Pipe condition assessment and monitoring

Abstract

A computer-implemented method, an apparatus, a computer program product and a sensor are disclosed. The method comprises: acquiring (300) muon flux data measured by one or more muon detectors configured to measure a muon flux through the pipe; detecting (302) an anomaly in the pipe based on the muon flux data; and outputting (304) the detected anomaly.

Description

[0001] PIPE CONDITION ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING

[0002] Technical Field

[0003] The present solution generally relates to a sensor, an apparatus, a computer-implemented method and a computer program product for monitoring and assessing the condition of a pipe.

[0004] Background

[0005] Pipeline monitoring is done to track the condition of a pipe and to measure parameters such as flow rate or fluid level, detect leaks, and to obtain information on the condition of the pipe and its contents. Interferences in the pipeline may cause unexpected, non-characteristic, or unwanted behavior in the fluid flow in the pipeline or render the pipeline defective or even dangerous to use. Pipes are generally monitored using various sensors, such as ultrasonic flow meters, electrical resistivity sensors, and thermal probes. However, more rapid detection of interferences would allow for addressing said interferences earlier before they develop into more significant disturbances or pipeline failures.

[0006] Summary of the Invention

[0007] The scope of protection sought for various embodiments of the invention is set out by the independent claims. Various embodiments are disclosed in the dependent claims. The embodiments and features, if any, described in this specification that do not fall under the scope of the independent claims are to be interpreted as examples useful for understanding various embodiments of the invention.

[0008] A computer-implemented method for monitoring and / or assessing the condition of a pipe comprises acquiring muon flux data measured by one or more muon detectors configured to measure a muon flux through the pipe; detecting an anomaly in the pipe based on the muon flux data; and outputting the detected anomaly. The method may further comprise adjusting a flow parameter of a flow through the pipe based on the detected anomaly.

[0009] The method may further comprise detecting an anomaly in the structure of the pipe and / or in the contents of the pipe.

[0010] The method may further comprise storing past muon flux data; and detecting the anomaly by comparing the acquired muon flux data to the past muon flux data.

[0011] The muon flux data may comprise first muon flux data measured by at least one muon detector positioned above the pipe and second muon flux data measured by at least one muon detector positioned below the pipe, and the method may further comprise applying a correction based on the first muon flux data to the second muon flux data; and detecting the anomaly based on the second muon flux data.

[0012] The method may further comprise determining a wall thickness of the pipe based on the muon flux data; detecting a deviation in the wall thickness; and detecting the anomaly based on the deviation in the wall thickness.

[0013] An apparatus for monitoring and / or assessing the condition of a pipe is configured to perform the method.

[0014] The apparatus may comprise one or more processors, one or more memories comprising computer program code, the one or more memories and the computer program code configured to, with the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to perform the method.

[0015] A computer program product comprises computer program code is configured to, when executed by one or more processors, cause an apparatus to perform the method.

[0016] The computer program product may be embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable medium.

[0017] A sensor for monitoring and / or assessing the condition of a pipe comprises one or more muon detectors configured to measure a muon flux through the pipe.

[0018] The sensor may be configured to be mounted to an outer surface of the pipe. The sensor may comprise one or more partial pipe sleeves configured to wrap at least partly around the outer surface of the pipe.

[0019] The one or more partial pipe sleeves may be configured to form a loop around the outer surface of the pipe.

[0020] The one or more partial pipe sleeves may contain the one or more muon detectors.

[0021] The sensor may comprise a first partial pipe sleeve containing a first muon detector and a second partial pipe sleeve containing a second muon detector, and the first partial pipe sleeve may be configured to be positioned between the outer surface of the pipe and the second partial pipe sleeve.

[0022] The one or more muon detectors may be configured to measure arrival angles of the muons in the muon flux.

[0023] The apparatus may comprise one or more of the above-described sensors.

[0024] Brief Description of the Drawings

[0025] FIG. 1 illustrates an example system for monitoring a pipe according to the invention;

[0026] FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of a sensor for monitoring a pipe;

[0027] FIG. 3 is a flow chart illustrating a method for monitoring a pipe; and

[0028] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of an apparatus for monitoring a pipe.

[0029] Detailed Description of the Invention

[0030] The following description and drawings are illustrative and are not to be construed as unnecessarily limiting. The specific details are provided for a thorough understanding of the disclosure. However, in certain instances, well-known or conventional details are not described in order to avoid obscuring the description. In this specification, reference to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the disclosure. References to an embodiment can be, but are not necessarily, references to the same embodiment in the present disclosure. The present invention relates to assessing, monitoring, and / or imaging pipes and pipelines. The invention employs cosmic-ray-induced muons that are detected after they have passed through at least a part of the pipe or pipeline. The muons are detected as muon flux by a muon detector or a plurality of muon detectors.

[0031] Muon are elementary particles that are constantly produced in the Earth's atmosphere due to primary cosmic radiation. Cosmic-ray-induced high-energy atmospheric muons are heavy, charged, electron-like particles with excellent penetration capability to various materials. This property of cosmic-ray-induced muons is exploited in muography.

[0032] Muography refers to the field of research and applications also known as cosmic-ray muon imaging or cosmic-ray muography. Muography is based on detecting the alternating flux of muons in a target of interest. In the present invention, the target is a pipe or a pipeline. The muon flux reflects densities within the target, and spatial changes in the muon flux may be due to anomalous density heterogeneities in the target. The density change may also occur over time. The measured muon flux may be computationally processed to produce signals for visualizing the density of the target, including its heterogeneities and / or changes over time.

[0033] Fluid herein refers to all sorts of fluid materials and mixtures that may flow, move, or be present within the pipe. The fluid may comprise gas, liquid, or plasma, for example. Mixtures of one or more of the former, and one or more solids, are also included in the fluids referred to herein.

[0034] Anomalies refer to structures, objects, or changes hampering, changing or redirecting the flow inside a pipe. Depending on the case, the structure may have a lower or higher density compared to the average density of the whole pipeline, including the fluid within the pipeline. An anomaly may be man-made or developed over time due to sedimentation, chemical precipitation, corrosion, erosion, or mechanical wear, for example. Other possible anomalies include changes in fluid level and / or composition within the pipe.

[0035] The muon counting rate expresses the number of muons passing through a given area (e.g., the cross-section of the muon detector volume) within a given time period. The muon counting rate may also include information on the muon angles of arrival. The muon counting rate through a one square meter area is known as muon flux. Instances of the term ‘muon flux’ within this document may be replaced with the term ‘muon counting rate’. FIG. 1 illustrates an example system for monitoring a pipe 102 according to the invention. The pipe has walls 103, 104 - when the pipe is a circular pipe, the walls 103, 104 may be the same wall. A surface level 105 of matter comprising solid(s) and / or liquid(s) flowing in the pipe is also shown. The matter comprises a low-density region 106 and a high-density region 107. The low-density region may comprise a corroded, thinner section in the pipe wall, or density-stratified or rotational flow, and the high-density region may comprise sediment, precipitation, and / or lees, for example. However, if the pipe walls have a lower density than the fluid in the pipe, a corroded section of the pipe wall may lead to a high- density region. Alternatively or additionally, if solid matter (e.g. sediment) accumulates in the corroded section, a high-density region may be formed. The skilled person is able to map low and high density regions to specific anomalies in the pipe based on the structure and expected contents of the pipe when implementing a solution according to the invention. The pipe 102 further comprises a pipe choke 108, 109.

[0036] Even though the pipe 102 of FIG. 1 is in a horizontal orientation, the invention is suitable for monitoring and / or assessing the condition of pipes in other orientations as well. For example, the pipe 102 could be in a vertical or diagonal orientation.

[0037] A sensor 100 comprising one or more muon detectors is configured to measure a muon flux through the pipe 102. The system may include one or more additional sensors like the sensor 100 of FIG. 1 , which are not shown in FIG. 1. The muon detectors may be plastic scintillation detectors, gas-based muon detectors, or any other suitable muon detectors. The system may further include an external unit 120 and a user device 130. The user device 130 may be a personal computer, a mobile device, such as a smartphone, a tablet computer, a laptop, a smart watch, or another mobile computing device. One or more of the sensor 100, the external unit 120, and / or the user device 130 is / are configured to perform a method or monitoring the pipe, which is described in more detail below.

[0038] The method performed by one or more components of the system of FIG. 1 is illustrated in FIG. 3 as a flow chart. The method comprises acquiring 300 muon flux data measured by the one or more muon detectors configured to measure a muon flux through the pipe 102 (see FIG. 1 ); detecting 302 an anomaly in the pipe based on the muon flux data; and outputting 304 the detected anomaly. The method allows for identifying anomalies in the pipe using a safe and passive method that is not sensitive to external disturbances. Muons produced by cosmic rays travel along trajectories 101 from above towards and through the pipe 102. The muons are attenuated in different amounts by different densities. Some of the muons may decay, i.e. be attenuated 110 before reaching any of the one or more muon detectors of the sensor 100. The attenuation rate depends on the density of the material the muons pass through. The muons that arrive at the sensor 100 are detected by the one or more muon detectors of the sensor. The detections are measured as muon flux data representing detections over time. The sensor 100 may measure attenuation and / or scattering of the muon flux, more details of which are given in relation to FIG. 2.

[0039] The invention is primarily based on the use of cosmic-ray-induced muons that are constantly generated in the upper part of Earth's atmosphere. Thus, the method is a passive method, and active muon generation is not needed. However, an alternative source of muons, such as a muon generator, may also be provided.

[0040] The muon flux data may be transferred by the sensor 100 to the external unit 120 and / or to the user device 130 for processing. The external unit 120 and the sensor 100 may alternatively be directly coupled to each other or comprised in the same apparatus. Connections between the sensor 100, the external unit 120, and the user device 130 may be implemented with wired or wireless connections, such as cellular, satellite, acoustic, light-emitting diode (LED), laser-based, or fiber optic connections.

[0041] The sensor 100, the external unit 120, and / or the user device 130 may apply muon radiography (two-dimensional muography), muon tomography (three-dimensional muography), time-sequential muon radiography (time-sequential two-dimensional muography) and / or time-sequential muon tomography (time-sequential three-dimensional muography) on the (raw) muon flux data. This mode of imaging or monitoring may be changed from time to time manually by a user providing a user input, or automatically as part of the method.

[0042] In general, communication between the sensor 100, the external unit 120, and / or the user device 130 may be performed in several ways. For example, one or more of the above- mentioned devices may be configured to periodically transmit status information comprising, e.g., the muon flux data and / or the output of the method of FIG. 3. The transmission interval may be 1 minute, 1 hour, 1 day, or 1 week, for example. Alternatively, or additionally, the transmission may be performed at random and / or upon request, as will be described in more detail herein. The system may additionally comprise, e.g., one or more power supplies, such as one or more batteries, solar panels, windmills, and / or mains power supplies, which are integrated into the sensor 100, the external unit 120, and / or the user device 130, and / or as separate components of the system. The system may further comprise communication means such as cables connecting the components of the system.

[0043] The system may further comprise a weather station configured to collect meteorological measurement data. The meteorological measurement data may be combined with the muon flux data. The meteorological measurement data may comprise one or more measurements selected from temperature, wind direction, wind speed, gust speed, atmospheric pressure, relative humidity, cloud amount, snow depth, sunshine duration, ultraviolet irradiance measurement and air quality observations.

[0044] The sensor 100 may be e.g. a muon telescope. Additionally or alternatively, the sensor may be configured to be mounted on the surface of the pipe 102, such as the sensor of FIG. 2.

[0045] FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the sensor 200 configured to monitor a circular pipe 201. The sensor 200 is mounted to the outer surface of the pipe 201. The sensor comprises partial pipe sleeves 202-204, each of which wraps partly around the outer surface of the pipe. Together, the partial pipe sleeves 202-204 wrap around the entire outer circumference of the pipe 201 forming a loop around the outer surface of the pipe 201. In an alternative solution, the partial pipe sleeves only wrap around a part of the outer surface of the pipe 201 . The partial pipe sleeves may be attached to another and / or the pipe 201 for mounting to the pipe 201 by any means known to the skilled person.

[0046] Means for attaching the partial pipe sleeves to each other and / or the pipe 201 may include mechanical fastening (e.g., using rivets, screws, bolts, load straps, fastening straps and / or fastening tape, to join the partial pipe sleeve(s) to each other and / or to the pipe; to account for the curvature of the pipe, fasteners may be designed with a curved base), velcro strips (the strips may be adhered to the partial pipe sleeve using a strong adhesive suitable for the sleeve material, or when the sleeve comprises fabric, they could be sewn into the fabric), adhesive joining (this method employs a strong adhesive suitable for the material of the partial pipe sleeve(s) to join the pieces together; the adhesive can be applied directly to the edges of the partial pipe sleeves and then pressed together to form a bond. To facilitate the adhesion, the edges of the partial pipe sleeves may be designed with a specific texture or pattern that increases the contact surface area for the adhesive), magnetic connection (if the partial pipe sleeves are made from or comprise a magnetic material, then using magnets may be an efficient and reusable way to connect the pieces; this may involve embedding small magnets along the edges of the partial pipe sleeves, or using a magnetic strip that is attached to the edges of the partial pipe sleeves), interlocking mechanism (this involves designing the edges of the partial pipe sleeves to interlock with each other like puzzle pieces or zippers, providing a firm and secure connection that can also be easily disassembled if necessary. This could involve a simple tongue-and-groove mechanism, or a more complex design based on the specific needs of the pipeline and partial pipe sleeves), thermal welding or ultrasonic welding (depending on the material of the partial pipe sleeves, thermal or ultrasonic welding could be used to form a strong and permanent connection; this involves using heat or ultrasonic vibrations to melt the material at the edges of the partial pipe sleeves, then pressing them together to form a bond as the material cools and solidifies), latch and hook mechanism (this method involves a system where one edge of the partial pipe sleeve has a series of hooks or clips, and the other edge of the same partial pipe sleeve, or another partial pipe sleeve, has a series of loops or points where the hooks can latch onto; this offers a firm hold that is also easy to assemble and disassemble. Each of these solutions could be considered individually, or in various combinations, depending on the specific context. Additional considerations may need to be made regarding the environmental conditions the pipeline is exposed to, the type of material the partial pipe sleeve is made from, and the requirements for installing and maintaining the partial pipe sleeve(s) on the pipeline.

[0047] Sensors or partial pipe sleeves placed on top of the pipe may not need to be attached to the pipe and / or to other partial pipe sleeves, as they may be supported by the pipe itself.

[0048] The partial pipe sleeves 202-204 of the sensor 200 contain muon detectors 212-214. Each muon detector is configured to measure a muon flux through the pipe. The muon detectors detect the flux by attenuation-based muography and / or scattering-based muography. Attenuation-based muography is based on detecting muons that have been attenuated by the pipe 201 and / or its contents when the muons travel through the pipe. Scattering-based muography is based on detecting muons that have been scattered by the pipe 201 and / or its contents, i.e. by changes in the directions of the trajectories of the muons.

[0049] A first muon detector 212 is positioned in a first partial pipe sleeve 202 directly below the pipe. A second muon detector 213 is positioned in a second partial pipe sleeve 203 below the first partial pipe sleeve 202 and the first muon detector 212. The first partial pipe 202 sleeve is sandwiched between the outer surface of the pipe 201 and the second partial pipe sleeve 203. The second muon detector 213 is at a greater distance from a center point 220 of the pipe 201 than the first muon detector 212. Both the first muon detector 212 and the second muon detector 213 are positioned below the center point 220 of the pipe 201 , more specifically below the pipe 201 , allowing them to capture more muons that have passed through the pipe 201 . However, the overall number of muons captured by the detectors 212,

[0050] 213 below the pipe is likely to be lower than the number of muons captured by the detector

[0051] 214 above the pipe due to attenuation of muons within the pipe.

[0052] A third muon detector 214 is positioned in a third partial pipe sleeve 204. The third muon detector 214 is approximately at the same distance from the center point 220 of the pipe 201 as the first muon detector 212. Consequently, the third muon detector 214 is at a smaller distance from the center point 220 of the pipe 201 than the second muon detector 213.

[0053] For the sake of completeness, the positioning of the one or more muon detectors need not be symmetric. The distances between the muon detectors and the center point 220 of the pipe 201 may be different, enabling a possibility that the detectors view the pipe 201 from different view angles and provide thus different angular muon data that may benefit 2D or 3D data processing and / or visualization. Further, the detectors 212-214 are positioned at different points along the outer circumference of the pipe to view the pipe 201 from different angles,

[0054] The third muon detector 214 is positioned above the pipe 201. The third muon detector may detect some muons scattered by the pipe 201 , but the majority of the muons it detects may not have traveled through the pipe at all. The third muon detector may be used in combination with one or more other muon detectors, such as the first and / or second muon detectors 212, 213, that are positioned below the pipe 201. The method of FIG. 3 may include applying a correction based on the muon flux data measured by the muon detector(s) positioned above the pipe to the muon flux data measured by the detectors positioned below the pipe. The anomaly in the pipe may then be detected based on the corrected muon flux data. This allows for more accurate detection of abnormalities in the pipe, as disturbances in the muon flux incident on the pipe are accounted for by the correction. If the pipeline is vertical, then the correction may be based on first muon flux data measured by a muon detector on a first side of the pipe, and applied to second muon flux data measured by a second muon detector on a second, preferably opposite, side of the pipe.

[0055] The method of FIG. 3 may comprise monitoring the wall thickness of the pipe and detecting a deviation in the thickness. The deviation may be a change from an average wall thickness of the pipe, or a change in the thickness over time, for example. Referring again to FIG. 2, the wall thickess 225 of the pipe 201 may be affected by anomalies in the pipe. The wall thickness may decrease in the case of corrosion; an example of this is shown with a second, smaller wall thickness 226. The wall thickness may effectively increase with deposition of material 227 on the inner walls of the pipe; an example of this is shown with a third, larger wall thickness 228. Anomalies in the structure (e.g. the pipe wall itself) or the contents of the pipe may thus be detected based on change(s) in the wall thickness.

[0056] The muon flux data may be processed using various statistical and computational techniques to detect relevant anomalies from the measured muon flux. Processing the muon flux data to detect the anomalies may comprise one or more of the following:

[0057] Data preprocessing is a technique used to remove noise or other artifacts (i.e. , background) that the raw muon flux data may contain. This may involve filtering the data (e.g., background subtraction) or applying corrections to account for variations in detector efficiency. Detector efficiency corrections may be performed at the end of the processing, or as a part of the data analysis described below, and may benefit from the use of passive shielding such as lead plates.

[0058] Data analysis is a technique used for analyzing the measured muon flux. The muon flux data is analyzed using statistical methods to extract relevant information, such as the mean muon flux, or the directional muon distribution based on the arrival angles of the muons in the muon flux. Some common methods used in muon rate analysis include maximum likelihood estimation, Bayesian inference, and Monte Carlo simulation.

[0059] Model fitting is a technique used for fitting the muon flux data to describe the underlying processes that generate the measured muon flux. This may involve modeling the muon production and propagation in the atmosphere and through the investigated media, as well as the interaction of muons with the detector or a plurality of detectors.

[0060] Error estimation uses statistical and / or systematic error estimation methods to estimate the uncertainties associated with the muon flux measurements and the model parameters. This allows for quantifying the accuracy and precision of the muon flux results.

[0061] Interpretation is a procedure for interpreting the muon flux results in the context of the questions being addressed (i.e., detecting the anomaly in the pipe), such as the cause of an anomalous change in the measured muon flux data.

[0062] Other data processing methods suitable for detecting changes in the muon rate may be used alternatively or in addition to the above techniques.

[0063] FIG. 4 shows an embodiment of an apparatus for monitoring a pipe. Of the components in the system of FIG. 1 , each of the sensor 100, the external unit 120, and the user device 130 may be implemented as the apparatus of FIG. 4. The apparatus is configured to perform the method of FIG. 3 or any of its embodiments. Referring again to FIG. 4, the apparatus comprises at least one processor 10, such as a central processing unit (CPU) and / or a graphics processing unit (GPU), and at least one memory 20 that includes computer program code 22. The at least one memory may include e.g. a random access memory (RAM) and / or a non-volatile memory. The at least one memory 20 and the computer program code 22 are configured to, with the at least one processor 10, cause the apparatus to perform the method of FIG. 3 or any of its embodiments.

[0064] Specifically, the apparatus of FIG. 4 may comprise a data processing engine 12, which may be a hardware module and / or software module, that is configured to acquire the muon flux data, detect the anomaly, and output the anomaly.

[0065] A computer program product comprises computer program code 22 configured to, when executed by at least one processor 10, cause an apparatus 100 or a system 150 to perform the method of FIG. 3 or any one of its embodiments. The computer program product may refer to a software as shown in FIG. 3 that may include at least one selected from a computer program, computer code, computer script, computer macro, computer library, algorithm or user interface. The computer program product may be embodied on a computer-readable medium 30. The computer-readable medium 30 may be a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The apparatus may be dedicated hardware, or it may be a general-purpose computer. The apparatus may be a virtual machine. The method of FIG. 3, may be executed as a containerized application using operating system (OS) -level virtualization.

[0066] The apparatus of FIG. 4 may further comprise a communication interface 40, comprising, e.g., a transmitter, a receiver, and / or a transceiver. The communication interface 40 may be used by the apparatus for communication between the apparatus and one or more of: one or more muon external muon sensors 50, 100 (see FIG. 1 ), one or more external units 120 (see FIG. 1 ) and / or one or more user devices 130 (see FIG. 1 ). When the apparatus is the sensor 100 (see FIG. 1 ), the apparatus may communicate with the external unit 120 (see FIG. 1 ) and / or the user device 130 (see FIG. 1 ) using the communication interface 40. When the apparatus is the external unit 120 (see FIG. 1 ), the apparatus may communicate with the sensor 100 (see FIG. 1 ) and / or the user device 130 (see FIG. 1 ) using the communication interface 40. When the apparatus is the user device 130 (see FIG. 1 ), the apparatus may communicate with the external unit 120 (see FIG. 1 ) and / or the sensor 100 (see FIG. 1 ) using the communication interface 40. As discussed in relation to FIG. 1 , the communication connections may be implemented with wired or wireless connections, such as cellular, satellite, acoustic, LED, laser-based, or fiber optic connections.

[0067] When the apparatus of FIG. 4 is the sensor 100 of FIG. 1 , it may comprise or be directly coupled to the one or more muon detectors, and does not need to communicate with external muon sensors 50 of FIG. 4. However, the sensor may receive muon flux data from the external sensors as well.

[0068] When the apparatus of FIG. 4 is the user device 130 of FIG. 1 , it may comprise or be directly coupled to a user interface 60. The user interface 60 may comprise one or more output devices, such as one or more displays, one or more speakers, and / or one or more haptic output devices. Additionally, the user interface 60 may comprise one or more input devices, such as one or more microphones, keyboards, touch panels, buttons, or switches.

[0069] While the embodiment of FIG. 4 is shown to include the user interface 60 and communicate with external muon detectors 50, the apparatus may alternatively be implemented in one of the following ways: when the apparatus is the sensor 100 of FIG. 1 , the apparatus comprises the muon detector(s) and is configured to communicate (optionally via the external unit 120 of FIG. 1 ) with the user device 130 of FIG. 1 that comprises the user interface 60; when the apparatus is the user device 130 of FIG. 1 , the apparatus comprises the user interface 60 and is configured to communicate (optionally via the external unit 120 of FIG. 1 ) with the external muon detectors 50 of the sensor(s) 100 of FIG. 1 ; when the apparatus is the external unit 120 of FIG. 1 , the apparatus is configured to communicate with the user device 130 of FIG. 1 that comprises the user interface 60 and with the external muon detectors 50 of the sensor(s) 100 of FIG. 1 ; or the apparatus is a standalone device that comprises both the muon detectors and the user interface 60.

[0070] When the apparatus of FIG. 4 acquires 300 (see FIG. 3) the muon flux data, the acquiring may comprise reading the muon flux data from the memory of the apparatus, such as from a database 24 configured to store the muon flux data in the memory 20 of the apparatus. Alternatively, or additionally, the muon flux data may be acquired from the one or more muon detectors 50 via the communication interface 40 or directly from the one or more muon detectors coupled to or comprised in the apparatus. The muon flux data may be transmitted via one or more intermediate devices; for example, the external unit 120 of FIG. 1 may receive the muon flux data from the sensor 100 FIG. 1 and transmit it to the user device 130 as shown in FIG. 1. In this case, the external unit 120 of FIG. 1 may act as a modem, such as a cable modem, digital subscriber line (DSL) modem, satellite modem, mobile broadband modem, or the like, between the user device 130 and the muon detector of muon detector apparatus 120. Yet alternatively or additionally, the acquiring may comprise measuring the muon flux data by the one or more muon detectors - such as when the apparatus is the sensor 100 of FIG. 1. In this case, the apparatus may comprise the one or more muon detectors.

[0071] The one or more muon detectors may be further configured to measure muon arrival angles of the muon flux. In this case, the muon flux data may further comprise muon angle data. By using the angles of arrival of the muons in the muon flux, it is possible to more accurately determine a location of the anomaly in the pipe.

[0072] The detected anomaly is output 304 (see FIG. 3) by the apparatus. The detected anomaly may be in the form of an image file, an annotation for an image file, a text string, or in any other suitable format. The detected anomaly may be output via an interface, such as a software interface, an application programming interface (API), the user interface 60, and / or the communication interface 40. For example, when the apparatus is the sensor 100 or the external unit 120 (see FIG. 1 ), the apparatus may transmit the detected anomaly to the user device 130 (see FIG. 1 ), e.g., via the communication interface 40. The user interface 60 of the apparatus, or the user interface of the user device 130 that received the detected anomaly from the apparatus, may output the detected anomaly to the user via one or more of their output devices.

[0073] The apparatus of FIG. 4 may be further configured to store past muon flux data in the memory 20 of the apparatus, e.g. in the database 24. The past muon flux data may include past muon flux measurements of the same pipe. The apparatus may detect anomalies in the pipe by comparing the newly acquired muon flux data to the past muon flux data. Differences between the two may be indicative of an anomaly or anomalies. The apparatus may store the acquired muon flux data to extend its collection of past muon flux data over time.

[0074] The apparatus of FIG. 4 may further comprise a flow controller 14, which may be implemented as a hardware and / or software module, for example. The flow controller 14 is configured to adjust a flow parameter of the flow through the pipe that is being monitored based on the detected anomaly. The flow controller is coupled to one or more valves, pumps, globe valves, needle valves, faucets, on / off switches, flow switches, flow indicators, flow meters, actuators (These devices convert signals from the flow controller into mechanical action, typically to move or control a mechanism or system. In the case of fluid flow, actuators could be used to adjust the position of a valve or other flow control device), restriction orifices (these are plates with a hole in them placed in a pipeline, and the size of the hole can be changed to control the rate of flow), flow controllers (these are advanced devices that combine measurement and control in a single unit. They monitor the rate of flow and adjust other devices as necessary to maintain a desired flow rate), pressure regulators (these devices adjust the pressure in a pipeline, which can indirectly control the flow rate), throttles (these devices restrict the flow to increase the pressure differential, which can be used to control the flow rate), solenoids (these electromagnetic devices can open or close valves in response to electrical signals, effectively controlling the flow) and / or injectors (these devices add a certain amount of fluid into the flow, controlling the flow rate or the mixture of the flow). Each of these devices and methods could be integrated with a flow controller, either alone or in combination with each other, to effectively control the flow of fluid through the pipe or pipeline.. The flow parameter may be one or more of the following: (volumetric) flow rate, mass flow rate, flow speed, pressure, temperature, viscosity, density, turbulence, electrical conductivity, particle size distribution (in flows that include particles (like slurries)), concentration of certain constituents, water content, particle size distribution, or fluid composition. The flow controller 14 may control one or more control devices of the pipe to adjust the desired flow parameter(s).

[0075] For the sake of completeness, when the apparatus of FIG. 4 is the sensor 100 or the standalone device, i.e. when the apparatus comprises the one or more muon detectors, one or more of the features of the sensor of FIG. 2 may be incorporated into the apparatus. Correspondingly, one or more of the features of the apparatus of FIG. 4 may be incorporated into the sensor of FIG. 2.

[0076] If desired, the different functions discussed herein may be performed in a different order and / or concurrently with others. Furthermore, if desired, one or more of the above-described functions and embodiments may be optional or may be combined.

[0077] Although various aspects of the embodiments are set out in the independent claims, other aspects comprise other combinations of features from the described embodiments and / or the dependent claims with the features of the independent claims, and not solely the combinations explicitly set out in the claims.

[0078] It is also noted herein that while the above describes various embodiments, these descriptions should not be viewed in a limiting sense. Rather, there are several variations and modifications, which may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

Claims1. A computer-implemented method for monitoring and / or assessing the condition of a pipe, the method comprising: acquiring (300) muon flux data measured by one or more muon detectors configured to measure a muon flux through the pipe; detecting (302) an anomaly in the pipe based on the muon flux data; and outputting (304) the detected anomaly.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises adjusting a flow parameter of a flow through the pipe based on the detected anomaly.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the method further comprises detecting (302) an anomaly in the structure of the pipe and / or in the contents of the pipe.

4. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: storing past muon flux data; and detecting (302) the anomaly by comparing the acquired muon flux data to the past muon flux data.

5. The method of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the muon flux data comprises first muon flux data measured by at least one muon detector (214) positioned above the pipe and second muon flux data measured by at least one muon detector (212, 213) positioned below the pipe, and wherein the method further comprises: applying a correction based on the first muon flux data to the second muon flux data; and detecting (302) the anomaly based on the second muon flux data.

6. The method of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the method further comprises: determining a wall thickness (225, 226, 228) of the pipe based on the muon flux data; detecting a deviation in the wall thickness; and detecting (302) the anomaly based on the deviation in the wall thickness.

7. An apparatus (100, 120, 130) for monitoring and / or assessing the condition of a pipe, wherein the apparatus is configured to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the apparatus comprises one or more processors (10), one or more memories (20) comprising computer program code (22), the one or more memories and the computer program code configured to, with the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 6.

9. A computer program product comprising computer program code (22) configured to, when executed by one or more processors (10), cause an apparatus to perform the method of any one of claims 1 to 6.

10. A sensor for monitoring and / or assessing the condition of a pipe (201 ), the sensor comprising one or more muon detectors (212, 213, 214) configured to measure a muon flux through the pipe, and wherein the sensor is configured to be mounted to an outer surface of the pipe.11 . The sensor of claim 10, wherein the sensor comprises one or more partial pipe sleeves (202, 203, 204) configured to wrap at least partly around the outer surface of the pipe (201 ).

12. The sensor of claim 11 , wherein the one or more partial pipe sleeves (202, 203, 204) are configured to wrap at least partly around an outer circumference of the pipe (201 ).

13. The sensor of claim 11 or 12, wherein the one or more partial pipe sleeves (202, 203, 204) are configured to form a loop around the outer surface of the pipe (201 ).

14. The sensor of any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the one or more partial pipe sleeves (202, 203, 204) contain the one or more muon detectors (212, 213, 214).

15. The sensor of claim 14, wherein the sensor comprises a first partial pipe sleeve (202) containing a first muon detector (212) and a second partial pipe sleeve (203) containing a second muon detector (213), wherein the first partial pipe sleeve is configured to be positioned between the outer surface of the pipe (201 ) and the second partial pipe sleeve.

16. The sensor of any one of claims 10 to 15, wherein the one or more muon detectors (212, 213, 214) are configured to measure arrival angles of the muons in the muon flux.

17. The apparatus of claim 7 or 8, wherein the apparatus further comprises one or more sensors according to any one of claims 10 to 16.

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