COMMUNICATION SYSTEM FOR PIPELINE INSPECTION

• US 20090013806A1
• Filed: 07/08/2008
• Published: 01/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quanta Associates, L.P. (Quanta Services Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Microline Technology Corporation (Quanta Services Incorporated)
• Inventors: Perrin, Randall L., Reinhold, Jabin D., Anderson, James D., Spencer, Douglas W., Miller, Jerry E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,261,623 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/865.800
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 55/48 Indicating the position of the pig or mole in the pipe or conduit

Abstract

An inline tool tracking system for tracking an inline tool traveling along a pipe includes a detection and communication device operable to detect an inline tool as it passes generally near the device. The detection and communication device is operable to generate a detection output, which includes data indicative of the detection of the tool and a geographical location of the device. A control is operable to wirelessly receive the detection output and to process the detection output. The control generates a control output responsive to the processing, and the control output is indicative of the detection of the tool and the geographical location of the detection and communication device. A display device receives an input indicative of the control output and displays the information indicative of the detection of the tool and the geographical location of the detection and communication device to a user of the display device.

Claims

1. An inline tool tracking system for tracking an inline tool traveling along and through a pipe or conduit, said tracking system comprising:

a detection and communication device operable to detect an inline tool as the inline tool passes generally at or near said detection and communication device, said detection and communication device being operable to generate a detection output, said detection output including data indicative of the detection of the inline tool and a geographical location of the detection and communication device;

a control remote from said detection and communication device, said control operable to wirelessly receive said detection output of said detection and communication device and to process said detection output, said control generating a control output responsive to said processing, said control output being indicative of the detection of the inline tool and the geographical location of the detection and communication device; and

a display device receiving an input indicative of said control output and displaying the information indicative of the detection of the inline tool and the geographical location of the detection and communication device to a user of said display device.

2. The tracking system of claim 1, wherein said control is associated with at least one tracking communication device at or near at least one tracking vehicle, said control operable to wirelessly receive said detection output from said detection and communication device and to wirelessly communicate said control output to said display device.

3. The tracking system of claim 1, wherein said control is incorporated into said display device, said display device receiving said detection output from said detection and communication device.

4. The tracking system of claim 1 further comprising at least one tracking communication device associated with at least one tracking vehicle, said tracking communication device being operable to receive said control output from said control and to communicate an output to said display device, said display device being associated with the at least one tracking vehicle.

5. The tracking system of claim 4, wherein said detection and communication device communicates said detection output to a satellite network, said control receiving said detection output of said detection and communication device via the satellite network, said tracking communication device being operable to receive said control output from said control,

6. The tracking system of claim 5, wherein said control is remote from said at least one tracking communication device, said tracking communication device being operable to receive said control output from said control via the satellite network.

7. The tracking system of claim 5, wherein said control is at or near or associated with said at least one tracking communication device.

8. The tracking system of claim 5, wherein said detection and communication device is operable to generate a short range communication signal to a nearby one of said at least one tracking communication device, said short range communication signal including data indicative of the detection of the tool and a geographical location of the detection and communication device.

9. The tracking system of claim 5, wherein said detection output and said control output include audio data indicative of recorded audio signals during passage of the tool.

10. The tracking system of claim 9 further comprising an audio output device associated with said at least one tracking device, said tracking device communicating said audio data to said audio output device of the tracking vehicle.

11. The tracking system of claim 5, wherein said control is operable to display information indicative of the detection of the tool at a display at a central monitoring station.

12. The tracking system of claim 11, wherein said display at said central monitoring station includes a map of the pipeline and includes at least one of (i) the location of the detected tool;

(ii) a location of at least some of the tracking vehicles;

(iii) a location of at least one point of interest along the pipeline.

13. The tracking system of claim 5, wherein said at least one tracking communication device comprises at least two tracking communication devices associated with respective tracking vehicles, said tracking communication devices being operable to receive said control output from said control, said tracking communication devices communicating information indicative of said control output to said display device to display the information to a user of the respective tracking vehicle.

14. The tracking system of claim 5, wherein said detection and communication device comprises a plurality of detection devices and a communication unit, each of said detection devices being associated with a particular pipeline at or near said communication unit, said communication unit receiving signals from said detection devices, said communication unit generating said detection output to the satellite network.

15. The tracking system of claim 1, wherein said detection and communication device detects the inline tool via at least one of an acoustic detection device, a magnetic detection device and an electromagnetic frequency detection device.

16. The tracking system of claim 1, wherein said detection and communication device detects the inline tool via an acoustic detection device, a magnetic detection device and an electromagnetic frequency detection device.

17. The tracking system of claim 1, wherein said control receives geographical location data of said tracking communication device from said tracking communication device, said control output including data indicative of the geographical location of said tracking communication device.

18. The tracking system of claim 1, wherein said detection output is generated as a short burst packet of data.

19. The tracking system of claim 1, wherein said control output is generated as a short burst packet of data.

20. The tracking system of claim 1, wherein said detection output and said control output include audio data indicative of recorded audio signals during passage of the inline tool.

21. The tracking system of claim 1, wherein said detection and communication device comprises a plurality of detection devices and a communication unit, each of said detection devices being associated with a particular pipeline at or near said communication unit, said communication unit receiving signals from said detection devices, said communication unit generating said detection output.

22. The tracking system of claim 1, wherein the inline tool comprises at least one of (i) an inline inspection tool that detects abnormalities along the pipe, (ii) a gauging tool, (iii) a mapping tool, (iv) a cleaning tool, (v) a scraping tool, (vi) a measuring tool for measuring pipe geometry, such as inside diameter, bends, dents, restrictions or wrinkles, and (vii) a batching tool.

23. A method of tracking an inline tool that is traveling along and through a pipe or conduit, said method comprising:

detecting an inline tool as the tool passes generally at or near a detection and communication device;

generating a detection output via said detection and communication device, said detection output including data indicative of the detection of the inline tool and a geographical location of said detection and communication device;

providing a control for receiving said detection output of said detection and communication device and processing said detection output;

generating a control output responsive to said processing, said control output being indicative of the detection of the inline tool and the geographical location of said detection and communication device; and

providing at least one display device associated with at least one tracking vehicle, said display device receiving an input indicative of said control output to display information indicative of the detection of the inline tool and the geographical location of said detection and communication device to a user of the at least one tracking vehicle.

24. The method of claim 23 further comprising providing at least one tracking communication device associated with the at least one tracking vehicle, wherein said control is associated with at least one tracking communication device, said control operable to wirelessly receive said detection output from said detection and communication device and to wirelessly communicate said control output to said display device associated with the at least one tracking vehicle.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein said control is incorporated into said display device, said display device receiving said detection output from said detection and communication device.

26. The method of claim 23 further comprising providing at least one tracking communication device associated with at least one tracking vehicle, said tracking communication device receiving said control output from said control, said tracking communication device communicating information indicative of said control output to said display device to display the information to a user of the at least one tracking vehicle.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein generating a detection output comprises communicating a detection output to a satellite network via said detection and communication device, and wherein said control receives said detection output of said detection and communication device via the satellite network.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said control is remote from said at least one tracking communication device, said tracking communication device receiving said control output from said control via the satellite network.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein said control receives geographical location data of said at least one tracking communication device from said tracking communication device, said control output including data indicative of the geographical location of said tracking communication device.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein said control is at or near or associated with said at least one tracking communication device.

31. The method of claim 27 further comprising generating a short range communication signal via said detection and communication device, said short range communication signal being communicated to a nearby one of said at least one tracking communication device, said short range communication signal including data indicative of the detection of the tool and the geographical location of the detection and communication device.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein generating a detection output comprises generating a detection output that includes audio data indicative of recorded audio signals during passage of the inline tool.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein generating a control output comprises generating a control output that includes audio data indicative of recorded audio signals during passage of the inline tool.

34. The method of claim 33 further comprising an audio output device associated with said at least one tracking device, said tracking device communicating said audio data to said audio output device of the tracking vehicle.

35. The method of claim 27 further comprising displaying information indicative of the detection of the inline tool at a display at a central monitoring station.

36. The method of claim 27, wherein said at least one tracking communication device comprises at least two tracking communication devices associated with respective tracking vehicles, said tracking communication devices receiving said control output from said control, said tracking communication devices communicating information indicative of said control output to said display device to display the information to a user of the respective tracking vehicle.

37. The method of claim 27, wherein said detection and communication device comprises a plurality of detection devices and a communication unit, each of said detection devices being associated with a particular pipeline at or near said communication unit, said communication unit receiving signals from said detection devices, said communication unit generating said detection output to the satellite network.

38. The method of claim 23, wherein detecting an inline tool comprising detecting an inline tool via at least one of an acoustic detection device, a magnetic detection device and an electromagnetic frequency detection device.

39. The method of claim 23, wherein detecting an inline tool comprising detecting an inline tool via an acoustic detection device, a magnetic detection device and an electromagnetic frequency detection device.

40. The method of claim 23, wherein generating a detection output comprises generating a detection output that includes audio data indicative of recorded audio signals during passage of the inline tool.

41. The method of claim 23, wherein said detection and communication device comprises a plurality of detection devices and a communication unit, each of said detection devices being associated with a particular pipeline at or near said communication unit, said communication unit receiving signals from said detection devices, said communication unit generating said detection output.

42. The method of claim 23, wherein the inline tool comprises at least one of (i) an inline inspection tool that detects abnormalities along the pipe, (ii) a gauging tool, (iii) a mapping tool, (iv) a cleaning tool, (v) a scraping tool, (vi) a measuring tool for measuring pipe geometry, such as inside diameter, bends, dents, restrictions or wrinkles, and (vii) a batching tool.