System and method for supervising, managing, and monitoring the structural integrity of a fluid-transportation pipeline network, for locating the leaking point, and for evaluating the extent of the failure
First Claim
1. A system for supervising, managing, and monitoring the structural integrity of a network of metal pipelines for transporting a fluid, for detecting attempts of third-party intrusion of the pipelines, for locating a leaking point in the pipelines, and for evaluating faults or failures in the pipelines, comprising:
- a plurality of detection units (1) positioned on an exterior of a pipeline (2), positioned at a distance apart from one another and fixedly applied to the pipeline (2);
a central data-processing unit (4), connected by means of communication lines (5) to the detection units (1) for receiving detection data from the detection units (1); and
means for alarm and automatic notification that activate responsive to a detection of a fault at a detection unit of said detection units,wherein the detection units (1) each comprise a container (6), fixedly applied to the pipeline (2), and a plurality of sensors housed within the container (6) and configured for detecting and measuring, with respect to predetermined reference thresholds, linear and angular accelerations,wherein each one of the detection units (1) comprise a communication module (8) for communication between other ones of the detection units (1) and with the central data-processing unit (4),wherein said detection units (1) each comprise a peripheral processing unit (9) in communication with said sensors and said communication module,wherein said detection units (1) communicate with one another according to a network architecture,wherein each detection unit of the detection units (1) is configured to detect variations of speed and variations of orientation by way of said measurements of linear and angular accelerations to which the detection unit is subjected at a location along the pipeline at which the detection unit is fixed, so as to monitor and transmit as said detection data time—
referenced variations of angle of roll, of angle of pitch, and of angle of yaw of the pipeline at said location,wherein the detection data provided by each detection unit (1) to the central data-processing unit (4) comprises a time corresponding to each measurement occurring at the detection unit (1),wherein said central data-processing unit (4) processes, in real time, the detection data received from the detection units (1), including taking into account the time corresponding to each measurement, in order to detect anomalous behaviour of the pipeline,wherein said central data-processing unit (4) comprises a supervision and management sub-system configured to monitor the detection data received from the detection units of an entirety of the pipeline (2), controlled through dynamic graphic representations,wherein said central data-processing unit (4) also comprises a sub-system for detecting from the detection data non-authorized attempts of attack or impact that might break or damage the pipeline (2), which is associated to the plurality of detection units (1) and supplies information detected to the supervision and management sub-system, andwherein the central processing unit (4) is configured to;
determine occurrence of state changes with respect to a state of normal operation of the pipeline (2) through dimensional thresholding for each individual measurement carried out by the detection units (1),implement experimental learning based on the detection data received from the detection units (1) distributed along the pipeline (2) so as to identify occurrence of state changes with respect to the state of normal operation of the pipeline (2), andgenerate experiential models regarding at least a portion of the pipeline (2) by performing real-time post-processing of the detection data, so as to determine functional filters and associated running dates and times for each measurement and detection unit (1).
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Abstract
A system and method for supervising, managing, and monitoring the structural integrity of a network of metal pipelines for transporting a fluid, for locating the leaking point, and for evaluating the fault or failure, comprising a plurality of detection units (1) positioned on a pipeline (2) for oil or gas at a distance apart by a given value and fixedly applied to the pipeline (2), and a central data-processing unit (4) connected by means of communication lines (5) to said detection units (1) for receiving from the latter detection data, wherein said units (1) comprise sensors capable of measuring one or more physical quantities, wherein said processing unit (4) processes in real time the detection data received from the detection units (1).
14 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A system for supervising, managing, and monitoring the structural integrity of a network of metal pipelines for transporting a fluid, for detecting attempts of third-party intrusion of the pipelines, for locating a leaking point in the pipelines, and for evaluating faults or failures in the pipelines, comprising:
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a plurality of detection units (1) positioned on an exterior of a pipeline (2), positioned at a distance apart from one another and fixedly applied to the pipeline (2); a central data-processing unit (4), connected by means of communication lines (5) to the detection units (1) for receiving detection data from the detection units (1); and means for alarm and automatic notification that activate responsive to a detection of a fault at a detection unit of said detection units, wherein the detection units (1) each comprise a container (6), fixedly applied to the pipeline (2), and a plurality of sensors housed within the container (6) and configured for detecting and measuring, with respect to predetermined reference thresholds, linear and angular accelerations, wherein each one of the detection units (1) comprise a communication module (8) for communication between other ones of the detection units (1) and with the central data-processing unit (4), wherein said detection units (1) each comprise a peripheral processing unit (9) in communication with said sensors and said communication module, wherein said detection units (1) communicate with one another according to a network architecture, wherein each detection unit of the detection units (1) is configured to detect variations of speed and variations of orientation by way of said measurements of linear and angular accelerations to which the detection unit is subjected at a location along the pipeline at which the detection unit is fixed, so as to monitor and transmit as said detection data time—
referenced variations of angle of roll, of angle of pitch, and of angle of yaw of the pipeline at said location,wherein the detection data provided by each detection unit (1) to the central data-processing unit (4) comprises a time corresponding to each measurement occurring at the detection unit (1), wherein said central data-processing unit (4) processes, in real time, the detection data received from the detection units (1), including taking into account the time corresponding to each measurement, in order to detect anomalous behaviour of the pipeline, wherein said central data-processing unit (4) comprises a supervision and management sub-system configured to monitor the detection data received from the detection units of an entirety of the pipeline (2), controlled through dynamic graphic representations, wherein said central data-processing unit (4) also comprises a sub-system for detecting from the detection data non-authorized attempts of attack or impact that might break or damage the pipeline (2), which is associated to the plurality of detection units (1) and supplies information detected to the supervision and management sub-system, and wherein the central processing unit (4) is configured to; determine occurrence of state changes with respect to a state of normal operation of the pipeline (2) through dimensional thresholding for each individual measurement carried out by the detection units (1), implement experimental learning based on the detection data received from the detection units (1) distributed along the pipeline (2) so as to identify occurrence of state changes with respect to the state of normal operation of the pipeline (2), and generate experiential models regarding at least a portion of the pipeline (2) by performing real-time post-processing of the detection data, so as to determine functional filters and associated running dates and times for each measurement and detection unit (1). - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for supervising, managing, and monitoring a structural integrity of a metal pipeline for conveying a fluid, for locating a leaking point of the pipeline and for evaluating faults and failures of the pipeline, carried out by a system that includes a plurality of detection units (1) fixedly applied on an exterior of a pipeline (2) at a given distance apart from one another, and a central data-processing unit (4) connected by means of communication lines (5) to said detection units (1) for receiving detection data from said detection units (1), the detection units (1) each having a communication module (8) and sensors that measure, with respect to reference thresholds, quantities comprising linear and angular accelerations as detection data including time of detection and transmitted to the central data-processing unit (4), said quantities being detected outside a section of passage of the fluid conveyed, the method comprising:
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acquiring said detection data in conditions of normal operation for acquiring a knowledge of a state of normal operation of the pipeline (2); processing said detection data to determine mean values of all the quantities through dimensional thresholdings for each individual measurement in order to determine occurrence of state changes with respect to the state of normal operation of the pipeline (2); implementing experimental learning based on the detection data received from the detection units (1) distributed along the pipeline (2) so as to promptly identify the occurrence of state changes with respect to the state of normal operation of the pipeline (2); generating experiential models regarding a stretch of the pipeline or an entirety of the pipeline (2) by performing real-time post-processing of the detection data, so as to determine functional filters and associated running dates and times for each measurement and detection unit (1); applying the functional filters to the detection data, evaluating an intensity of the measurement or measurements detected, determining a fault associated with the intensity, and carrying out a behavioural analysis of the pipeline; and recognizing any anomalous behaviour of the pipeline and recognizing the fault, and locating a point of detection of an event that generated the fault. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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Specification