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Pathfinder

Pipeline Innovations Ltd, Unit 13E, Atley Way, Cramlington, Northumberland, UK, NE23 1WA Tel: +44(0)1670 618 861, Email: [email protected], Web: www.pipeline-‐innovations.com

PATHFINDER FOAM CALIPER TOOL

Product Information

The Pathfinder® Foam Caliper Tool is a pipeline inspection device with a high level of mechanical compliance, which is capable of negotiating severe restrictions in a pipeline with minimal risk of blockage or damage. Pathfinder has been developed for the first stage assessment of operational pipelines prior to the use of metal-‐bodied pigs. It can be used in conjunction with standard foam cleaning pigs to prove the bore of pipelines with unknown internal conditions, including:

• New and operational pipelines which have not previously been pigged • Operational pipelines which have suffered damage due to external interference but are inaccessible for external inspection • Operational pipelines with unknown levels and distributions of wax or scale deposits.

Information from the tool is used to identify the location and the size of localised bore restrictions in the line, allowing informed decisions to be made on the appropriate types and configurations of pigs to be deployed to clean or gauge the line.

Technical Data

Pig Sizes To Suite Nominal Pipe Bore 4” to 26”

Foam Pig Body Medium Density Polyurethane

Operating Pressure 100 bar standard

Caliper Sensors 8 to 24 Independent Caliper sensors

Orientation Sensors Roll, Tilt and Heading

Data Download USB Interface to PC or Laptop

Pathfinder


Key Features

The Pathfinder comprises a medium density polyurethane foam pig with a removable cartridge containing sensors, electronics and batteries located in the centre of the pig. Sensors measure the compression of the foam at points around the circumference of the tool, allowing the tool to identify and measure bore changes, dents, ovality, scale and wax deposits and other restrictions in the line. Other sensors measure the roll (clock position), tilt and heading orientation of the pig. An onboard logging system (with real-‐time clock) collects and stores data from the sensors, allowing pipeline features and anomalies recorded in the data to be referenced to pressure and flow records.

For pig sizes 8” and greater an electromagnetic transmitter can be included for tracking and operation of Pig Signalers.

Operation

Operation of the tool is relatively simple and does not normally require the services of a caliper technician. To operate the tool, the caliper cartridge is powered up by screwing in a ‘Run Plug’ and correct operation is indicated by a flashing green light. The cartridge is inserted into the Foam Carrier Pig and locked in place with a cap. The pig is then ready to load into the pipe.

On completion of the run the caliper cartridge is removed from the pig for data download and battery recharge. The pig body can be re-‐used if undamaged or otherwise disposed of.

Data Analysis

Following download of the data onto a PC or Laptop, the operator is able to view the data file using the client viewer software supplied by PIL. An initial assessment of the data can be carried out on site but the full analysis of Pathfinder data requires the services of a skilled analyst to correctly identify pipe features, and to identify and locate the position of anomalies. To do this, a copy of the datafile must be uploaded to the PIL UK base using an internet file sharing website.

Output from the analysis is in the form of multi-‐channel plots which display radius, diameter or mean bore values. Top dead centre of the pipe and tilt angle of the pig are displayed as graphics. Accelerometer and gyro data can be used for the identification of girth welds and for the measurement of bend angle and direction. A preliminary report detailing the main features in the pipeline including any anomalies will normally be issued within 24 hrs and a final report will be issued within 7 days.

Pathfinder


TECHNICAL DATA Pathfinder Foam Caliper

MECHANICAL

Size Range Tools sizes suitable for pipe diameters from 4” to 26”

Foam Carrier Pig Medium density polyurethane foam

Bore Passing Full circumferential bore restrictions in excess of 30% (20% for the 4” tool).

Bend Passing Minimum bend radius of less than 1D.

Operating Pressure 100bar

Operating Temperature 00C to 500C

MEASUREMENT SYSTEM

Caliper Sensors 8 Independent Caliper Sensors on the smaller sizes up to 24 sensors on the largest sizes.

Clock Position Orientation sensors to identify which of the caliper sensors is at TDC on each scan.

Tilt Angle Accelerometers measure the tilt angle of the pig relative to gravity

Bend Angle Gyro sensors measure the heading angle of the pig allowing bend angle to be determined

Data Acquisition & Storage

Each data scan collects and stores data from the caliper sensors, the accelerometer sensors and the gyro sensors. The default scan rate is 200 scans per second. This ensures that a data scan is completed at intervals of 5mm along the pipe for a pig speed of 1m/s

OPERATION

Survey Speed

Data quality is not significantly affected by pig speed, however, for identification and interpretation of features such as dents etc, a constant running speed is recommended

Pathfinder


Run Time

Batteries are rechargeable. The tool has sufficient battery capacity to provide a run time of 60 hours for the single battery pack version and 120 hours for the dual pack version.

Data Download Data download is via a USB interface direct to a laptop or PC hard disk drive.

High Bypass Pathfinder

In pipelines containing wax or sand deposits, there is a risk that the pig will remove deposits from the pipe walls causing a build-‐up of debris in front of the pig. In some cases, the build up could be significant to the point where the drive pressure is insufficient to drive the plug of debris through the line resulting in a stuck pig. In order to minimise this risk, Pipeline Innovations in conjunction with help and assistance from Pipeline Research Ltd, have developed a bypass version of the Pathfinder using an array of bypass tubes through the body of the pig. This produces a high velocity jet of product issuing from the nose of the pig which produces turbulence to prevent a build-‐up of a plug.

pathfinder march 2017 - newpipeline-innovations.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/pathfinder.pdf ·...

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