Fiber-optic monitoring cable

• US 9,250,120 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2012
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Prader Research &AMP Development Company Limited, Schlumberger Canada Limited (Schlumberger NV), Schlumberger Holdings Ltd. (Schlumberger NV), Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV), Services Petroliers Schlumberger (Schlumberger NV)
• Original Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (Schlumberger NV)
• Inventors: Smith, Russell James, Strong, Andrew, Lees, Gareth P
• Primary Examiner(s): Gaworecki, Mark R
• Application Number:
  US14/127,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20140312215A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,317 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/18 using photoelastic elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/0425 using optical fibers
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 11/3206 at discrete locations in the fibre, e.g. using Bragg scattering
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/242 the material being an optical fibre

Abstract

A cable for monitoring a tubular structure. The cable comprising a fiber optic bundle arranged for simultaneously sensing a plurality of parameters along a length of the tubular structure that the cable is interfaced with.

Claims

1. A cable for monitoring a tubular structure, the cable comprising a fiber optic bundle arranged for simultaneously sensing a plurality of parameters along a length of the tubular structure that the cable is interfaced with, wherein the cable is interfaced with an asset to be monitored by positioning the cable on, and helically stranded around, a length of the asset to be monitored.

2. The cable of claim 1, wherein the fiber optic bundle uses both OTDR and FBG techniques for sensing the plurality of parameters.

3. The cable of claim 1, wherein the cable is interfaced with the monitored asset by positioning the cable on the length of the asset to be monitored.

4. The cable of claim 1, wherein the cable is for sensing strain, temperature and acoustic vibration along the length of the asset to be monitored.

5. The cable of claim 1, wherein the tubular structure is a subsea umbilical, riser or flowline (SURF asset).

6. The cable of claim 1, wherein the cable is encapsulated within a thermoplastic housing.

7. A cable for monitoring a tubular structure, the cable comprising:

a housing encapsulating a central fiber optic bundle and a first and a second tube;

the central fiber optic bundle extending axially along a central-axis of the cable in between the first and the second tube that each extend axially substantially adjacent a respective side of the cable, and wherein the tubes each having a fiber optic sensor located therein.

8. The cable of claim 7, wherein a surface of the housing is shaped for enabling a flush connection with an asset to be monitored.

9. The cable of claim 8, wherein the housing is substantially rectangular shaped and the surface for enabling the flush connection having a substantially flat or slightly curved shape.

10. The cable of claim 7, wherein the first tube includes a temperature fiber optic sensor and the second tube having an acoustic fiber optic sensor.

11. A cable for monitoring a subsea pipeline, the cable comprising:

a central tube having a loosely-fitted fiber optic;

a fiber optic bundle stranded around and fixedly-fitted to an outside surface of the central tube; and

a housing that surrounds both the central tube and fiber optic bundle and having a circular cross-section.

12. The cable of claim 11, wherein an adhesive compound fills a space between the stranded fiber optic bundle and the housing.

13. The cable of claim 12, wherein there is further added a tight-buffer jacketing on each fiber of the optical fiber bundle.

14. The cable of claim 11, wherein the housing is a thermoplastic.

15. The cable of claim 14, wherein the housing is jacketed with a stranded armouring.

16. A cable for monitoring a tubular structure, the cable comprising:

a first and a second tube, each of the tubes having a loosely-fitted fiber optic located therein and a fiber optic bundle fixedly connected around an outside surface of each tube; and

a housing for surrounding both the first and the second tubes, the housing having a surface shaped to fit flush with the subsea pipeline.

17. The cable of claim 16, wherein the loosely-fitted fiber optic is capable of strain-free sensing of at least one of temperature and acoustic.

18. The cable of claim 16, wherein the tubes are metallic.