which can easily disrupt the phase equilibrium of gases such as hydrogen sulfide, leading to the precipitation and deposition of elemental sulfur. This step uses fluid dynamics simulation to accurately identify these "high-risk pipe sections." After selection, on-site maintenance personnel need to mechanically clean the outer surface of the steel pipe wall of the target section (e.g., using a wire brush or polishing wheel) to ensure that the local surface roughness is <50μm, thereby providing a smooth interface for ultrasonic transmission.

[0072] Step S2: Arrange and fix the multi-channel ultrasonic transducer array according to the set circumferential angle θ, and inject the thixotropic high-conductivity acoustic gel through the micro fluid drive component to achieve initial acoustic coupling;

[0073] In this embodiment, it should be noted that in actual deployment, the transducer probes are typically fixed precisely along the annular clamp track at four typical angles: θ=0° (top), 90° (sidewall), 180° (sidewall), and 270° (bottom). After fixing, coupling gel is injected one by one according to the probe number using a dedicated applicator. The microfluidic drive component performs its initial action, injecting thixotropic high-conductivity acoustic gel into the gap between the microporous buffer layer and the steel tube wall, thus purging the interface air. Maintenance personnel can confirm the uniformity of gel injection by observing through the set transparent window, establishing an initial high-efficiency acoustic transmission channel. This entire installation process can be completed without interrupting power supply, with a single measurement point taking less than 30 minutes.

[0074] Step S3: The embedded data acquisition and control module starts the automatic frequency sweep test, controls the multi-channel ultrasonic transducer array to transmit ultrasonic waves through the steel pipe wall of the pipeline in the form of vertical incident and small angle oblique incident, and receives the steel-sulfur-gas multi-interface echo signal formed by the steel pipe wall, the sulfur deposit layer inside the pipe and the natural gas fluid.

[0075] In this embodiment, it should be noted that before the frequency sweep test, the control system pre-sets parameters such as the sound velocity of the current target pipeline material, the initial thickness, and the sampling frequency. The frequency sweep test aims to determine the optimal resonant frequency under the current pipe wall medium. After emitting ultrasonic waves under continuous operation, due to the significant difference in acoustic impedance between steel (sound velocity approximately 5900 m / s), sulfur deposits (sound velocity approximately 2600 m / s), and high-pressure natural gas fluid, the sound waves undergo partial reflection and partial transmission when penetrating the interface of different media, ultimately forming a steel-sulfur-gas multi-interface echo signal with a time delay difference at the receiving end.

[0076] Step S4: The embedded data acquisition and control module identifies each interface in the steel-sulfur-gas multi-interface echo signal through CFAR detection and multi-feature classification, separates the echo components of each interface, and calculates the deposition layer thickness of the sulfur deposition layer to generate detection data containing the deposition layer thickness and the corresponding circumferential angle θ.

[0077] In this embodiment, it should be noted that, in order to overcome the strong random noise interference caused by the turbulence of natural gas and the gas-liquid two-phase flow inside the pipe, the multi-feature classification and recognition performed by the embedded data acquisition and control module is based on the comprehensive extraction of the amplitude, phase, full width at half maximum (FWHM), dominant frequency, and group delay features of the steel-sulfur-gas multi-interface echo signal for classification and judgment, thereby eliminating the interface noise interference brought by the flowing natural gas. Specifically, the control module first uses the constant false alarm rate (CFAR) algorithm to dynamically estimate the background noise power, adaptively adjusts the detection threshold, and extracts the suspected interface echo envelope; then, it extracts the amplitude attenuation rate of the envelope, the phase reversal feature when encountering a medium with lower acoustic impedance, and the group delay (Time of Flight) of the ultrasonic wave traveling back and forth in the sulfur deposition layer, accurately separating the "steel-sulfur inner wall" and the "sulfur-natural gas contact surface". By multiplying the time difference between the two interfaces by the dynamically compensated sound velocity, the extremely accurate (accuracy up to ±0.05 mm) deposition layer thickness can be calculated. The control module binds this thickness with its corresponding measurement angle θ (e.g., 270° bottom) and packages it into detection data.

[0078] Step S5: The edge computing gateway aggregates the detection data from the multiple ultrasonic detection substations to form multi-point data, and performs a multi-point trend correlation analysis algorithm on the multi-point data to identify the spatial correlation pattern of accelerated sulfur deposition at multiple measurement points in the same area.

[0079] In this embodiment, it should be noted that the thickness increase at a single point is insufficient to reflect the overall risk of the pipeline network. The edge computing gateway aggregates data from dozens of substations in real time within the local area network (e.g., via LoRa or RS485) and performs multi-point trend correlation analysis. For example, gravity typically causes sulfur to accumulate fastest at the bottom (θ=270°). The gateway algorithm continuously compares the growth slope of the thickness difference between the 270° and 90° measuring points on the same cross-section over time. If the bottom thickness shows an exponential increase while the sidewall remains essentially unchanged, and this pattern is also reproduced in adjacent downstream pipe sections, the gateway will identify a typical spatial correlation pattern of "gravity-induced accelerated blockage" in this area.

[0080] Step S6: The central server combines the time of acquiring the detection data to construct time-angle-thickness multidimensional data containing time, circumferential angle θ and sediment layer thickness. Based on the time-angle-thickness multidimensional data, a sedimentation evolution model is constructed, and according to the sedimentation evolution model and the spatial correlation pattern, hierarchical alarm and sedimentation distribution visualization results are output.

[0081] In this embodiment, it should be noted that the central server (deployed in the station control room) receives data from the entire network and generates intuitive visualization interfaces such as θ-h diagrams (angle-thickness polar coordinate diagrams), th diagrams (time-thickness evolution curves), and sedimentation risk radar diagrams.

[0082] In the step of outputting graded alarms: when the central server determines that the change in the thickness of the deposition layer measured at a single point exceeds a preset first threshold (e.g., Δh>0.50 mm), it automatically triggers a mild deposition warning; when the change in the thickness of the deposition layer exceeds a preset second threshold (e.g., Δh>1.00 mm), and the spatial correlation mode determines that multiple measuring points in the same area meet the criteria for accelerated deposition, it triggers a moderate or severe regional blockage warning.

[0083] Through the aforementioned strict and comprehensive graded early warning mechanism, station maintenance personnel can implement intervention measures such as adding desulfurization solvents or adjusting operating conditions in advance without risking high toxicity (hydrogen sulfide leakage) by opening the cover for direct inspection, which greatly ensures the absolute safety of the high sulfur content natural gas gathering and transportation system.

[0084] Example 3

[0085] To further illustrate the technical solution and practical application effects of the present invention, this embodiment provides a detailed verification description of the operation process of the ultrasonic networking system for sulfur deposition detection in natural gas well site pipelines proposed in this invention, based on actual application scenarios and field measurement data. It should be understood that this embodiment is only used to illustrate the preferred application effects of the present invention and does not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0086] In a natural gas well site of a high-sulfur gas field in a certain basin, the operating natural gas pipeline has a historical risk of sulfur deposition. Especially in the horizontal section before the throttle valve and after the cooler, temperature and pressure fluctuations are severe. After on-site investigation, a horizontal pipe section of approximately 3 meters in length was selected as the target area to deploy the ultrasonic detection substation of this invention.

[0087] In this embodiment, the ultrasonic testing substation is installed in the middle of the horizontal pipe section, and its specific configuration and operation process are as follows:

[0088] (1) Specific arrangement of the multi-channel ultrasonic transducer array:

[0089] A multi-channel ultrasonic transducer array consisting of four piezoelectric ceramic probes is installed along the circumference θ direction of the target pipe section, positioned at four angles: 0° (top), 90° (side wall), 180° (side wall), and 270° (bottom). The array is fixed to the outer wall of the pipe using an annular clamp with angle markings and limiting holes.

[0090] In terms of acoustic coupling, a flexible gasket (i.e., a microporous buffer layer) is used between the bottom of the probe and the outer wall of the pipe to improve the fit. A thixotropic, highly conductive acoustic gel (silicon-based coupling gel) is injected into the micro-gel reservoir via a micro-fluid drive component to ensure efficient acoustic coupling. The probe of this array uses a 5 MHz center frequency and a dual-crystal structure, supporting echo thickness measurement.

[0091] (2) Low-level signal control and parameter processing:

[0092] All probes are connected to the embedded data acquisition and control module via explosion-proof signal cables. For this specific field condition, the parameters of the high-voltage pulse transmission circuit within the embedded data acquisition and control module are adaptively set to: transmission voltage 80V, pulse width 0.2 μs.

[0093] The system employs a microsecond-level channel synchronous triggering method to sequentially transmit orthogonally coded ultrasonic signals. A low-noise receiving and amplifying module acquires the multi-interface echo delay time of each probe. After performing CFAR detection and multi-feature classification and recognition, the embedded data acquisition and control module performs a simultaneous conversion based on the calibrated sound velocity of the steel material (approximately 5900 m / s) and the sound velocity of the sulfur deposits inside the pipe (approximately 2600 m / s) to accurately separate and calculate the absolute thickness of the sulfur deposit layer.

[0094] (3) Verification of the detection and data acquisition process:

[0095] In actual operation, the system continuously measures and analyzes the trend of probe echo data from four angles every 10 days. The system uses the nominal wall thickness (10.00 mm) at the installation location as the initial wall thickness reference, automatically calculates the actual measured total wall thickness and subtracts the initial reference value to obtain the actual sulfur deposition thickness Δh at the corresponding angle position.

[0096] The following is a sample table of some detection data aggregated by the edge computing gateway (excerpted from a continuous 30-day monitoring period):

[0097] Table 2 Sample of Test Data

[0098]

[0099] (4) Trend judgment and early warning triggering effect:

[0100] After receiving the aforementioned time-angle-thickness multidimensional data, the central server performs dynamic correlation analysis. The measured data clearly show that as time progresses (May 1st to May 31st), due to gravity settling and the characteristics of the flow velocity at the bottom of the pipe, the deposition thickness Δh of the bottom T4 probe (270°) rapidly increases from 0.10 mm to 0.30 mm, with a significantly higher rate of increase than that of the top T1 probe (0°).

[0101] When the underlying edge computing gateway works in conjunction with the central server and detects that the deposition thickness Δh at a point such as the bottom measuring point (270°) is approaching or exceeding the set safety threshold (such as the preset first threshold of 0.50 mm), the system automatically triggers a "light deposition" graded warning and pushes the spatially associated alarm information containing the specific angle (270° high incidence area) to the operation and maintenance terminal.

[0102] This embodiment fully demonstrates that the system did not experience any failures during 60 days of continuous operation, and is fully capable of non-invasive, multi-point collaborative dynamic monitoring and early warning of deposition thickness under uninterrupted operation conditions, thus possessing significant engineering application value.

[0103] To avoid redundancy and highlight the core innovations of this invention, this specification and accompanying drawings do not provide detailed illustrations or descriptions of the internal microstructures of all components or the underlying source code of all algorithms. However, this does not constitute an obstacle to the implementation of this invention. The following explanation is provided to those skilled in the art:

[0104] (1) Regarding the implementation of hardware structure and adaptive composite coupling components:

[0105] The specific mechanical configurations of the adaptive composite coupling component and its internal microfluidic drive component, micro gel reservoir, capillary compensation channel, and coupling state sensing unit mentioned in this invention are not fully shown in the accompanying drawings. Those skilled in the art should understand that, upon learning of the core control logic disclosed in this invention—"using sensors to monitor impedance changes, thereby triggering a micropump to pump thixotropic gel through capillary channels to achieve dynamic self-healing"—and its connection to the fluid pipeline, commercially available micro piezoelectric pumps / micro electromagnetic actuators can be used as the fluid drive source. Conventional microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) fabrication processes or 3D printing technology can be used to fabricate the micro gel reservoir and capillary channels within the probe clamp structure, and mature micro impedance / capacitance sensors can be used for state monitoring. The assembly, molding, and interface circuit connections of these hardware components are all conventional engineering designs that can be implemented by those skilled in the art based on the functional logic disclosed in this application, without any creative effort.

[0106] (2) Implementation of signal processing and intelligent analysis algorithms:

[0107] The constant false alarm rate (CFAR) detection, multi-feature (amplitude, phase, full width at half maximum, group delay) classification and recognition algorithms, and multi-point trend correlation analysis algorithms involved in this invention are based on mature and well-known theories in the fields of radar detection, acoustic non-destructive testing, and IoT data mining. The innovative contribution of this invention lies in its specialized application of the aforementioned basic algorithm models to the specific scenario of "steel-sulfur-gas" multi-interface identification and regional blockage early warning in natural gas pipelines. This specification clearly and completely discloses the input parameters (such as echo signals with time delay differences, thickness time evolution data at different measuring points), processing logic (such as dynamically adjusting thresholds based on background noise, separating interfaces based on phase reversal features, and continuously comparing the thickness growth slope of upstream and downstream pipe sections), and output results (such as the absolute thickness Δh of the sedimentary layer and graded early warning signals) of the aforementioned algorithms during execution. After fully reading this disclosure, software engineers or algorithm technicians in the field, combined with existing FPGA / CPU embedded development platforms and high-level programming languages ​​(such as C / C++, Python, etc.), are fully capable of writing corresponding control programs and host computer analysis software based on the input and output rules and decision logic determined above, without the need for excessive code-level exploration.

[0108] Therefore, based on the system architecture, closed-loop control logic, hardware and software collaborative working mechanism, and parameter settings in specific embodiments presented in this specification, those skilled in the art can clearly understand the complete technical solution of this invention and are confident that it can be implemented and reproduced in actual engineering applications.

[0109] The embodiments described above merely illustrate specific implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are detailed and specific, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the technical solution of this application, and these modifications and improvements all fall within the scope of protection of this application.

[0110] This background section is provided to generally present the context of the invention. The work of the currently named inventors, the work to the extent described in this background section, and aspects of this section that did not constitute prior art at the time of application are neither expressly nor impliedly acknowledged as prior art to the invention.

Claims

1. An ultrasonic networking system for detecting sulfur deposition in natural gas well site pipelines, characterized in that, include: Several ultrasonic testing substations are installed on the outer walls of different target pipeline sections at the gas transmission station. Each ultrasonic testing substation includes: A multi-channel ultrasonic transducer array is arranged along the θ direction of the pipeline circumference. The ultrasonic transducer array combines vertical incident and small-angle oblique incident methods to penetrate the steel pipe wall of the pipeline to emit ultrasonic waves and receive steel-sulfur-gas multi-interface echo signals formed by reflection from the steel pipe wall, the sulfur deposit layer inside the pipe and the natural gas fluid. An adaptive composite coupling component is disposed between the ultrasonic transducer array and the outer wall of the pipe. The adaptive composite coupling component includes a coupling state sensing unit, a micro fluid drive component, and interconnected micro gel storage cavity and capillary compensation channel. The micro gel storage cavity is pre-filled with thixotropic high acoustic conductivity gel. An embedded data acquisition and control module is electrically connected to the ultrasonic transducer array and the adaptive composite coupling component. The acquisition and control module is used to: receive and process the steel-sulfur-gas multi-interface echo signal; perform multi-interface identification by executing constant false alarm rate (CFAR) detection and multi-feature classification algorithm to separate the echo components of each interface in the steel-sulfur-gas multi-interface echo signal and calculate the deposition layer thickness of the sulfur deposition layer to generate detection data containing the deposition layer thickness and the corresponding circumferential angle θ; and receive the interface state signal fed back by the coupling state sensing unit. When it is determined that the coupling performance has decreased, the microfluidic drive component is triggered to pump the thixotropic high-conductivity acoustic gel from the micro reservoir cavity into the coupling interface through the capillary compensation channel. A communication module, connected to the embedded data acquisition and control module, is used to send the detection data to the edge computing gateway; At least one of the edge computing gateways is communicatively connected to multiple ultrasonic testing substations to aggregate the testing data from the multiple ultrasonic testing substations to form multi-point data, and to perform a multi-point trend correlation analysis algorithm on the multi-point data to identify spatial correlation patterns of accelerated sulfur deposition at multiple measurement points in the same area. A central server, communicatively connected to the edge computing gateway, is used to construct time-angle-thickness multidimensional data, including time, circumferential angle θ, and deposition layer thickness, by combining the time of acquiring the detection data. Based on the time-angle-thickness multidimensional data, a deposition evolution model is constructed, and according to the deposition evolution model and the spatial correlation pattern, hierarchical alarms and deposition distribution visualization results are output.

2. The ultrasonic networking system for detecting sulfur deposition in natural gas well site pipelines according to claim 1, characterized in that, The adaptive composite coupling component further includes: a multi-layer acoustic structure consisting of a wear-resistant acoustic diaphragm and a microporous buffer layer with an opening ratio of 20% to 40%, wherein the thixotropic high acoustic conductivity gel is filled between the microporous buffer layer and the outer wall of the pipe; and a diaphragm-type elastic loading mechanism for providing an adjustable loading pressure of 0.5 to 2.0 N for each probe in the multi-channel ultrasonic transducer array to adapt to the thermal expansion and contraction of the pipe.

3. The ultrasonic networking system for detecting sulfur deposition in natural gas well site pipelines according to claim 1, characterized in that, The multi-channel ultrasonic transducer array is adjustable in the 30° to 90° interval along the circumferential θ direction, and the array contains 4 to 12 probes; the ultrasonic detection substation also includes an annular clamp with angle scale and limiting holes, and the multi-channel ultrasonic transducer array is fixed to the outer wall of the pipe by the annular clamp. Each probe is equipped with a unique identification code, so that the repeatability error after disassembly and maintenance does not exceed 0.5°.

4. The ultrasonic networking system for detecting sulfur deposition in natural gas well site pipelines according to claim 1, characterized in that, The embedded data acquisition and control module adopts an FPGA and embedded CPU architecture, supports microsecond-level synchronous acquisition of multiple data channels, and the transmission jitter error between channels is less than or equal to 50 ns; the embedded data acquisition and control module emits orthogonal coded pulses to drive the multi-channel ultrasonic transducer array, and the orthogonal coded pulses include any one of m-sequence, Golay code or Barker code.

5. The ultrasonic networking system for detecting sulfur deposition in natural gas well site pipelines according to claim 1, characterized in that, When performing the multi-interface recognition, the embedded data acquisition and control module sequentially improves the signal-to-noise ratio of the steel-sulfur-gas multi-interface echo signal through matched filtering and pulse compression processing, and extracts the echo envelope through Hilbert transform and bandpass pre-whitening. The embedded data acquisition and control module is also externally connected to a temperature and pressure sensor, and dynamically corrects and compensates the set sound velocity through a short-range calibration path of a reference wedge.

6. The ultrasonic networking system for detecting sulfur deposition in natural gas well site pipelines according to claim 1, characterized in that, The edge computing gateway includes a high-precision time synchronization module to ensure that the data alignment error between different ultrasonic detection substations does not exceed 100 ns. Furthermore, each ultrasonic detection substation has local autonomous operation capability, automatically entering offline mode when communication with the edge computing gateway is lost, continuing to collect and calculate the deposition layer thickness according to a set period, compressing and storing historical data locally, and automatically uploading and supplementing data in batches through the communication module after communication is restored.

7. The ultrasonic networking system for detecting sulfur deposition in natural gas well site pipelines according to claim 1, characterized in that, The central server is equipped with a two-dimensional and three-dimensional deposition thickness distribution generation module, which serves as a carrier for outputting the visualization results of the deposition distribution. It is used to overlay the detection data of multiple ultrasonic detection substations with a time evolution dimension to generate a dynamic deposition map. The central server supports bidirectional abnormal signal data interaction and control strategy distribution with the SCADA system via Modbus TCP, OPC UA, or MQTT protocols.

8. A detection method applied to an ultrasonic networking system for detecting sulfur deposition in natural gas well site pipelines as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: The multi-channel ultrasonic transducer array is arranged and fixed according to a set circumferential angle θ, and initial acoustic coupling is achieved by injecting the thixotropic high-conductivity gel through the micro fluid drive component. The embedded data acquisition and control module initiates an automatic frequency sweep test, controlling the multi-channel ultrasonic transducer array to transmit ultrasonic waves through the steel pipe wall of the pipeline in a combination of vertical and small-angle oblique incidence, and receives the steel-sulfur-gas multi-interface echo signal formed by reflection from the steel pipe wall, the sulfur deposit layer inside the pipe, and the natural gas fluid. The embedded data acquisition and control module identifies each interface in the steel-sulfur-gas multi-interface echo signal through CFAR detection and multi-feature classification, separates the echo components of each interface, and calculates the deposition layer thickness of the sulfur deposition layer to generate detection data containing the deposition layer thickness and the corresponding circumferential angle θ. The edge computing gateway aggregates the detection data from the multiple ultrasonic detection substations to form multi-point data, and performs a multi-point trend correlation analysis algorithm on the multi-point data to identify spatial correlation patterns of accelerated sulfur deposition at multiple measurement points in the same area. The central server combines the time of acquiring the detection data to construct time-angle-thickness multidimensional data containing time, circumferential angle θ, and sediment layer thickness. Based on the time-angle-thickness multidimensional data, a sedimentation evolution model is constructed, and according to the sedimentation evolution model and the spatial correlation pattern, hierarchical alarms and sediment distribution visualization results are output.

9. The detection method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The embedded data acquisition and control module performs multi-feature classification and recognition by comprehensively extracting the amplitude, phase, full width at half maximum (FWHM), main frequency, and group delay features of the steel-sulfur-gas multi-interface echo signal for classification and judgment, in order to eliminate interface noise interference caused by flowing natural gas.

10. The detection method according to claim 8, characterized in that, In the step of outputting graded alarms: when the central server determines that the change in the thickness of the deposition layer measured at a single point exceeds a preset first threshold, it automatically triggers a mild deposition warning; When the change in the thickness of the deposition layer exceeds a preset second threshold, and the spatial correlation mode determines that multiple measuring points in the same area meet the criteria for accelerated deposition, a moderate or severe regional blockage warning is triggered.

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