PRODUCTION • PROCESSING • HANDLING
BROADENING
Martin Bluck discusses today’s intelligent pigs and how technology can be leveraged to provide improved confidence to pipeline operators striving for zero pipeline failures
Martin Bluck habla de los sensores inteligentes actuales y de cómo se puede aprovechar la tecnología para brindar mayor fiabilidad a los operadores de ductos en sus esfuerzos para lograr tuberías exentes de fallas
Martin Bluck schreibt über moderne intelligente Molche und wie Technologie genutzt werden kann, um Pipeline-Betreibern, die Pipeline-Ausfälle komplett verhindern wollen, mehr Sicherheit zu bieten
I
n the past, different types of inline inspection tools were developed, each for a single, specific purpose. Magnetic flux leakage (MFL) pigs were developed for metal loss inspection, while caliper pigs were designed to look for dents and geometric features, and mapping systems were used to investigate pipeline positioning. Within each of these three types of pig, there were multiple variants, each designed and developed to meet specific industry requirements. At one time, PII had seven different types of MFL systems in operational use, each delivering inspection results to subtly different specifications. From an operational standpoint, having multiple types of inline inspection tool presents an unwelcome dichotomy. Although the pipeline operator has a fundamental need for confidence in the quality of the inspection, they must
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balance this against the downtime caused by every inspection run. For a clean bill of health covering metal loss, dents and pipeline positioning, a minimum of three inspection runs would have had to be completed. Tis need for three runs increases downtime and the likelihood of a failed run. However, this could be compounded by the need to re-run with one of the other MFL or caliper system variants if the pipeline condition was not as anticipated, further increasing the downtime and costs suffered by the pipeline operator. Faced with this problem, one of the goals for PII in developing its fourth generation MFL technology was to reduce the range of pigs in its inventory while enhancing inspection quality, safety and delivering first run success. As a result of the smart application of this latest technology, PII’s next generation of intelligent pig now incorporates MFL, caliper and inertial measurement unit (IMU) mapping in a single, compact yet flexible multi-mission system. What used to need three runs can now be completed in a single inspection while offering enhanced levels of accuracy and the flexibility to meet individual client needs, cost effectively. Tis has been achieved by optimising the design of each of the three core components of the inline inspection system to gather more data to provide a higher resolution inspection. By reducing the size of the MFL sensors, configuring them in a triax array, while increasing
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