Pipeline Wall Impairment Detection Using Acoustic Wave Velocity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for assessing pipeline wall thickness and strength are not practical or cost-effective, as they often provide limited information about specific locations of impairment along the pipeline, and existing technologies struggle to detect non-uniform thinning or weakening caused by corrosion, abrasion, or external factors.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus using low-frequency acoustic or seismic waves propagated through a fluid in the pipeline, with a moveable inspection device equipped with a pulse generator and receiver, allowing for the determination of wave velocity and location along the pipeline, enabling the identification of impaired sections by analyzing variations in wave velocity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If coupon sampling is used to measure wall thickness, then direct measurement accuracy is improved, but the ability to assess multiple locations along the pipeline deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The pipeline inspection is segmented into multiple measurement locations along the pipeline length. The system divides the continuous pipeline into discrete inspection points where acoustic measurements are taken, allowing comprehensive coverage of multiple locations while maintaining measurement precision at each segment.
Solution Approach 2:
Acoustic waves serve as an intermediary medium to transmit information about wall thickness and structural integrity across multiple pipeline locations. The acoustic waves propagate through the pipeline wall and fluid, carrying information from different locations to the sensors without requiring physical sampling at each point.
2Ease of manufacture
If direct ultrasonic measurements are taken on exposed pipeline locations, then measurement cost is reduced, but applicability to buried or inaccessible locations deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The acoustic measurement system is designed to be universal and applicable to all pipeline locations regardless of accessibility. The same acoustic wave propagation method works for both exposed and buried pipelines, eliminating the need for different measurement approaches based on location.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces mechanical contact measurement methods (which require exposed surfaces) with acoustic wave propagation through the pipeline wall and fluid. This substitution allows measurements to be taken through the pipeline wall from the fluid side, making buried and inaccessible locations measurable with the same low-cost acoustic equipment.
3Loss of information
If acoustic measurement is used to determine average thinning, then measurement coverage is improved, but the ability to locate specific impairment positions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses periodic acoustic wave pulses transmitted through the pipeline and measures the time-of-flight or phase information to locate specific impairment positions. By analyzing the temporal characteristics of the acoustic responses at different locations, the system transforms average thinning data into precise spatial information about wall strength impairments.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from acoustic wave propagation characteristics (such as velocity changes and time-of-flight variations) to identify and locate specific impairment positions along the pipeline. The measured acoustic responses are compared against reference values to detect and pinpoint locations where wall thinning or strength degradation has occurred.
4Productivity
If pipeline pigging is used to inspect wall thickness, then continuous monitoring capability is improved, but device complexity and infrastructure requirements deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The pipeline fluid itself serves as the medium for acoustic wave propagation and measurement. The existing flowing fluid in the pipeline is utilized to transmit acoustic waves and carry measurement information, eliminating the need for separate inspection infrastructure like pigging stations while enabling continuous monitoring capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the hydraulic or pneumatic properties of the pipeline fluid to propagate acoustic waves for inspection purposes. By utilizing the existing fluid flow and pressure conditions in the pipeline, the system achieves continuous monitoring without requiring additional mechanical inspection devices or complex infrastructure modifications.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach allows for precise localization of impaired pipeline sections with an accuracy of +/-1 meter, providing quantitative data on relative impairment, facilitating targeted maintenance or replacement, and reducing the need for frequent pipeline shutdowns for inspections.
Implementation Method 1
A moveable inspection device has a pulse generator which generates pulses of low-frequency acoustic or seismic waves and a receiver for such waves. The pulse generator and the receiver are each in acoustic or seismic contact with the fluid in the pipeline.
Implementation Method 2
A moveable inspection device has a pulse generator which generates pulses of low-frequency acoustic or seismic waves and a receiver for such waves.
Implementation Method 3
The pulse generator and the receiver are each in acoustic or seismic contact with the fluid in the pipeline.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention locates impaired sections of a pipeline, such as sections where the wall of the pipeline has been weakened or thinned. It provides a moveable device which passes through the pipeline and which has a first station. The moveable device has means to locate its position accurately. There is a second station, which is mounted either on the moveable device or in association with a fixed location on the pipeline wall. Either the first station or the second station has an acoustic or seismic pulse generator, and the other has a pulse receiver. The time taken for a pulse to travel from the pulse generator to the receiver is found to vary with the condition of the pipeline wall at the location where the moveable device is located at the time it receives (or sends) the pulse. The rate of change of velocity of the pulse as the device passes different locations in the pipeline is also found to vary with the condition of the pipeline wall at such location.