Method and apparatus for real time enhancing of the operation of a fluid transport pipeline
First Claim
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1. A method of real time monitoring a pipeline network to identify possible destabilizing events in the pipeline network, comprising:
- sensing one or more pressure waves within the pipeline network at predetermined locations within the pipeline network;
determining the presence of a possible destabilizing event in the pipeline network in response to the sensed pressure waves by detecting variations in the sensed pressure waves, and determining whether or not the detected variation exceeds an accepted standard deviation, wherein the accepted standard deviation is calculated on a rolling basis,wherein determining the presence of a possible destabilizing event in the pipeline network in response to the sensed pressure waves further includes determining whether or not the sensed pressure waves exceed a predetermined stable operating threshold, wherein the predetermined stable operating threshold is automatically adjusted based upon at least one of the current operating mode, current operating conditions and current operating events,wherein determining the presence of a possible destabilizing event in the pipeline network in response to the sensed pressure waves further includes determining whether or not a subsequential decompression characteristic is present following the detection of the variation in sensed pressure waves;
corroborating the presence of the destabilizing event based upon at least one of (i) one or more sensed pipeline network operating conditions and (ii) at least one independent process variable, wherein corroborating the presence of the destabilizing event includes determining the certainty of the possible destabilizing event, wherein determining the certainty of the possible destabilizing event includes comparing the determination of a possible destabilizing event based upon sensed pressure waves with one or more sensed pipeline network operating conditions and further corroborating the determination of a possible destabilizing event based upon sensed pressure waves with at least one additional independent process variable; and
identifying a potential cause of the sensed destabilizing event by comparing the character of the current destabilizing events using an expert based diagnostic subroutine with prior destabilizing events, the current operating mode of the pipeline network, the current operating conditions in the pipeline network and the current operating events in the pipeline network.
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Abstract
A real time method and dynamic logic-based system for enhancing the operation of a pipeline network is disclosed. The system and method perform monitoring of the operation of a pipeline network, generate alarms in response to differing levels of destabilized pipeline operations, manage the generation of alarms based upon known operating events and operating conditions, diagnose potential source of the detected destabilized events and manage the operation of the pipeline.
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Citations
49 Claims
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1. A method of real time monitoring a pipeline network to identify possible destabilizing events in the pipeline network, comprising:
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sensing one or more pressure waves within the pipeline network at predetermined locations within the pipeline network; determining the presence of a possible destabilizing event in the pipeline network in response to the sensed pressure waves by detecting variations in the sensed pressure waves, and determining whether or not the detected variation exceeds an accepted standard deviation, wherein the accepted standard deviation is calculated on a rolling basis, wherein determining the presence of a possible destabilizing event in the pipeline network in response to the sensed pressure waves further includes determining whether or not the sensed pressure waves exceed a predetermined stable operating threshold, wherein the predetermined stable operating threshold is automatically adjusted based upon at least one of the current operating mode, current operating conditions and current operating events, wherein determining the presence of a possible destabilizing event in the pipeline network in response to the sensed pressure waves further includes determining whether or not a subsequential decompression characteristic is present following the detection of the variation in sensed pressure waves; corroborating the presence of the destabilizing event based upon at least one of (i) one or more sensed pipeline network operating conditions and (ii) at least one independent process variable, wherein corroborating the presence of the destabilizing event includes determining the certainty of the possible destabilizing event, wherein determining the certainty of the possible destabilizing event includes comparing the determination of a possible destabilizing event based upon sensed pressure waves with one or more sensed pipeline network operating conditions and further corroborating the determination of a possible destabilizing event based upon sensed pressure waves with at least one additional independent process variable; and identifying a potential cause of the sensed destabilizing event by comparing the character of the current destabilizing events using an expert based diagnostic subroutine with prior destabilizing events, the current operating mode of the pipeline network, the current operating conditions in the pipeline network and the current operating events in the pipeline network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of real time monitoring a pipeline network to identify possible destabilizing events in the pipeline network, comprising:
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sensing one or more pressure waves within the pipeline network at predetermined locations within the pipeline network; determining the presence of a possible destabilizing event in the pipeline network in response to the sensed pressure waves by determining whether or not the sensed pressure waves exceed a predetermined stable operating threshold, wherein the predetermined stable operating threshold is automatically adjusted based upon at least one of the current operating mode, current operating conditions and current operating events, wherein determining the presence of a possible destabilizing event in the pipeline network in response to the sensed pressure waves further includes detecting variations in the sensed pressure waves, and determining whether or not the detected variation exceeds an accepted standard deviation, wherein the accepted standard deviation is calculated on a rolling basis, wherein the determining the presence of a possible destabilizing event in the pipeline network includes determining whether or not the sensed pressure waves exceed the adjusted predetermined stable operating threshold, wherein determining the presence of a possible destabilizing event in the pipeline network in response to the sensed pressure waves further includes determining whether or not a subsequential decompression characteristic is present following the detection of the variation in sensed pressure waves; determining the certainty of the possible destabilizing event; corroborating the presence of the destabilizing event based upon at least one of (i) one or more sensed pipeline network operating conditions and (ii) at least one independent process variable, wherein corroborating the presence of the destabilizing event includes determining the certainty of the possible destabilizing event, wherein determining the certainty of the possible destabilizing event includes comparing the determination of a possible destabilizing event based upon sensed pressure waves with one or more sensed pipeline network operating conditions and further corroborating the determination of a possible destabilizing event based upon sensed pressure waves with least one additional independent process variable; and identifying a potential cause of the sensed destabilizing event by comparing the character of the current destabilized events using an expert based diagnostic subroutine with at least one of the prior destabilizing events, the current operating mode of the pipeline network, the current operating conditions in the pipeline network and the current operating events in the pipeline network. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A system for monitoring a pipeline network, wherein the pipeline network having a first facility, a second facility, at least one pipeline segment connecting the first facility and the second facility such that the fluid can flow between the first facility and the second facility, and at least one pumping station connected to the at least one pipeline segment, whereby fluid flowing through the at least one pipeline segment flows through the at least one pumping station, the system comprising:
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a plurality of pressure sensing devices for sensing the presence of one or more pressure waves within the pipeline network; a plurality of remote monitoring devices operatively connected to the first facility, the second facility and the at least one pumping station, wherein the remote monitoring devices monitor the operation of the pipeline network and collect operating data of the pipeline network; and a control unit operatively connected to the plurality of pressure sensing devices and the plurality of remote monitoring devices for monitoring the operation of the pipeline network based upon signals received from the plurality of remote monitoring devices, wherein the control unit detects the presence of possible destabilizing events in the pipeline network by determining whether or not variations in the sensed pressure waves are present and whether or not the variation exceeds an accepted standard deviation, wherein the accepted standard deviation is calculated on a rolling basis, wherein the control unit further determines the presence of a possible destabilizing event by determining whether or not the sensed pressure waves exceed a predetermined stable operating threshold, wherein the control unit adjusts the predetermined stable operating threshold in response to at least one of the operating mode, current operating conditions and current operating events, wherein the control unit corroborates the presence of the destabilizing event based upon at least one of (i) one or more sensed pipeline network operating conditions and (ii) at least one independent process variable, wherein the control unit determines the certainty of the possible destabilized event by comparing the determination of a possible destabilized event based upon sensed pressure waves with one or more sensed pipeline network operating conditions sensed by the plurality of remote monitoring devices, wherein the control unit further diagnoses a potential cause of the sensed destabilizing event by comparing the character of the sensed destabilizing event using an expert based diagnostic subroutine with at least one of prior destabilizing events, the current operating mode of the pipeline network, the current operating conditions in the pipeline network and the current operating events in the pipeline network. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A pipeline network for transporting fluids, comprising:
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a first facility; a second facility; at least one pipeline segment connecting the first facility and the second facility such that the fluid can flow between the first facility and the second facility; at least one pumping station connected to the at least one pipeline segment, whereby fluid flowing through the at least one pipeline segment flows through the at least one pumping station; and a monitoring system for monitoring the operation of the pipeline network, wherein the monitoring system comprising; a plurality of pressure sensing devices for sensing the presence of one or more pressure waves within the pipeline network; a plurality of remote monitoring devices operatively connected to the first facility, the second facility and the at least one pumping station, wherein the remote monitoring devices monitor the operation of the pipeline network and collect operating data of the pipeline network; and a control unit operatively connected to the plurality of pressure sensing devices and the plurality of remote monitoring devices for controlling the operation of the pipeline network based upon signals received from the plurality of remote monitoring devices, wherein the control unit determines (i) whether or not variations in the sensed pressure waves are present, and (ii) whether or not the variation exceeds an accepted standard deviation, wherein the accepted standard deviation is calculated on a rolling basis, wherein the control unit detects the presence of possible destabilizing events in the pipeline network in response to the sensed pressure waves based upon determining whether or not detected variations in the sensed pressure waves exceeds an accepted standard deviation, wherein control unit further determines whether or not a subsequential decompression characteristic is present following the detection of the variation in sensed pressure waves wherein the control unit further corroborates the presence of the destabilizing event based upon at least one of (i) one or more sensed pipeline network operating conditions and (ii) at least one independent process variable, wherein the control unit further diagnoses a potential cause of the sensed destabilizing event by comparing the character of the sensed destabilizing event using an expert based diagnostic subroutine with at least one of prior destabilizing events, the current operating mode of the pipeline network, the current operating conditions in the pipeline network and the current operating events in the pipeline network, wherein the control unit determines the certainty of the possible destabilizing event. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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Specification