Pipeline system

• US 10,288,225 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2015
• Issued: 05/14/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Energy AS
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Kristiansen, Karstein
• Primary Examiner(s): McCall, Eric S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Graves, Timothy P
• Application Number:
  US15/320,892
• Publication Number:
  US 20170198865A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,462 Days
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 44/06 in response to the flow or pressure of the motive fluid of the drive
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 53/34 using electric, magnetic or electromagnetic fields, e.g. using induction, dielectric or microwave heating
• CPC Class Codes: F16L 58/02 by means of internal or external coatings
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 1/16 Facilitating the conveyance of liquids or effecting the conveyance of viscous products by modification of their viscosity changing the flow or the viscosity by adding a chemical agent C09K3/00, C10M
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 1/18 by heating
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 3/01 for controlling, signalling, or supervising the conveyance of a product
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 3/18 for measuring the quantity of conveyed product measuring volume or volume flow, in general G01F
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/268 using optical fibres G01D5/28 - G01D5/38 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 11/32 using changes in transmittance, scattering or luminescence in optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 11/3206 at discrete locations in the fibre, e.g. using Bragg scattering
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/02 Induction heating

Abstract

A pipeline system includes a pipeline portion; at least one sensor on the pipeline portion for measuring a physical property of the pipeline portion or of a fluid inside the pipeline portion; and an electromagnetic field source distributed along the pipeline portion and creating an electromagnetic field around the pipeline portion, the at least one sensor including an accumulator for storing an electric charge induced in the accumulator when the sensor is subject to the electromagnetic field created by the electromagnetic field source, the accumulator being able to power the at least one sensor by way of the stored electric charge.

Claims

1. A pipeline system, comprising:

a pipeline portion;

at least one sensor on the pipeline portion, to measure a physical property of the pipeline portion or of a fluid inside the pipeline portion; and

an electrical heating device distributed along the pipeline portion to heat the pipeline portion, the electrical heating device creating an electromagnetic field around the pipeline portion, wherein the at least one sensor includes an accumulator therein and configured to store an electric charge induced in the accumulator when the at least one sensor is subject to the electromagnetic field created by the electrical heating device, the accumulator being further configured to power the at least one sensor by way of the stored electric charge.

2. The pipeline system of claim 1, further comprising:

a coating around the pipeline portion, the coating providing an external surface to the pipeline portion, the at least one sensor including a plurality of sensors and the plurality of sensors being comprised between the pipeline portion and external surface, wherein the electrical heating device includes a metallic cable connected to a metallic wall of the pipeline portion, the metallic cable being external to the external surface of the pipeline portion.

3. The pipeline system of claim 1, wherein the accumulator is configured to power the at least one sensor by way of the stored electric charge when the electrical heating device is switched off.

4. The pipeline system of claim 2, wherein the accumulator is configured to power the at least one sensor by way of the stored electric charge when the electrical heating device is switched off.

5. The pipeline system of claim 2, further comprising:

a coating around the pipeline portion, the coating providing an external surface to the pipeline portion, the at least one sensor including a plurality of sensors and the plurality of sensors being comprised between the pipeline portion and external surface.

6. The pipeline system of claim 3, further comprising:

a coating around the pipeline portion, the coating providing an external surface to the pipeline portion, the at least one sensor including a plurality of sensors and the plurality of sensors being comprised between the pipeline portion and external surface.

7. The pipeline system of claim 4, further comprising:

a coating around the pipeline portion, the coating providing an external surface to the pipeline portion, the at least one sensor including a plurality of sensors and the plurality of sensors being comprised between the pipeline portion and external surface.

8. A sensor for making measurements on a pipeline system, the sensor comprising:

an accumulator within the sensor, the accumulator being configured to store an electric charge when subject to an electromagnetic field created by an electrical heating device included in the pipeline system.

9. The sensor of claim 8, wherein the sensor is one selected from the group consisting of pressure sensor, PH sensor, mass flow rate sensor, strain gauge, gravity sensor.

10. The sensor of claim 8, further comprising a coating, wherein the sensor and the accumulator are embedded in the coating.