CA2339865A1 - Mobile pipeline gas leak detection method and apparatus - Google Patents
Mobile pipeline gas leak detection method and apparatus Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- CA2339865A1 CA2339865A1 CA 2339865 CA2339865A CA2339865A1 CA 2339865 A1 CA2339865 A1 CA 2339865A1 CA 2339865 CA2339865 CA 2339865 CA 2339865 A CA2339865 A CA 2339865A CA 2339865 A1 CA2339865 A1 CA 2339865A1
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- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- pipeline
- location
- vehicle
- leak detection
- detection method
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- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01M—TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES OR STRUCTURES; TESTING OF STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G01M3/00—Investigating fluid-tightness of structures
- G01M3/02—Investigating fluid-tightness of structures by using fluid or vacuum
- G01M3/04—Investigating fluid-tightness of structures by using fluid or vacuum by detecting the presence of fluid at the leakage point
- G01M3/20—Investigating fluid-tightness of structures by using fluid or vacuum by detecting the presence of fluid at the leakage point using special tracer materials, e.g. dye, fluorescent material, radioactive material
- G01M3/22—Investigating fluid-tightness of structures by using fluid or vacuum by detecting the presence of fluid at the leakage point using special tracer materials, e.g. dye, fluorescent material, radioactive material for pipes, cables or tubes; for pipe joints or seals; for valves; for welds; for containers, e.g. radiators
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- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Examining Or Testing Airtightness (AREA)
Description
TO: Canadian Intellectual Property Office, The Commissioner of Patents FROM: WOLSKI, Peter WOLSKI, Brock WOLSKI, Barrett all c/o Whitt & Company Barristers and Solicitors 555, 407 - 8th Avenue SW
Calgary, Alberta T2P 1E5 Title: Mobile Pipeline Gas Leak Detection Method and Apparatus Mr. Peter Wolski, Mr. Brock Wolski and Mr. Barrett Wolski are the inventors, and are the Applicants, who hereby seek the grant of a Canadian patent. They all are residents of Canada, with the mailing address set out above. Barrett Wolski is signing this document with the consent and authority of all three inventors This document sets forth a description of the Invention, under section 93 of the Patent Rules, as follows:
Field of the Invention This invention relates to the remote, mobile, rapid detection and subsequent location of leaks in natural gas production, transmission or distribution pipeline systems.
Background of the Invention Natural gas transportation pipeline systems are built to collect, transmit or distribute natural gas, and are often not contiguous with roadways or easy means of transportation. It is thus usually difficult to follow the pipeline's path with a leak detection system at any speed. For this reason conventional leak detection equipment is mounted on All Terrain Vehicles ("ATVs") with sample collectors mounted close to the ground, and then those suitably equipped ATVs are driven directly over the pipeline's path at very slow (sub-20 miles per hour) speeds (US Patent No 5,946,095).
Natural gas, being lighter than atmospheric air, has been thought to rise quickly from pipeline leaks into the atmosphere, and to then dissipate, making the detection of leaks at or near ground level possible only very near to the leak's location.
It thus has been thought that the detection of pipeline leaks of natural gas had to be done either right over the pipeline (see comb-like manifolds hanging on car bumpers (US Patent No.
4,164,138), along right of ways and in relatively rough terrain (see description of prior art ATV use), or with various methane detection sensors at high elevations using specialized aircraft (CDN Patent Nos. 2,176,065 and 1,243,748)).
Summary of the Invention It has been found by the inventors that the plume formed by the natural gas leaking from a pipeline does not necessarily rise rapidly into the atmosphere, but normally forms a relatively predictable plume that spreads horizontally from the leak with the movement of local air (responsive to wind speed and direction, and temperature and pressure gradients) following the terrain and rising very slowly, sometimes remaining detectable below 20 feet above terrain level for over 10 miles from the source.
Thus, by using the apparatus and following the method of this invention as described herein, it is possible to detect leaks at some distance, and to predict leak location by measuring the size (horizontal width) of the plume, the wind speed and direction, the concentration of the detected natural gas, or some of those things, by extrapolation and bracketing measurements.
For one example, a ground vehicle such as a truck or car can be fitted with a suitable gas collection device extending from near ground level to up to 20 feet above the ground, and driven along a roadway downwind from a pipeline. Air from outside, in front of and above the vehicle, is drawn from the collection apparatus to a vehicle-mounted gas detection analyzer of conventional manufacture, is sampled relatively continuously, and a note ~s made of the location of the vehicle whenever the presence of natural gas (or indicative components of natural gas) is sensed by the analyzer. The resulting location of the presence of natural gas at places along the roadway downwind of the pipeline shows a horizontal cross-section of a gas plume. Combining that information with relevant meteorological information, and a conventional map of the pipeline in relation to the roadway data permits further quick sampling within the area (if possible) to find the leak's location, which may also be extrapolated from the discovered plume and weather information alone. It is to be noted that a sample can be taken while travelling at speeds of up to 110 kilometres per hour on roadways downwind from, but not necessarily close or adjacent to, a pipeline system. Once a plume is detected, it is usual for the vehicle operator to narrow down the leak's potential location by driving a pattern of the roadways available upwind of the first leak detection to narrow the possible choices for the location of the leak (by detecting narrower and narrower segments of the plume, or by eliminating possible sources upwind of the plume source, for example).
A second example would be an airborne vehicle which can be fitted with a suitable gas detection apparatus and flown downwind from a pipeline to perform a search which will not be constrained by roadway patterns.
The sampling apparatus and method would be the same as or similar to that used with a ground vehicle but without being limited to roadway travel, and suitably modified to deal with speed and other changes arising from the differences in vehicle characteristics.
The novelty in this method and apparatus lies in the sampling of air from atmosphere at levels from 0 to 100 feet above terrain level from a moving vehicle downwind of a gas transportation pipeline system at speeds of up to 110 kilometres per hour to detect the location of gas plumes from leaks up to 10 miles distant in order to then locate leaks in the pipeline system for report and repair.
Details of the Invention A. Vehicle Characteristics The ground-based vehicles must be capable of carrying the collector array, the detector apparatus, a suitable power supply, the operator or devices to accomplish the vehicles' control by a remote operator, a location-marking device, and moving the above, and should be capable of travelling over roadways near pipelines at normal traffic speeds.
The airborne vehicles must be capable of carrying the collector array, the detector apparatus, a suitable power supply, the operator or remote control means of operation, a location-marking device, and moving the above, and should be capable of travelling at near-terrain flight elevations (which will also require relatively slow flight speeds and quick steering/climbing/diving characteristics); the collector apparatus must be out of any propeller or wing-wash, which essentially eliminates most helicopter-borne applications; it is thought that a gyrocopter is a suitable airborne platform/vehicle. Other examples might include dirigibles or very small remote-controlled aircraft, where wash effects are minimized.
B. Collector Characteristics The ground-based vehicle collector arrays should be at the front of the vehicle (out of its "wake") aligned vertically and spaced at known heights from the ground to up to 20 feet above terrain;
experience shows that a single tube with holes at varying heights is much less suitable than several tubes with open ends disposed at various heights within the desired range, connected to a manifold which is connected to the detector apparatus (see below), which is the preferred embodiment.
The airborne vehicle collector arrays must be out of the propeller and wing wash of the aircraft (if any), and should be disposed within a range of approximately a few feet above terrain to perhaps 100 feet above terrain, and otherwise should be equivalent in structure to the ground-based collector arrays.
C. Detector Apparatus Characteristics The detectors used are understood to be conventional Flame Ionization Detectors or similar equivalent, capable of sampling roughly 2.5-5.0 litres per minute airflow, and detecting methane or other natural gas indicating components in the sampled atmosphere at concentration levels indicative of a leak. It is to be noted that the detector utilized might well be of another technology, such as an Optical Methane Detector ("OMD"), or other means of similarly detecting natural gas or its components at levels indicative of a leak, with suitable alteration or amendment to collector systems (such as with respect to an OMD system, a means of externally mounting a light source, filters) and sensor fixtures to the vehicle in a way which permits a gas plume to be reliably detected) and power supplies and the like.
D. Location-Noting Characteristics The location-noting may consist of any method of noting the location of natural gas plume detection indications from the detector apparatus in geographical space (such as by pencil mark on map or GPS
mark on computer file, or any other suitable method) which would permit the operator to also add or cross-reference meteorological information at the time of gas detection (roughly), thus allowing the system to collect and display the information required to extrapolate to the source of the plume which may be a leak location.
It is to be understood that a reader skilled in the art will derive from this description the concepts of this invention, and that there are a variety of other possible implementations; substitution of different specific components for those mentioned here will not be sufficient to differ from the invention described where the substituted components are functional equivalents. The description here is meant to be illustrative and not limiting to the scope of the invention claimed.
Dated at ~ G ~ c1 , Alberta, on January I Z , 2001.
~ ~R ~ lr~ll~n'Tt' ess y E T WOLSKI for himself and for Pe er olski and Brock Wolski
Calgary, Alberta T2P 1E5 Title: Mobile Pipeline Gas Leak Detection Method and Apparatus Mr. Peter Wolski, Mr. Brock Wolski and Mr. Barrett Wolski are the inventors, and are the Applicants, who hereby seek the grant of a Canadian patent. They all are residents of Canada, with the mailing address set out above. Barrett Wolski is signing this document with the consent and authority of all three inventors This document sets forth a description of the Invention, under section 93 of the Patent Rules, as follows:
Field of the Invention This invention relates to the remote, mobile, rapid detection and subsequent location of leaks in natural gas production, transmission or distribution pipeline systems.
Background of the Invention Natural gas transportation pipeline systems are built to collect, transmit or distribute natural gas, and are often not contiguous with roadways or easy means of transportation. It is thus usually difficult to follow the pipeline's path with a leak detection system at any speed. For this reason conventional leak detection equipment is mounted on All Terrain Vehicles ("ATVs") with sample collectors mounted close to the ground, and then those suitably equipped ATVs are driven directly over the pipeline's path at very slow (sub-20 miles per hour) speeds (US Patent No 5,946,095).
Natural gas, being lighter than atmospheric air, has been thought to rise quickly from pipeline leaks into the atmosphere, and to then dissipate, making the detection of leaks at or near ground level possible only very near to the leak's location.
It thus has been thought that the detection of pipeline leaks of natural gas had to be done either right over the pipeline (see comb-like manifolds hanging on car bumpers (US Patent No.
4,164,138), along right of ways and in relatively rough terrain (see description of prior art ATV use), or with various methane detection sensors at high elevations using specialized aircraft (CDN Patent Nos. 2,176,065 and 1,243,748)).
Summary of the Invention It has been found by the inventors that the plume formed by the natural gas leaking from a pipeline does not necessarily rise rapidly into the atmosphere, but normally forms a relatively predictable plume that spreads horizontally from the leak with the movement of local air (responsive to wind speed and direction, and temperature and pressure gradients) following the terrain and rising very slowly, sometimes remaining detectable below 20 feet above terrain level for over 10 miles from the source.
Thus, by using the apparatus and following the method of this invention as described herein, it is possible to detect leaks at some distance, and to predict leak location by measuring the size (horizontal width) of the plume, the wind speed and direction, the concentration of the detected natural gas, or some of those things, by extrapolation and bracketing measurements.
For one example, a ground vehicle such as a truck or car can be fitted with a suitable gas collection device extending from near ground level to up to 20 feet above the ground, and driven along a roadway downwind from a pipeline. Air from outside, in front of and above the vehicle, is drawn from the collection apparatus to a vehicle-mounted gas detection analyzer of conventional manufacture, is sampled relatively continuously, and a note ~s made of the location of the vehicle whenever the presence of natural gas (or indicative components of natural gas) is sensed by the analyzer. The resulting location of the presence of natural gas at places along the roadway downwind of the pipeline shows a horizontal cross-section of a gas plume. Combining that information with relevant meteorological information, and a conventional map of the pipeline in relation to the roadway data permits further quick sampling within the area (if possible) to find the leak's location, which may also be extrapolated from the discovered plume and weather information alone. It is to be noted that a sample can be taken while travelling at speeds of up to 110 kilometres per hour on roadways downwind from, but not necessarily close or adjacent to, a pipeline system. Once a plume is detected, it is usual for the vehicle operator to narrow down the leak's potential location by driving a pattern of the roadways available upwind of the first leak detection to narrow the possible choices for the location of the leak (by detecting narrower and narrower segments of the plume, or by eliminating possible sources upwind of the plume source, for example).
A second example would be an airborne vehicle which can be fitted with a suitable gas detection apparatus and flown downwind from a pipeline to perform a search which will not be constrained by roadway patterns.
The sampling apparatus and method would be the same as or similar to that used with a ground vehicle but without being limited to roadway travel, and suitably modified to deal with speed and other changes arising from the differences in vehicle characteristics.
The novelty in this method and apparatus lies in the sampling of air from atmosphere at levels from 0 to 100 feet above terrain level from a moving vehicle downwind of a gas transportation pipeline system at speeds of up to 110 kilometres per hour to detect the location of gas plumes from leaks up to 10 miles distant in order to then locate leaks in the pipeline system for report and repair.
Details of the Invention A. Vehicle Characteristics The ground-based vehicles must be capable of carrying the collector array, the detector apparatus, a suitable power supply, the operator or devices to accomplish the vehicles' control by a remote operator, a location-marking device, and moving the above, and should be capable of travelling over roadways near pipelines at normal traffic speeds.
The airborne vehicles must be capable of carrying the collector array, the detector apparatus, a suitable power supply, the operator or remote control means of operation, a location-marking device, and moving the above, and should be capable of travelling at near-terrain flight elevations (which will also require relatively slow flight speeds and quick steering/climbing/diving characteristics); the collector apparatus must be out of any propeller or wing-wash, which essentially eliminates most helicopter-borne applications; it is thought that a gyrocopter is a suitable airborne platform/vehicle. Other examples might include dirigibles or very small remote-controlled aircraft, where wash effects are minimized.
B. Collector Characteristics The ground-based vehicle collector arrays should be at the front of the vehicle (out of its "wake") aligned vertically and spaced at known heights from the ground to up to 20 feet above terrain;
experience shows that a single tube with holes at varying heights is much less suitable than several tubes with open ends disposed at various heights within the desired range, connected to a manifold which is connected to the detector apparatus (see below), which is the preferred embodiment.
The airborne vehicle collector arrays must be out of the propeller and wing wash of the aircraft (if any), and should be disposed within a range of approximately a few feet above terrain to perhaps 100 feet above terrain, and otherwise should be equivalent in structure to the ground-based collector arrays.
C. Detector Apparatus Characteristics The detectors used are understood to be conventional Flame Ionization Detectors or similar equivalent, capable of sampling roughly 2.5-5.0 litres per minute airflow, and detecting methane or other natural gas indicating components in the sampled atmosphere at concentration levels indicative of a leak. It is to be noted that the detector utilized might well be of another technology, such as an Optical Methane Detector ("OMD"), or other means of similarly detecting natural gas or its components at levels indicative of a leak, with suitable alteration or amendment to collector systems (such as with respect to an OMD system, a means of externally mounting a light source, filters) and sensor fixtures to the vehicle in a way which permits a gas plume to be reliably detected) and power supplies and the like.
D. Location-Noting Characteristics The location-noting may consist of any method of noting the location of natural gas plume detection indications from the detector apparatus in geographical space (such as by pencil mark on map or GPS
mark on computer file, or any other suitable method) which would permit the operator to also add or cross-reference meteorological information at the time of gas detection (roughly), thus allowing the system to collect and display the information required to extrapolate to the source of the plume which may be a leak location.
It is to be understood that a reader skilled in the art will derive from this description the concepts of this invention, and that there are a variety of other possible implementations; substitution of different specific components for those mentioned here will not be sufficient to differ from the invention described where the substituted components are functional equivalents. The description here is meant to be illustrative and not limiting to the scope of the invention claimed.
Dated at ~ G ~ c1 , Alberta, on January I Z , 2001.
~ ~R ~ lr~ll~n'Tt' ess y E T WOLSKI for himself and for Pe er olski and Brock Wolski
Claims
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2339865 CA2339865A1 (en) | 2001-01-12 | 2001-01-12 | Mobile pipeline gas leak detection method and apparatus |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2339865 CA2339865A1 (en) | 2001-01-12 | 2001-01-12 | Mobile pipeline gas leak detection method and apparatus |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2339865A1 true CA2339865A1 (en) | 2002-07-12 |
Family
ID=4168532
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA 2339865 Abandoned CA2339865A1 (en) | 2001-01-12 | 2001-01-12 | Mobile pipeline gas leak detection method and apparatus |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2339865A1 (en) |
Cited By (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US9599597B1 (en) | 2012-12-22 | 2017-03-21 | Picarro, Inc. | Systems and methods for likelihood-based detection of gas leaks using mobile survey equipment |
| US9823231B1 (en) | 2014-06-30 | 2017-11-21 | Picarro, Inc. | Systems and methods for assembling a collection of peaks characterizing a gas leak source and selecting representative peaks for display |
| US10386258B1 (en) | 2015-04-30 | 2019-08-20 | Picarro Inc. | Systems and methods for detecting changes in emission rates of gas leaks in ensembles |
| US10598562B2 (en) | 2014-11-21 | 2020-03-24 | Picarro Inc. | Gas detection systems and methods using measurement position uncertainty representations |
| US10948471B1 (en) | 2017-06-01 | 2021-03-16 | Picarro, Inc. | Leak detection event aggregation and ranking systems and methods |
| US10962437B1 (en) | 2017-06-27 | 2021-03-30 | Picarro, Inc. | Aggregate leak indicator display systems and methods |
-
2001
- 2001-01-12 CA CA 2339865 patent/CA2339865A1/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (7)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US9599597B1 (en) | 2012-12-22 | 2017-03-21 | Picarro, Inc. | Systems and methods for likelihood-based detection of gas leaks using mobile survey equipment |
| US9599529B1 (en) | 2012-12-22 | 2017-03-21 | Picarro, Inc. | Systems and methods for likelihood-based mapping of areas surveyed for gas leaks using mobile survey equipment |
| US9823231B1 (en) | 2014-06-30 | 2017-11-21 | Picarro, Inc. | Systems and methods for assembling a collection of peaks characterizing a gas leak source and selecting representative peaks for display |
| US10598562B2 (en) | 2014-11-21 | 2020-03-24 | Picarro Inc. | Gas detection systems and methods using measurement position uncertainty representations |
| US10386258B1 (en) | 2015-04-30 | 2019-08-20 | Picarro Inc. | Systems and methods for detecting changes in emission rates of gas leaks in ensembles |
| US10948471B1 (en) | 2017-06-01 | 2021-03-16 | Picarro, Inc. | Leak detection event aggregation and ranking systems and methods |
| US10962437B1 (en) | 2017-06-27 | 2021-03-30 | Picarro, Inc. | Aggregate leak indicator display systems and methods |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| FZDE | Dead |