Technologies of the Future for Pipeline Monitoring and Inspection

by Franklin Birt, The University of Tulsa

Existing Pipeline Inspection Technologies

Gauging Pig The simplest of pipeline inspection tools is a gauging pig. Gauging Pigs commonly take the form of a circular steel plate secured to the pig, with its axis parallel to the direction of travel. The pig is propelled along the pipeline in the conventional way by pumping air or fluid into the pipe behind it. Dents, deformations and tight bends deform the gauge plate which is visually inspected when the tool is retrieved.

Although gauging pigs can determine the minimum bore and bend radius of a pipeline, they do not log the location of defects. Gauging pigs are commonly deployed on new pipelines when construction has been completed, and before deployment of more sophisticated inspection tools or hydro plugs, in order to verify that the pipeline is free of obstructions that could hinder the passage of product, cleaning pigs, or other inspection tools.

Caliper Pig Caliper pigs are the entry level into the smart pig arena. Caliper pigs are used to measure and log the inside bore of the pipeline. They usually have an odometer wheel that logs the speed of the tool and the distance from the launcher to the location of defects. This system features spring loaded sensor arms that measure the pipeline cross section as it traverses the pipeline. Caliper pigs may also incorporate linear and rotational accelerometers to register the pigs dynamic behavior. When these data are combined, they can reveal information about welds, pipe friction, sedimentation, contamination and other pipe wall deformations as well as provide a general location of recorded defects.

Inertial Geometry Pig (IGP) The Inertial Geometry Pig provides pipeline operators with three dimensional, geographic, and geometric information about their pipeline. The IGP is essentially a high resolution Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) similar to the gyroscopes used in airplanes. Starting from a known position on the pipeline and/or a GPS location, the IGP is able to log its position and orientation, and store the data in an on

board computer or data logger as it traverses the pipeline.

IGPs are typically used in conjunction with Time Based Benchmarkers placed outside the pipeline, along the presumed route. The benchmarkers detect the passage of the tool and log the GPS time. When the run is complete, the data from the IGP and all the benchmarkers are combined and compared to the as built drawings of the pipeline. Comparing the results of an inspection with previous runs, or as built information, can reveal any pipeline movement since the line was constructed or the most recent survey.

Magnetic Flux Leakage (MFL) These are the oldest and most common inspection tools, which operate by magnetizing the pipe wall with a permanent magnet, and then measuring and logging the residual magnetic field. The magnetic field increases and decreases in strength according to the wall thickness and hardness of the steel. They usually have an odometer wheel which logs the speed of the tool, and the distance from the launcher to the location of defects. MFL tools either have a built in, or are used in tandem with, an IGP and are normally used with Time Based Benchmarkers as well.

Ultrasonic Inspection Tools (ULT) This is the most advanced and expensive inspection method, capable of detecting small corrosion pits , cracks (hydrogen-induced cracking, stress-corrosion cracking, and cracks in welds), laminations, and several other mill defects as well as mechanical damage. The ULT works by resonating sound waves then measuring the reflection of off of the pipe wall.

ULT tools either have a built in, or are used in tandem with an IGP tool and are normally used with Time Based Benchmarkers .

Remote Field Technology Remote Field Technology (RFT) is a newer pipeline inspection methodology which is proving to be more accurate than MFL or ULT and very well suited for smaller pipelines (2-8). The RFT concept is similar to MFL but instead of permanent magnets, it uses an electromagnetic coil, driven by an AC power source, to induce a voltage into a sensing coil, through the pipe wall.

RFT tools can measure both remaining wall thickness and surface area and stress due to soil movement with a much higher accuracy than MFL or ULT tools can. RFT can also detect cracks and even manufacturing defects in the pipe. Another added benefit is that the induced magnet field emits a unique signature which can easily be tracked from above ground without the need for a dedicated transmitter module.

Both tethered and free-swimming RFT tools have been developed and deployed with great successes. Tethered tools have been used for distances up to 3km and free-swimming tools up to 25km.

Pipeline Tractor/Crawlers Pipeline tractors or crawlers, as the name implies, are self propelled inspection vehicles which are fitted with infrared video cameras or ultrasonic measurement systems. Typically these systems are tethered and transmit data through an umbilical to a computer system above ground. They are available for pipelines 4 to 72 in diameter and the typical cable length is 1500 2000 ft. Though a video feed of the interior of the pipe can be invaluable to the operator, these systems are usually not deployable in a live pipeline, and are used mostly used in wastewater and sewage lines.

Smart Utility Pig A Smart Utility Pig offers a fundamentally different approach to in-line inspection. In essence, a Smart Utility Pig is a standard cleaning pig fitted with an instrumentation module. Rather than deploying an MFL or ULT tool to directly measure features of the pipeline, the instrumentation is tasked with measuring the behavior of the pig as it traverses the pipeline. From the recorded changes in pig behavior, the condition of the pipeline can be discerned via interpretive software.

Smart Utility Pigs can be deployed with the following sensors: Temperature, Pressure, (absolute and/or differential), Vibration, and Acceleration/Inclination in any combination thereof. These Smart Utility Pigs have been successfully deployed in pipelines as small as 6

Comparison of In-line Inspection Technologies

There has not been a lot of progress in the development of miniaturized pipeline inspection monitoring systems within the pipeline inspection industry. MLF and ULT tools are mechanically and electrically

complex, large, and very heavy. These tools can be quite expensive and difficult to deploy, and in some cases, require operators to modify existing pig launching receiving facilities to accommodate extended tool lengths and weight.

Though the resolution of inspection tools has been greatly improved by advances in micro-electronics, the packaging of these electronics systems is still their weakest point. Electrical connectors, and wiring harnesses that are able to survive in the harsh environment of a pipeline are often larger, and more expensive than off the shelf connectors and cables . In many cases inspection tools are actually designed around the connectors that are used. Electronics housings must also maintain integrity under high pressures and wide temperature swings.

Power and data storage are of the next priority and proportionally affect the size and weight of the tools. The higher the resolution, the more power and data storage are required.

Given the potential complex geometries of pipelines, the turning radius of inspection tools becomes a critical design factor. These tools must also collapse to some degree in order to traverse bore restrictions, reductions in pipe diameter, pig locators, and other anomalous defects. In a small diameter pipeline (less than 12) an inspection tool may need multiple modules in order to provide enough power, data storage, and computing horsepower for a comprehensive inspection. The mechanical interconnection of these modules as well as the electrical integration becomes more of a concern as the capabilities and resolution of the inspection tool is expanded. Of course in larger pipelines, these size constraints are reduced significantly but are ever present.

Most inspection tools require a magnetic transmitter which provides a means of tracking the tool through the pipeline, and a aiding in its locating should it become stuck.

Another limitation of MFL and ULT tools in particular is the need for intimate contact with the pipe wall in the case of MFL tools, and a liquid couplant to the pipe wall with ULT. Recently there has been some progress with gas-coupled ULT tools but there is of yet no commercially available tools using this technology.

Many pipelines have internal deposits of wax, scale or sand and others are lined with cement mortar, epoxy or polyethylene, which prevent the effective use of MFL tools. Since RFT requires no contact with the pipe wall, they can measure through scale, wax and non-magnetic liners. RFT tools have a clearance of 0.250 to allow easier passage of the tool past weld roots, dents, and internal deposits, which also allow tools to be deployed at much lower pressures than MFL tools. RFT Tools are inherently more flexible than MFL tools and have no moving parts so there is nothing to break off or get caught when passing through valves, tees and branches.

The RFT tools are showing promise in that they require no contact with the pipe wall. These tools can be deployed at very low pressures. They also tend to be more accurate (and can find smaller defects) than MFL or ULT tools, and can operate at a much slower speed.

The Smart Utility Pig seems to have many advantages over all the aforementioned technologies. The most notable is the operating cost. With more traditional tools surveys can cost thousands of dollars per kilometer, the Smart Utility Pig can be deployed for hundreds. Its wide complement of sensor arrangements can provide operators with as much information about their facility in one run, as might require multiple runs with different tools.

Application of Non Pipeline Related Technologies

Marine Animal Tags There are three basic types of marine animal tags which are used by marine researchers: Sonic, Satellite, and Archival. Sonic Tags are acoustic devices attached to marine animals and tracked through the water with hydrophones. Satellite Tags are attached to animals and are designed to transmit or receive data to or from satellites via radio telemetry when the antenna of the tag comes out of the water. Archival Tags are devices attached to animals that record various data, such as position, temperature, and water depth, which are then recovered from the animal so that the archived data can be downloaded. There are several varieties of tags within each type, including compass, GPS tracking, Salinity (conductivity), Pitch and Roll and pH, to name a few. These tags are inherently small in size (approx 1.2 long .60 dia.) as they are intended to be attached to marine life. The range of measurements available in these devices is fairly similar to the Smart Utility Pig, though sample rates and data storage are much lower, it is possible to increase them without a significant increase in physical size.

We attached an archival tag to a foam pig and deployed it in a 12 pipeline with a short section of 10pipe. The tag we selected for this test was designed to measure temperature, depth (pressure) and three axis of motion. On three consecutive runs we were able to detect the change in pipe diameter by the change in drive pressure on the sensor. We were also able to detect the basic change in direction of the pig as it traversed the pipeline. Though the data was rudimentary, it is obvious that with some adjustments to the architecture and packaging, these tags could find a place in the pipeline inspection industry.