PIPELINE COMMUNICATIONS

• US 20140151241A1
• Filed: 12/04/2012
• Published: 06/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Itron, Inc.
• Inventors: Cahill-O'Brien, Barry
• Granted Patent: US 9,005,423 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 205/726
• CPC Class Codes: C23F 13/04 Controlling or regulating desired parameters
• CPC Class Codes: C23F 13/22 Monitoring arrangements therefor
• CPC Class Codes: C23F 2213/32 Pipes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 17/02 Electrochemical measuring systems for weathering, corrosion or corrosion-protection measurement

Abstract

Communications systems are provided for use with an impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) system having single or multiple ICCP components. A pipeline may be provided by connecting multiple pipeline sections together as an integrated pipeline where each section has an associated ICCP system. A communications signal comprising an AC signal is impressed on the pipeline and received by receivers associated with power supplies associated with each ICCP system. Upon reception of the AC signal, a controllable switch is operated within the power supplies to synchronously disconnect them from their power source and thereby enable accurate testing of the ICCP system.

Claims

1. In a pipeline impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) system, a method of synchronizing power control switching of individual ICCP systems associated with respective sections of such pipeline, comprising:

impressing an alternating current (AC) signal on at least selected ones of the multiple sections; and

disabling individual ICCP systems in accordance with characteristics of a received impressed AC signal.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein disabling comprises disconnecting individual ICCP system power supply transformers from their normal power source.

3. A method as in claim 1, wherein disabling comprises operating a controllable switch.

4. A method as in claim 1, wherein impressing an alternating current (AC) signal comprises impressing a low voltage AC signal on at least selected ones of the pipeline sections.

5. A method as in claim 4, wherein the low voltage AC signal has a potential level up to about 15 volts AC.

6. A method as in claim 4, wherein the low voltage AC signal comprises a modulated signal for providing communications data along the pipeline to a collection point.

7. A method as in claim 4, wherein the low voltage AC signal is impressed on at least selected ones of the multiple sections by way of capacitive coupling of the AC signal to the pipeline sections.

8. A method as in claim 7, wherein the pipeline sections are capacitively coupled together.

9. An impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) system, comprising:

a pipeline, said pipeline separated into multiple direct current (DC) isolated pipeline sections;

a plurality of power supplies, individual ones of said plurality of power supplies associated with respective individual ones of said isolated pipeline sections, each of said plurality of power supplies including a controllable switch configured to disconnect the power supply from a source of AC power;

a plurality of receivers associated with each of said plurality of power supplies; and

an alternating current (AC) signal source coupled to at least selected of said isolated pipeline sections,

wherein each of said plurality of receivers is configured to respond to a received signal from said AC signal source by operating the controllable switch associated with each of said plurality of power supplies.

10. A system as in claim 9, wherein:

each of said plurality of power supplies includes a transformer; and

said controllable switch is configured to disconnect said transformer from a source of AC power.

11. A system as in claim 9, further including:

one or more anode elements associated with each of said multiple isolated pipeline sections; and

wherein each of said plurality of power supplies is configured to supply a direct current (DC) voltage between its associated pipeline section and the one or more anode elements associated with its associated pipeline section.

12. A system as in claim 11, wherein each of said plurality of power supplies is configured to supply from about 10 to about 50 amperes of current at about 50 volts DC.

13. A system as in claim 11, wherein said AC signal source is capacitively coupled to at least selected of said multiple isolated pipeline sections.

14. A system as in claim 11, wherein said isolated pipeline sections are capacitively coupled together.

15. A system as in claim 11, wherein said AC signal source comprises an AC source of about 15 volts AC or less.

16. A system as in claim 11, wherein said AC signal source comprises a modulated signal source for providing communications data along said pipeline to a collection point.