c
 


   
     

by Franklin Birt, The University of Tulsa

   
 c
 

î

The simplest of pipeline inspection tools is a gauging pig. Gauging Pigs commonly take the form of a
circular steel plate secured to the pig, with its axis parallel to the direction of travel. The pig is propelled
along the pipeline in the conventional way by pumping air or fluid into the pipe behind it. Dents,
deformations and tight bends deform the gauge plate which is visually inspected when the tool is
retrieved.

Although gauging pigs can determine the minimum bore and bend radius of a pipeline, they do not log
the location of defects. Gauging pigs are commonly deployed on new pipelines when construction has
been completed, and before deployment of more sophisticated inspection tools or hydro plugs, in order
to verify that the pipeline is free of obstructions that could hinder the passage of product, cleaning pigs,
or other inspection tools.

 

Caliper pigs are the entry level into the ͞smart pig͟ arena. Caliper pigs are used to measure and log the
inside bore of the pipeline. They usually have an odometer wheel that logs the speed of the tool and the
distance from the launcher to the location of defects. This system features spring loaded sensor arms
that measure the pipeline cross section as it traverses the pipeline. Caliper pigs may also incorporate
linear and rotational accelerometers to register the pig͛s dynamic behavior. When these data are
combined, they can reveal information about welds, pipe friction, sedimentation, contamination and
other pipe wall deformations as well as provide a general location of recorded defects.


  î

î
The Inertial Geometry Pig provides pipeline operators with three dimensional, geographic, and
geometric information about their pipeline. The IGP is essentially a high resolution Inertial Measurement
Unit (IMU) similar to the gyroscopes used in airplanes. Starting from a known position on the pipeline
and/or a GPS location, the IGP is able to log its position and orientation, and store the data in an on
board computer or data logger as it traverses the pipeline.

IGPs are typically used in conjunction with Time Based Benchmarkers placed outside the pipeline, along
the presumed route. The benchmarkers detect the passage of the tool and log the GPS time. When the
run is complete, the data from the IGP and all the benchmarkers are combined and compared to the as
built drawings of the pipeline. Comparing the results of an inspection with previous runs, or as built
information, can reveal any pipeline movement since the line was constructed or the most recent
survey.

 


 

These are the oldest and most common inspection tools, which operate by magnetizing the pipe wall
with a permanent magnet, and then measuring and logging the residual magnetic field. The magnetic
field increases and decreases in strength according to the wall thickness and hardness of the steel. They
usually have an odometer wheel which logs the speed of the tool, and the distance from the launcher to
the location of defects. MFL tools either have a built in, or are used in tandem with, an IGP and are
normally used with Time Based Benchmarkers as well.

  
 
This is the most advanced and expensive inspection method, capable of detecting small corrosion pits ,
cracks (hydrogen-induced cracking, stress-corrosion cracking, and cracks in welds), laminations, and
several other mill defects as well as mechanical damage. The ULT works by resonating sound waves then
measuring the reflection of off of the pipe wall.

ULT tools either have a built in, or are used in tandem with an IGP tool and are normally used with Time
Based Benchmarkers






Remote Field Technology (RFT) is a newer pipeline inspection methodology which is proving to be more
accurate than MFL or ULT and very well suited for smaller pipelines (2-8͟). The RFT concept is similar to
MFL but instead of permanent magnets, it uses an electromagnetic coil, driven by an AC power source,
to induce a voltage into a sensing coil, through the pipe wall.
RFT tools can measure both remaining wall thickness and surface area and stress due to soil movement
with a much higher accuracy than MFL or ULT tools can. RFT can also detect cracks and even
manufacturing defects in the pipe. Another added benefit is that the induced magnet field emits a
unique signature which can easily be tracked from above ground without the need for a dedicated
transmitter module.

Both tethered and ͞free-swimming͟ RFT tools have been developed and deployed with great successes.
Tethered tools have been used for distances up to 3km and free-swimming tools up to 25km.



    !

Pipeline tractors or crawlers, as the name implies, are self propelled inspection vehicles which are fitted
with infrared video cameras or ultrasonic measurement systems. Typically these systems are tethered
and transmit data through an umbilical to a computer system above ground. They are available for
pipelines 4 to 72͟ in diameter and the typical cable length is 1500 ʹ 2000 ft. Though a video feed of the
interior of the pipe can be invaluable to the operator, these systems are usually not deployable in a
͞live͟ pipeline, and are used mostly used in wastewater and sewage lines.


"    
A Smart Utility Pig offers a fundamentally different approach to in-line inspection. In essence, a Smart
Utility Pig is a standard cleaning pig fitted with an instrumentation module. Rather than deploying an
MFL or ULT tool to directly measure features of the pipeline, the instrumentation is tasked with
measuring the behavior of the pig as it traverses the pipeline. From the recorded changes in pig
behavior, the condition of the pipeline can be discerned via interpretive software.

Smart Utility Pigs can be deployed with the following sensors: Temperature, Pressure, (absolute and/or
differential), Vibration, and Acceleration/Inclination in any combination thereof. These Smart Utility
Pigs have been successfully deployed in pipelines as small as 6͟

x 
 
 c
 

There has not been a lot of progress in the development of miniaturized pipeline inspection monitoring
systems within the pipeline inspection industry. MLF and ULT tools are mechanically and electrically
complex, large, and very heavy. These tools can be quite expensive and difficult to deploy, and in some
cases, require operators to modify existing pig launching receiving facilities to accommodate extended
tool lengths and weight.

Though the resolution of inspection tools has been greatly improved by advances in micro-electronics,
the packaging of these electronics systems is still their weakest point. Electrical connectors, and wiring
harnesses that are able to survive in the harsh environment of a pipeline are often larger, and more
expensive than ͞off the shelf͟ connectors and cables . In many cases inspection tools are actually
designed around the connectors that are used. Electronics housings must also maintain integrity under
high pressures and wide temperature swings.

Power and data storage are of the next priority and proportionally affect the size and weight of the
tools. The higher the resolution, the more power and data storage are required.

Given the potential complex geometries of pipelines, the turning radius of inspection tools becomes a
critical design factor. These tools must also collapse to some degree in order to traverse bore
restrictions, reductions in pipe diameter, pig locators, and other anomalous defects. In a small diameter
pipeline (less than 12͟) an inspection tool may need multiple modules in order to provide enough
power, data storage, and computing horsepower for a comprehensive inspection. The mechanical
interconnection of these modules as well as the electrical integration becomes more of a concern as the
capabilities and resolution of the inspection tool is expanded. Of course in larger pipelines, these size
constraints are reduced significantly but are ever present.

Most inspection tools require a magnetic transmitter which provides a means of tracking the tool
through the pipeline, and a aiding in its locating should it become stuck.

Another limitation of MFL and ULT tools in particular is the need for intimate contact with the pipe wall
in the case of MFL tools, and a liquid couplant to the pipe wall with ULT. Recently there has been some
progress with gas-coupled ULT tools but there is of yet no commercially available tools using this
technology.
Many pipelines have internal deposits of wax, scale or sand and others are lined with cement mortar,
epoxy or polyethylene, which prevent the effective use of MFL tools. Since RFT requires no contact with
the pipe wall, they can measure through scale, wax and non-magnetic liners. RFT tools have a clearance
of 0.250 to allow easier passage of the tool past weld roots, dents, and internal deposits, which also
allow tools to be deployed at much lower pressures than MFL tools. RFT Tools are inherently more
flexible than MFL tools and have no moving parts so there is nothing to break off or get caught when
passing through valves, tees and branches.

The RFT tools are showing promise in that they require no contact with the pipe wall. These tools can be
deployed at very low pressures. They also tend to be more accurate (and can find smaller defects) than
MFL or ULT tools, and can operate at a much slower speed.

The Smart Utility Pig seems to have many advantages over all the aforementioned technologies. The
most notable is the operating cost. With more traditional tools surveys can cost thousands of dollars per
kilometer, the Smart Utility Pig can be deployed for hundreds. Its wide complement of sensor
arrangements can provide operators with as much information about their facility in one run, as might
require multiple runs with different tools.

a
 
      c
 

 
#  
There are three basic types of marine animal tags which are used by marine researchers: Sonic, Satellite,
and Archival. Sonic Tags are acoustic devices attached to marine animals and tracked through the water
with hydrophones. Satellite Tags are attached to animals and are designed to transmit or receive data to
or from satellites via radio telemetry when the antenna of the tag comes out of the water. Archival Tags
are devices attached to animals that record various data, such as position, temperature, and water
depth, which are then recovered from the animal so that the archived data can be downloaded.
There are several varieties of tags within each type, including compass, GPS tracking, Salinity
(conductivity), Pitch and Roll and pH, to name a few. These tags are inherently small in size (approx 1.2͟
long .60͟ dia.) as they are intended to be attached to marine life. The range of measurements available
in these devices is fairly similar to the Smart Utility Pig, though sample rates and data storage are much
lower, it is possible to increase them without a significant increase in physical size.
We attached an archival tag to a foam pig and deployed it in a 12͟ pipeline with a short section of
10͟pipe. The tag we selected for this test was designed to measure temperature, depth (pressure) and
three axis of motion. On three consecutive runs we were able to detect the change in pipe diameter by
the change in drive pressure on the sensor. We were also able to detect the basic change in direction of
the pig as it traversed the pipeline. Though the data was rudimentary, it is obvious that with some
adjustments to the architecture and packaging, these tags could find a place in the pipeline inspection
industry.