PIPELINE MONITORING APPARATUS AND METHOD

• US 20110095752A1
• Filed: 05/01/2009
• Published: 04/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Pipeline Engineering & Supply Co Limited (Circor International Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Pipeline Engineering & Supply Co Limited (Circor International Incorporated)
• Inventors: Burd, John Ferris, Allen, Peter James, Watson, William Stanley, Short, Gordon Campbell
• Application Number:
  US12/989,182
• Publication Number:
  US 20110095752A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 324/220
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 2101/30 Inspecting, measuring or testing
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 55/38 driven by fluid pressure
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/281 for measuring contour or curvature along an axis, e.g. axial curvature of a pipeline or along a series of feeder rollers

Abstract

A pipeline inspection vehicle comprises a main body (10) driven through a pipeline by fluid flow against resilient cups (12). Resilient fingers (20) carry a circumferential array of magnetic proximity sensors for sensing the spacing between each sensor and the metal of the pipeline wall. Wheels (18) biased into engagement with the pipeline wall provide one form of distance measurement. The vehicle has on-board data storage by way of a memory housed within a pressure vessel.

Claims

1. A pipeline inspection vehicle comprising:

a body;

propulsion means for driving the body through a pipeline;

at least one finger extending from the body and resiliently movable in a radial direction to engage with the wall of the pipeline; and

wherein the finger carries adjacent its wall-engaging portion a magnetic proximity sensor providing an output signal which is a function of the spacing between the sensor and metal of the pipeline wall.

2. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of said fingers extends from the body, the fingers being independently resiliently movable in the radial direction.

3. A vehicle according to claim 2, wherein said fingers form a substantially continuous ring around the pig body.

4. A vehicle according to claim 3, wherein there are from 25 to 110 fingers for pipelines ranging from 10 inches to 42 inches diameter.

5. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle is a pig, and includes one or more cups or discs extending from the body for engagement with the wall of the pipeline to drive the pig therethrough by product pressure and flow.

6. A vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic proximity sensor comprises a permanent magnet and a Hall effect sensor.

7. A vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the permanent magnet is disposed so as to produce a magnetic flux which is radial with respect to the pipeline.

8. A vehicle according to claim 1, comprising memory means for storing said output signals as the vehicle traverses a pipeline.

9. A vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the sensors are interfaced with the memory means through one or more multiplexers.

10. A vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the memory means and associated circuits are contained within a pressure vessel, and the one or more multiplexers are arranged externally of the pressure vessel.

11. A vehicle according to claim 10, wherein the body is in two parts which are articulated together.

12. A vehicle according to claim 11, wherein one part of the body comprises the pressure vessel and the other part comprises the finger or fingers.

13. A vehicle according to claim 3, comprising means for measuring the angular deflection of the fingers to provide a measure of interior diameter.

14. A vehicle according to claim 1, comprising distance measuring means.

15. A vehicle according to claim 14, wherein the distance measuring means comprises a plurality of wheels biased into contact with the internal face of the pipeline.

16. A method of monitoring debris in a pipeline, the method comprising:

traversing at least one sensor assembly along the pipeline in physical contact with the internal surface of the pipeline, the sensor assembly comprising;

a magnetic proximity sensor; and

wherein debris attached to the pipeline wall may be detected by a decreased proximity signal.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein an annular array of such sensor assemblies is traversed to examine the circumference in one pass.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

measuring the internal diameter of the pipeline by measuring angular deflection of the fingers.