Millennium Projects
Technical Details
Millennium Project Number: M-2004-001
Project Title: No-Pig Inspection Technology for Distribution and Transmission Pipes
Project Start Date: 2004
Projected End Date: 2005
Technical Details:
Develop a remote above-ground inspection technology with possible application to pipeline integrity testing for qualifying metal loss anomalies. A foreign contractor has developed a promising technology that is used in Europe to detect large flaws in pipes. Preliminary testing of the technology concluded that the technique could contribute to proof of integrity for un-piggable lines containing critical metal loss. This technology has the potential to reduce the cost associated with current DA technology.
The objective of the project is to expand the capabilities of the existing equipment to detect flaws. The system works by applying a current at pre-set intervals, between two contact points in a line, and at two frequencies. Any non-uniformity in the pipe can be measured and identified by the system. The contractor expanded the hardware and software capabilities to apply the system to larger diameter pipe, and conducted field tests, but still needs to address various filter parameters. The filtering parameters include filter type, filter length or bandwidth, weighting, and orientation of welds vs. defect. This project will perform numerical analysis and develop new algorithms that allow a two dimensional filtering process to overcome the problems associated with signals being saturated on seam welded pipe. The project will also evaluate effects of electrical interference in the presence of crossing pipelines, casings, cathodic protection test leads, drips, compression couplings, tees and passing traffic.
Also funding this project are the following companies: SoCal Gas and PRCI.