RU2157514C1 - Process and gear for technical diagnostics of cross-country pipe-line - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: diagnostics of laid oil and gas mains. SUBSTANCE: diagnostic parameters are measured with the aid of transducers and sequences of digital and analog signals corresponding to measured diagnostic parameters are obtained. Analog signals are converted to digital form. Obtained digital data are stored in on-line storage of aboard computer of mass memory or in digital data storage circuit based on elements of buffer storage of direct access. After termination of diagnostic skip measured diagnostic parameters are determined by stored digital data. Specified process is realized with the help of gear incorporating body of transport facility to let pipe-line pass inside it, transducers sensitive to diagnostic parameters of pipe-line mounted on transport facility, power supply source, aboard computer including storage circuit of obtained digital data incorporating buffer storage of direct access and peripheral digital data storage circuit. Storage of direct access has capacity exceeding 6000 Mbytes. Peripheral storage circuit is based on elements of dynamic memory of direct access and has capacity exceeding 6000 Mbytes. EFFECT: reduced time of completion of technical diagnostics of specified section of cross-country pipe-line and decreased consumption of energy by diagnostic equipment over specified section of pipe-line.

Description

 The invention relates to the technical diagnosis of trunk pipelines, mainly laid trunk pipelines and gas pipelines by running a self-propelled device inside the pipeline, or a device in the form of a piston (scraper, plug) moving inside the main pipeline due to the pressure of the fluid (gas) flow transported through the pipeline, or forcedly moved through the pipeline by any other means) with sensors (ultrasonic, magnetic, eddy current, electromagnetic-acoustic, optical, thermal, mechanical and other sensors sensitive to any diagnostic parameters (reflecting the technical condition of the main pipeline), the measurement of which is necessary to solve the problems of technical diagnostics.

 Explanations

 GOST 20911-89 defines technical diagnosis (diagnosis) as determining the technical condition of an object and establishes that the tasks of technical diagnosis are: monitoring the technical condition; finding a place and determining the causes of the malfunction; forecasting technical condition; control of the technical condition is defined as checking the compliance of the object parameter values with the requirements of the technical documentation and determining on this basis one of the specified types of technical condition at a given time; forecasting the technical condition is defined as determining the technical condition of an object with a given probability for the upcoming time interval; a technical diagnostic tool is defined as equipment and programs used to diagnose: a diagnostic parameter is defined as an object parameter used to diagnose it; the technical condition of the object is defined as the state, which is characterized at a certain point in time, under certain environmental conditions, by the values of the parameters established by the technical documentation for the object. GOST 27.002-89 defines a malfunction as the state of an object in which it does not meet at least one of the requirements of the normative and technical documentation.

 Technical diagnostics may, in particular, include (Pipeline Oil Transport, 1999, N 4, p. 27) technical diagnostics using measurement of the profile of the main pipeline, control of the main pipeline by ultrasonic methods, control of the main pipeline by magnetic methods. The object of diagnosis in this case is the main pipeline.

 Diagnostic parameters necessary to solve the problems of technical diagnostics are diagnostic parameters that allow you to control the technical condition and determine the causes of the failure of the main pipeline, diagnostic parameters that allow you to predict the technical condition of the main pipeline and diagnostic parameters that allow you to determine the place on the main pipeline to which the indicated measurable diagnostic parameters A technical condition and causes of failure, as well as the forecasting of a technical condition of the main pipeline.

 Diagnostic parameters that allow you to monitor the technical condition and determine the causes of a failure of the main pipeline, or predict the technical condition of the main pipeline, can be the geometric parameters of the profile and wall thickness of the main pipeline, the parameters for violation of the continuous medium for the wall material, the parameters of cracks and microcracks and other material defects trunk pipelines, time parameters and parameters of the length of the pipeline, as well as others diagnostic parameters, which, depending on the numerical values of the parameters, can be used both to control the technical condition and determine the causes of the malfunction, and to predict the technical condition of the main pipeline.

 The diagnostic parameters that can determine the location on the main pipeline can be geographical coordinates, the length of the path traveled inside the main pipeline by a transport device with sensors installed on it, sensitive to diagnostic parameters, a combination of time and speed of the specified device inside the main pipeline, a change in the magnetic field the passage of the specified device near the magnetic markers installed on the main pipeline, polo The behavior of which is known, the change in any physical parameters during the passage of a transport device near the pipeline features, the position of which is known (for example, welds), other physical parameters that allow indirectly determining the position of controlled points on the pipeline.

 The prior art methods and devices for performing technical diagnostics of trunk pipelines by passing a transport device inside the trunk pipeline, performing measurements inside the specified pipeline using ultrasonic, electromagnetic, optical, thermal and other methods and the corresponding means.

 The prior art.

 Analogues of the claimed method.

 A known method of performing non-destructive testing of pipelines described in US patent N5532587, IPC: G 01 N 27/72 from 2.07.96, which uses the method of measuring magnetic flux leakage during the passage of a transport device in the form of a piston with magnetic flux leakage sensors installed on it in the material of the pipeline and the sensors traversed inside the pipeline, taking measurements using these sensors, obtaining a sequence of analog signals from these sensors corresponding to the measured parameters ( iagnosticheskim parameters), convert said signals to digital form, and recording said digital data on a magnetic tape in diagnostic pass. After performing a diagnostic pass, the measured diagnostic parameters (parameters of defects in the material of the pipeline and their position on the pipeline) are determined from the digital data recorded on the magnetic tape.

 The use of a magnetic tape drive significantly limits the speed of recording digital data and the operating conditions of the device used to implement the method: electromagnetic fields, vibrations, shock loads, humidity at the location of the drive, and other factors.

 The prototype of the claimed method for the technical diagnosis of the main pipeline is the method for detecting corrosion and similar defects described in US patent N4909091, IPC: G 01 M 17/00 from 03/20/90, which allows you to perform technical diagnosis of the main pipeline: a diagnostic parameter that allows you to monitor the technical condition , determination of the causes of the malfunction and prediction of the technical condition of the main pipeline, is the wall thickness of the pipeline; a diagnostic parameter that allows you to determine the position of the monitored points of the pipeline, which are characterized by the thickness of the pipeline wall, is the angle of rotation relative to the main axis (axis) of the main pipeline and the length of the path traveled by the transport device driven inside the main pipeline with ultrasonic or eddy current sensors installed on it, sensitive to the wall thickness of the pipeline.

Salient features of the prototype:
- a transport device is passed inside the pipeline (a diagnostic pass (pass) of the transport device is performed) with sensors installed on it (at least one of the types: ultrasonic or eddy current), sensitive to the thickness of the pipeline wall and sensors sensitive to the length of the path traveled inside the pipeline , and the indicated angle of rotation,
- in the process of skipping using sensors to measure the values of the wall thickness of the pipeline, the distance traveled and the specified angle of rotation,
- in the process of skipping receive a sequence of analog signals from sensors,
- in the process of skipping, the analog signals are converted to digital form,
- the signals correspond to the measured values of the wall thickness of the pipeline and the length of the path traveled, and the specified angle of rotation,
- in the process of skipping, the received digital data is recorded in a buffer memory of direct access (intermediate (temporary) storage),
- in the process of skipping in the buffer memory, the recorded digital data corresponding to the measured values of the wall thickness of the pipeline and the measured values corresponding to the length of the path traveled inside the pipeline and the specified angle of rotation are combined into data blocks,
- in the process of skipping, the obtained data blocks are finally recorded in the digital data storage device (tape drive (streamer)),
- after completing the pass, the values of the wall thickness of the pipeline are determined using the received digital data (recorded on magnetic tape) with reference to the position of the controlled points on the pipeline.

The use of the method of technical diagnostics of trunk pipelines according to the prototype by passing transport devices inside the trunk pipeline with sensors installed on them, corresponding to the used method of technical diagnosis of the trunk pipeline, has several disadvantages:
- the use of a magnetic tape drive significantly limits the operating conditions of the device used to implement the method: electromagnetic fields, vibrations, shock loads, humidity and temperature at the location of the drive and other factors.

- when performing technical diagnostics of trunk pipelines, in some cases, after performing a pass, it is found that part of the digital data recorded during the pass is not read from the drive,
- the use of a digital data storage device on a magnetic tape limits the recording speed of the measurement results (digital data) and, accordingly, the speed of the data set,
- when using these methods in pipelines for pumping liquids (oil pipelines), performing measurements requires reducing the speed of pumping liquids (oil and oil products) for the duration of the diagnostic pass;
- a limited resource of energy supply (power) limits the energy consumption of the components of the device that is passed inside the main pipeline, limits the maximum length of the section of the main pipeline that can be diagnosed in one pass, as well as the number of functions (including data processing) that can be performed by electronic components during skipping time.

 Analogs of the claimed device.

 A device for monitoring pipelines is described in the EPO patent N0304053, IPC: G 01 N 29/00, publication date 03/15/95.

 A device for diagnostic skipping inside the pipeline includes: a transport device body in the form of a piston for skipping inside the main pipeline, a power source, ultrasonic sensors for measuring the parameters of the main pipeline profile and wall thickness of the main pipeline, sensors for the distance traveled, means for converting analog signals from these sensors to digital form, digital data storage devices on magnetic tape, or on magnetic disks.

The use of the described device has several disadvantages:
- the use of a drive on a magnetic tape or on a magnetic disk significantly limits the operating conditions of the device used: electromagnetic fields, vibrations, shock loads, temperature at the location of the drive and other factors.

- when performing technical diagnostics of trunk pipelines, in some cases after the run, it is found that part of the digital data recorded during the run is not read from the drive after the run,
- the use of a digital data storage device on a magnetic tape limits the recording speed of the measurement results (digital data) and, accordingly, the speed of the data set,
- when using these methods in pipelines for pumping liquids (oil pipelines), performing measurements requires reducing the speed of pumping liquids (oil and oil products) for the duration of the diagnostic pass;
- a limited energy supply resource limits the energy consumption of the components of the device that is passed inside the main pipeline, limits the maximum length of the pipeline section that can be diagnosed in one pass, as well as the number of functions (including data processing) that can be performed by electronic components during the pass.

 A device for controlling the inner surface of a pipeline is described in patent EPO N0282687, IPC: G 01 M 3/00, publication date 09/22/93. The described device includes a housing of a transport device for passing inside the pipeline in the form of a piston, ultrasonic sensors mounted on the transport device, sensors of the distance traveled and the angle of rotation relative to the main axis (axis) of the main pipeline. Using these sensors, the diagnostic parameters of the pipeline are measured: using ultrasonic sensors, the parameters of the profile of the pipeline are measured, using sensors of the distance traveled, the length of the distance traveled inside the pipeline is measured. The device also includes a data processing section, including a microcomputer, a direct-access static memory (static RAM), a data recorder and a signal generator, and a film-based data storage device (film cartridge). After performing the specified diagnostic pass and removing the transport device from the pipeline, the recorded data is transmitted via an appropriate interface to an external computer (located outside the transport device) and processed (the measured diagnostic parameters are determined from digital data).

 Using a data recorder during the skipping process limits the recording speed of digital data, and when using the device in pipelines for pumping liquid, this limits the speed of pumping (transporting) the liquid.

 The prototype of the claimed device for the technical diagnosis of the main pipeline is a device for the detection of corrosion and similar defects described in the above US patent N4909091, IPC: G 01 M 17/00 from 03.20.90.

A device for detecting corrosion and similar defects includes:
- the housing of the transport device in the form of a piston for passage inside the main pipeline,
- source of power,
- sensors installed on the transport device (at least one of the types: ultrasonic or eddy current), sensitive to the thickness of the pipeline wall, sensors sensitive to the distance traveled by the transport device inside the pipeline, the angle of rotation of the transport device relative to the main axis (axis) of the main pipeline,
- means for converting analog signals to digital form,
- means for converting digital data, including: a microcomputer, random access memory (buffer, RAM), peripheral digital data storage device (on magnetic tape (tape drive)).

The use of the described device has several disadvantages:
- the use of a tape drive significantly limits the operating conditions of the device used: electromagnetic fields, vibrations, shock loads, humidity and temperature at the location of the drive and other factors,
- when performing technical diagnostics of trunk pipelines, in some cases after the run, it is found that part of the digital data recorded during the run is not read from the drive after the run,
- the use of a digital data storage device on a magnetic tape limits the recording speed of the measurement results (digital data) and, accordingly, the speed of the data set,
- when using these methods in pipelines for pumping liquids (oil pipelines), performing measurements requires reducing the speed of pumping liquids (oil and oil products) for the duration of the diagnostic pass;
- a limited energy supply (power) resource limits the energy consumption of the components of the device that is passed inside the pipeline, limits the maximum length of the pipeline section that can be diagnosed in one pass, as well as the number of functions (including data processing) that can be performed by electronic components during the pass .

 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

 The method of technical diagnosis.

 The claimed method for the technical diagnosis of the main pipeline by skipping inside the main pipeline of the transport device with sensors installed on it, sensitive to the diagnostic parameters of the pipeline, performing measurements of these diagnostic parameters using these sensors, obtaining a sequence of digital or analog signals and subsequently converted to digital form, corresponding to the measured diagnostic parameters of the pipeline, in the process intermediate storage of the received digital data and their final recording, determining after completing the indicated skip the diagnostic parameters of the main pipeline corresponding to the specified digital data, characterized in that the specified digital data is accumulated in the direct access buffer memory during the skip, and the final recording is performed after completion specified pass.

 The basis of the claimed method is the task of creating a method for the technical diagnosis of the main pipeline, which eliminates the disadvantages indicated for analogues.

The essential features of the claimed invention, similar to the essential features of the prototype, are the following:
- a transport device with sensors installed thereon, sensitive to diagnostic parameters of the main pipeline, is passed inside the main pipeline,
- in the process of skipping using sensors perform measurements of diagnostic parameters,
- as a result of measurements during the pass, a sequence of signals from the sensors is obtained: (digital, or analog converted to digital form) (digital data),
- the signals correspond to the measured diagnostic parameters of the main pipeline,
- perform intermediate storage of the received digital data in a buffer of direct access (buffer intermediate (temporary) storage) in the process of diagnostic skipping (skipping),
- after completing the pass, the diagnostic parameters of the pipeline are determined from the received digital data.

 Distinctive features of the claimed method is that in the claimed method, the final recording of the digital data stored in the buffer memory (final recording) is performed after performing the specified pass.

 The claimed method is intended to perform technical diagnostics of the main pipeline (super-long pipeline).

 The technical result for the claimed method.

 During the diagnostic pass, the diagnostic equipment installed on the transport device consumes energy from a power source located on the transport device (autonomous power source).

 For a given power consumption of the diagnostic equipment, the power consumption of an autonomous power supply limits the time required to complete a pass. For a given speed, the specified time limits the length of the section of the main pipeline to be diagnosed in one diagnostic pass.

 And vice versa, for a given length of the section of the main pipeline to be diagnosed in one pass, and a given speed of the transport device (respectively, the time for the pass), the energy consumption of the autonomous power supply limits the power consumption of the diagnostic equipment installed on the transport device, and, accordingly, the number of functions (including data processing functions) that may be performed by the specified equipment.

 The power consumption of some types of memory elements used to organize an intermediate storage buffer (direct access buffer memory) significantly exceeds the power consumption of other types of drives for the same information capacity (capacity). Thus, the power consumption of drives on dynamic memory elements with a total capacity of 2 GB is an order of magnitude higher than the power consumption of a magnetic tape drive (tape drive) of the same capacity, usually used for technical diagnostics of trunk pipelines.

 High power consumption is one of the main obstacles to the use of buffer memory elements for organizing high-capacity drives in systems where power consumption is limited (power supply).

 The function of accumulating digital data during the skipping process in the claimed method is performed by increasing the size of the intermediate storage buffer (direct access buffer memory) to a value sufficient to accumulate all digital data obtained as a result of skipping (most of the digital data obtained as a result of skipping).

 The action indicated in the prototype as the final record in data blocks and performed during the skip process in the claimed invention is performed after the specified skip. The exclusion of actions when recording digital data allows to reduce the time of recording digital data and increase the speed of data collection (measurement results). For a given number of measurements per unit length of the pipeline, this allows you to increase the speed of the transport device inside the main pipeline. For a given length of the pipeline, this allows to reduce the time required to complete the pass (technical diagnostics).

 It should be borne in mind that the recording speed of digital data is determined not only by the time of writing to the intermediate storage buffer (direct access buffer memory), but also by the time of processing the analog signal, the time of converting the analog signal to digital form, as well as the times associated with intermediate operations.

 It should also be borne in mind that the power consumption of the diagnostic equipment is the sum of the power consumption of the digital data storage elements and the power consumption of the rest of the diagnostic equipment.

 It should also be borne in mind that the transport device must be able to increase the speed in the main pipeline to the desired value.

 Depending on the numerical change in the total power consumed and the skip time, the energy consumption over a given length of the main pipeline can either increase or decrease.

 As a result of the implementation of the claimed invention, it was found that it is possible to reduce power consumption over a given length of the main pipeline when using an intermediate data storage buffer for any type of memory elements (including dynamic memory elements) to accumulate digital data and to overcome the prejudice of the inappropriateness of using memory devices with high power consumption during in-line technical diagnostics of the main pipeline using a system with limited power consumption.

 The claimed method can be implemented using the claimed device.

 In the inventive method, it is advisable to use direct access memory (random access memory, random access memory) in the form of a buffer between the sensors from which digital signals are received, or by means of converting analog sensor signals to digital form and a device to which the final recording of digital data is performed (peripheral device, external device, peripheral or external digital data storage device, on-board computer port): buffer memory (direct access buffer memory, system buffer memory in ode-output digital data (digital data transmitting means)).

 When performing technical diagnostics according to the claimed method, it is advisable that data blocks are formed in the intermediate storage buffer of digital data (direct access buffer memory), and the final recording is performed by the generated data blocks. It is advisable to perform the final recording in the block access drive. It is advisable to perform the final recording in a peripheral digital data storage device. It is advisable to perform the final recording in a digital data storage device located outside the transport device.

 It is advisable to use this method for the technical diagnosis of sections of the main pipeline of extra-long extent with a total length of several sections or the length of each section more than 10-100 km.

 It is advisable to accumulate the indicated digital data in the non-volatile buffer memory during the skipping process. As non-volatile buffer memory, direct access buffer memory on non-volatile memory elements or buffer memory on non-volatile memory elements with an autonomous power supply supplying these memory elements can be used.

 It is advisable to perform according to the claimed method one or more passes, and the final recording of digital data to perform after the technical diagnosis of one or more sections of the main pipeline, in total representing the main section of the pipeline. It is advisable to perform the final recording of digital data after performing technical diagnostics of one or more sections of the main pipeline with a total length exceeding 1-100 km.

 It is advisable to perform technical diagnostics according to the claimed method when the speed of the transport device inside the main pipeline exceeds 1-3 m / s.

 It is advisable to perform technical diagnostics according to the claimed method at a speed of writing digital data to a buffer of direct access (steady-state speed) in excess of 1-100 MB / s.

 It is advisable to perform technical diagnostics according to the claimed method with a resolution of not more than 10 mm in the longitudinal direction and 30 mm around the circumference of the main pipeline.

 It is advisable to perform non-destructive testing of the material of the main pipeline according to the claimed method with a resolution of not more than 3.5 mm in the longitudinal direction and 9 mm around the circumference of the main pipeline.

 It is advisable to use buffer memory direct access with a capacity exceeding 100-6000 MB.

 In the process of skipping in the intermediate storage buffer (direct access buffer memory), it is advisable to accumulate most of the digital data received for the pass or several passes, or all digital data received for the pass or several passes.

 It is advisable to accumulate digital data in the direct access buffer during the pass process that corresponds to diagnostic parameters related to the state of the main pipeline material, time delays of the reflected ultrasonic signals with respect to the emitted ultrasonic signals, geometric parameters of the main pipeline profile, the wall thickness of the main pipeline, the length of the inside the main pipeline of the path, the angle of rotation of the transport device relative to about and the main pipe, the geographical location parameters of the transport device, time, pressure fluid within the pipeline, accelerations during transport device passes, indications gyroscopes.

 In the inventive method, it is advisable to use an autonomous power source in the process of skipping, in particular, a battery source, a source on galvanic cells or an autonomous electric power generator that converts the energy of the flow of the transported medium into electricity.

 The claimed invention can be implemented using any of at least one method of monitoring the technical condition of the pipeline using any type of sensors that correspond to the monitoring methods used, if the conditions are met: the sensors can be used independently as part of a device that is passed inside the main pipeline, the result of the sensors are sequences digital and / or analog signals (measurement results) corresponding to the measured diagnostic pairs Tram pipeline, the technical status of the main pipeline and allowing to predict technical condition of the pipeline.

 One of the methods for monitoring the technical condition can be the method of non-destructive testing of pipeline material. In particular, this method can be at least one of the ultrasonic methods (in particular, the method of reflected signals; the method using electromagnetic ultrasonic sensors that excite and measure ultrasonic waves in the material of the pipe wall), the eddy current method, the magnetic flux leakage method, optical method, control method using thermal means, microwave radiation and others.

 It is advisable using the inventive method in the process of technical diagnostics to measure the profile of the main pipeline, in the process of these measurements using at least one of the types of sensors: ultrasonic, mechanical.

 It is advisable in the process of skipping to determine the location of the transport device inside the main pipeline.

 It is advisable in the process of technical diagnostics to determine the length of the path traveled by the transport device inside the pipeline and the angle of rotation of the transport device relative to the axis of the pipeline.

 It is advisable to use an odometric system to determine the length of the path traveled inside the pipeline and a pendulum sensor to determine the angle of rotation of the transport device relative to the axis of the pipeline.

 It is advisable in the process of skipping to determine the bedding parameters of the main pipeline. Sensors are used that are sensitive to the parameters of the occurrence of the pipeline (the geometrical parameters of the occurrence of the main pipeline, which allows you to determine the position of the controlled points (profiles) on the main pipeline and on the ground). Information about the geographical location of the transport device, in particular about the location of the transport device inside the main pipeline and the geographical position of the main pipeline, as well as its depth, are determined using several odometers, gyroscopes and accelerometers and are updated using the marker system described earlier.

 It is advisable using the claimed method to perform technical diagnostics of the gas main pipeline or the main pipeline for transporting liquid.

 When performing technical diagnostics of a gas main pipeline, it is advisable to use a transport device in the form of a liquid plug.

 As a transport device passed inside the main pipeline, in particular, a self-moving device or a piston-based device (scraper) inside the main pipeline, which is placed inside this pipeline, can be used for pumping (transporting) the liquid inside this pipeline, the pressure of the liquid flow drives the piston (transport device).

 When using the specified piston (scraper) in the main pipelines for pumping liquids (in particular, oil and oil products) in order to limit the speed of the transport device inside the pipeline for the duration of the technical diagnosis, the speed of pumping (transporting) the liquid in the main pipeline is reduced.

 It is known from the prior art that it is possible to increase the speed of pumping fluid through the main pipeline while increasing the permissible speed of the piston (scraper) inside the main pipeline while enhancing factors that negatively affect the reliability and fault tolerance of the device for technical diagnostics (the device that is passed inside the pipeline) and the reliability of data storage in the process of skipping. Such negative factors can be, in particular, damage to the cuffs, a change in the nature of the interaction of the cuff with the surface of the pipeline, shock and vibration due to collisions of the transport device inside the pipeline with obstacles. Such obstacles can be, in particular, foreign objects, spacers and welding defects.

 As a result of the invention, it was found possible to increase the speed of pumping fluid and in some cases eliminate the need to reduce the speed of pumping (transportation) of fluid in the main pipeline while performing technical diagnostics of the main pipeline while eliminating the influence of amplification factors that negatively affect the reliability of storage of accumulated during the passage digital data in connection with an increase in the piston speed inside the main pipe gadfly.

 It is advisable in the process of skipping to clarify the position of the transport device using marker signals, these marker signals are emitted from points outside the pipeline, the position of which is known, received by appropriate means in the transport device inside the pipeline and save information about the place and time of reception of signals during the skipping process; and / or the indicated marker signals are emitted from the transport device inside the pipeline, received by appropriate means outside the pipeline at points whose position is known, and during the skipping process they store information about the place and time of reception of the signals.

 After skipping, information about marker signals received inside and / or outside the pipeline is combined with the measurement results (digital data corresponding to the measured diagnostic parameters and other measured parameters).

 It is advisable to use several sensors distributed around the inner circumference of the main pipeline.

 It is advisable that the measurements of individual sensors were performed with reference to signals from one or more sensors. For binding, a time sensor, the distance traveled, a signal from any other sensor can be used. Digital data from different sensors can be written to the intermediate storage buffer (direct access buffer memory) with reference to one or several diagnostic parameters (time, distance traveled) or to a signal from one or several sensors or in a certain sequence from different sensors.

 Binding is understood as a logical connection, which in particular can be implemented by electrical communication as a sequence of actions, synchronized actions, performing actions according to some algorithm depending on the parameters used for binding, for example, with a certain time interval, or the number of signals from any sensor, or when any measured parameter reaches a certain value.

 It is advisable in the process of the indicated accumulation of digital data to use the compression of the specified digital data, perform the specified compression in hardware and perform the specified compression before writing the digital data to the direct access buffer memory. The specified compression can also be performed after writing digital data to the specified buffer memory hardware or software.

 The digital data compression algorithm is based on the method of allocating the nominal value for each sensor for a certain number of measurements (sequential measurements). If in the sequence of digital data there are successive values that coincide with the nominal value within the tolerance, then instead of this sequence, a service byte is written that defines the sign of information compression (high bit) and the number of repetitions (low 7 bits) of the nominal value. It is advisable to determine the values before skipping or change them during the skip with a certain frequency (in time, along the distance traveled or with a frequency of a certain number of measurements for each sensor, recording the value in the header of the sequence. The value most often found in analyzed sequence of digital data.

 Advantageously, during the indicated skipping, a certain part of the indicated digital data is stored in the indicated buffer memory, the buffer memory is freed from the remaining digital data, the indicated release of the buffer memory from the digital data is performed after the volume of the buffer memory unoccupied is reduced to a value less than a predetermined value, the buffer memory area freed from the specified data is used to store digital data obtained after the indicated release of the buffer memory in the process the indicated pass.

 It is advisable in the process of recording digital data in the specified buffer memory to check the conditions: the ratio of the volume of the occupied part of the buffer to the passed length of the skip path is greater than a predetermined value, the specified value is equal to the ratio of the total amount of buffer memory used to accumulate digital data to the total length of the skip path, when the specified condition does not record part of the digital data in the buffer memory, or the specified part of the digital data is recorded and tagged this part of the data, for further calculations Comrade volume ratio occupied by the buffer memory to the length of the path traversed the amount of labeled data is subtracted from the volume occupied by the data buffer memory, and subsequently freed from the buffer memory of the taint.

 With a large number of pulses and, accordingly, the amount of information on a given length of the main pipeline (a volume exceeding the capacity of the digital storage devices used to perform technical diagnostics of the given length of the main pipeline in one pass), not all measured values are saved, but some part of the digital data. A value that determines the relative part of the data that is not stored is set before the skip is performed and / or is determined automatically during the skip.

 It is advisable when recording digital data in the specified buffer memory to verify the following conditions: if the ratio of the unoccupied portion of the buffer memory to the remaining skip path length is less than the ratio of the total buffer memory used to accumulate digital data to the total skip path length or the ratio of the occupied portion of the buffer memory to the passed the length of the skip path is greater than the ratio of the total buffer memory used for the accumulation of digital data to the full length of the skip path, then the buffer memory does not Records the part of the digital data.

 The implementation of this method has shown that there is always a supply of buffer memory and there is never a shortage of buffer memory with a uniform distribution of the buffer memory along the length of the diagnosed section of the pipeline.

 When recording digital data in the buffer memory, it is advisable to check the following conditions: if the ratio of the unoccupied part of the buffer memory to the remaining skip path length is less than the ratio of the total used buffer memory to the total skip path or the ratio of the occupied part of the buffer memory to the skipped path length is greater than the ratio of the total amount of buffer memory used for the accumulation of digital data to the full length of the skip path, then a portion of the digital data is recorded in the buffer memory, which can is not to be recorded and storing information about the location in the buffer memory of said piece of digital data (labeled data) for subsequent possible release of said buffer memory from said data portion.

 After a decrease in the volume of unoccupied buffer memory is less than a certain value (an increase in the volume of occupied buffer memory is greater than a certain value), the buffer memory is freed from a part of the indicated labeled data, this action is performed several times during the skip process.

 When digital data is written to the buffer memory, the following conditions are checked: if the ratio of the unoccupied part of the buffer memory to the remaining skip path length is less than the ratio of the total used buffer memory to the total skip path or the ratio of the occupied part of the buffer memory to the skipped path length is greater than the full ratio the amount of buffer memory used to accumulate digital data to the full length of the pass path, then a portion of digital data is written to the buffer memory, which may not be stored data are stored on the location in the buffer memory of the indicated part of the digital data (mark data) for the subsequent possible release of the indicated area of the buffer memory from the indicated part of the data and taken into account as the added amount of labeled data to the unoccupied volume of the buffer memory for further calculations of the ratio of unoccupied volume to the remaining length the way.

 After reducing the volume of unoccupied buffer memory less than a certain value (the volume of occupied buffer memory is more than a certain value), the buffer memory is freed from a part of the labeled data, this action is performed several times during the skip process.

 The implementation of this method shows that, given the fact that the measured path length is less than the real one, the remaining path length is longer than the real one, when there is not enough buffer memory, the buffer memory is partially freed from the marked data and it is filled with new data, which makes it possible to fully use the buffer memory resource.

 Such use of drives on direct access buffer memory elements allows us to optimize the use of the drive’s capacity to the maximum and completely eliminate the influence of changes in the speed of the transport device inside the pipeline, stops, errors in measuring the speed and distance traveled (in particular, slipping odometer wheels) on the efficiency of using digital drives data, as well as eliminate the possibility of a lack of storage space for digital data recording until the end of the pass a.

 When the diagnostic device moves inside the pipeline, the frequency of the signals from the sensors and the speed of the specified device determine the longitudinal resolution and the amount of digital data accumulated during the passage of the data. The signal repetition rate, depending on the expected speed of the diagnostic device inside the pipeline and the required longitudinal resolution, is determined and set before skipping, and / or during the skip, the signal repetition rate from the sensors is tied to the measured diagnostic parameters. In particular, the indicated frequency can be tied to time, to the distance traveled, to the wall thickness of the main pipeline, to the rate of change of the diagnostic parameter (speed, linear and angular acceleration, rate of change of the magnetic field) and their combination, as well as to the free volume and / or the memory occupied by the digital data of the digital data storage devices, from the number of operations performed (indicated above) to free the memory from a part of the data.

 It is advisable to diagnose (probe) the entire surface of the pipeline in the longitudinal direction by periodically starting each sensor in cross section, formed by a group of sensors installed on the transport device and distributed around the pipeline’s inner circumference (perimeter). The repetition frequency of the probe pulses for each sensor is defined as the cross-sectional frequency, which is determined by the required resolution in the longitudinal direction and the speed of movement of the transport device inside the main pipeline. If the threshold is exceeded by the signal from the sensor, the reception of signals is prohibited for some time, after which subsequent signals are received. The sounding of the full surface of the pipeline in the longitudinal direction is provided by the periodic launch of each sensor in cross section.

 As part of the additional information of the pass, information on pressure, temperature, current values of the supply voltage, errors in the collection and registration of digital data is recorded.

 It is advisable to perform technical diagnostics of the main pipeline using an immersion pulsed ultrasonic diagnostic method. This method provides for the complete immersion of the sensor and the object under study in a liquid, pulsed irradiation of the object with ultrasonic waves, reception and processing of reflected waves from the object. The characteristics of the transmitted and received signals determine the properties of the object (pipeline wall), while ensuring constant washing of the ultrasonic sensors with the transport medium.

 It is advisable to place the sensors at a certain constant distance from the inner surface of the pipeline wall; the distance from the sensors to the pipeline wall is constantly measured.

 In the inventive method, in the process of skipping, the diagnostic parameters of the pipeline corresponding to digital data can be determined, the fulfillment by one or more diagnostic parameters of a predetermined mathematical condition for one or a combination of several diagnostic parameters of the pipeline is identified; receiving the specified signal, technical diagnostics of the magis eral pipeline on which found that the condition indicated.

 In the process of skipping, the pipeline defects are identified using the measured diagnostic parameters of the main pipeline (in particular, critical defects - which can lead to an accident already during the run, data calculation after skipping, and soon after data calculation after skipping, during which the pipeline defects cannot be fixed).

 Upon detection of the specified critical defect on the diagnostic device, a signal is generated corresponding to the detection of a critical defect. When identifying a signal, changes are made to the technical diagnostic program.

 When identifying the signal, an encoded signal is generated corresponding to the detection of the specified critical defect that is emitted. Outside the pipeline, this signal is received by appropriate means and identified as the signal of the presence of the specified critical defect in the pipeline section between the points where the marker receiver, which received the specified signal and the previous marker receiver, are located.

 When identifying a critical defect detection signal outside the pipeline, an encoded signal is generated and emitted corresponding to changes in the diagnostic device program. On the diagnostic device, this signal is received, identified and a change is made to the technical diagnostic program.

 To emit and receive signals, the tools of the marker system used in the diagnosis of trunk pipelines can be used to clarify the position of the transport device inside the pipeline, the length of the path traveled by the transport device inside the pipeline, and / or the geographical location of the transport device.

 As a result of changes to the program for the technical diagnostics of the main pipeline, the diagnostics of the pipeline section where a critical defect is detected is re-performed. In the process of re-diagnosing a section of a pipeline, technical diagnostics is performed with parameters that determine a higher reliability of defect identification and prediction of its development.

 When identifying a critical defect detection signal outside the pipeline, ground control is performed on the section of the main pipeline where the critical defect is detected. In the process of performing ground control of the indicated section of the pipeline, the acoustic emission method is used.

 One of the diagnostic parameters that can identify a critical defect is the deviation of the pipe wall thickness from the nominal value (defect depth on the internal or external surface of the main pipeline). A combination of diagnostic parameters can be a combination of the deviation of the wall thickness from the nominal value (the depth of the defect on the inner or outer surface of the main pipeline) and the length (length) of the defect. The accumulation of digital data in an intermediate data storage buffer (direct access buffer memory) allows for the identification of defects all measurement results accumulated at the time of identification (digital data) while increasing the recording speed of digital data and reducing the power consumption of diagnostic equipment for a given length of the main pipeline.

 The implementation of the claimed invention allows to reduce the time for performing technical diagnostics of a given pipeline length (or to increase the length of a trunk pipeline diagnosed in one pass in a given time) and at the same time to increase the number of data processing functions during a skip while increasing the allowable power consumption of diagnostic equipment used in the diagnostic skip process .

 Device for the technical diagnosis of the main pipeline.

A device for technical diagnostics of a trunk pipeline is claimed, including a housing of a transport device for passing inside a trunk pipeline, digital or analog mounted on a transport device with means for converting analog signals
in digital form, sensors that are sensitive to the diagnostic parameters of the specified pipeline, a power source, a digital data storage device, means for controlling the transmission of the specified digital data to the specified storage device, characterized in that the digital data storage device is made on direct access buffer memory elements.

 The basis of the claimed device is the task of creating a device for the technical diagnosis of the main pipeline, which eliminates the disadvantages indicated for analogues.

The essential features of the claimed device, similar to the essential features of the prototype, are the following:
The device includes:
- the housing of the transport device for passing inside the main pipeline,
- source of power,
- Sensors installed on the transport device that are sensitive to the diagnostic parameters of the main pipeline
- means for converting analog signals to digital form,
- means for transmitting digital data to a digital data storage device,
- digital data storage device.

 A distinctive feature of the prototype is that the digital data storage device is made on direct access buffer memory elements.

 The claimed device is intended to perform technical diagnostics of the main pipeline (super-long pipeline).

 The technical result for the claimed device.

 During the diagnostic pass, the diagnostic equipment installed on the transport device consumes energy from a power source located on the transport device (autonomous power source).

 For a given power consumption of the diagnostic equipment, the energy intensity of an autonomous energy source limits the time required to complete a pass. For a given speed, the specified time limits the length of the section of the main pipeline to be diagnosed in one diagnostic pass.

 And vice versa, for a given length of the section of the main pipeline to be diagnosed in one pass, and a given speed of the transport device (respectively, the time for the pass), the energy consumption of the autonomous power supply limits the power consumption of the diagnostic equipment installed on the transport device, and, accordingly, the number of functions (including data processing functions) that may be performed by the specified equipment.

 The power consumption of some types of direct access memory elements significantly exceeds the power consumption of other types of drives for the same information capacity (capacity). Thus, the power consumption of drives on dynamic memory elements with a total capacity of 2 GB is an order of magnitude higher than the power consumption of a magnetic tape drive (tape drive) of the same capacity, usually used for technical diagnostics of trunk pipelines.

 High power consumption is one of the main obstacles to using direct access memory elements for organizing high-capacity drives in systems where the power supply resource is limited.

 The use of direct access memory elements for the accumulation of digital data can reduce the recording time and increase the speed of data collection (measurement results). For a given number of measurements per unit length of the pipeline, this allows you to increase the speed of the transport device inside the main pipeline. For a given length of the pipeline, this allows to reduce the time required to complete the pass (technical diagnostics).

 It should be borne in mind that the speed of recording digital data is determined not only by the time of writing to the digital data storage device, but also by the time of processing the analog signal, the time of converting the analog signal to digital form, and also the time associated with intermediate operations.

 It should also be borne in mind that the power consumption of the diagnostic equipment is the sum of the power consumption of the digital data storage devices and the power consumption of the rest of the diagnostic equipment.

 It should also be borne in mind that the transport device must be able to increase the speed in the main pipeline to the desired value.

 Depending on the numerical change in the total power consumed and the skip time, the energy consumption over a given length of the main pipeline can either increase or decrease.

 As a result of the implementation of the claimed invention, it was found that it is possible to reduce power consumption over a given length of the pipeline when using a digital data storage device on direct access memory elements of any type (including dynamic memory elements) and to overcome the prejudice about the inappropriateness of using direct access memory elements with high power consumption for in-line technical diagnostics of the main pipeline using a system with limited energy th.

 The claimed device can be used using the claimed method.

 When using the claimed device for technical diagnostics of the main pipeline, it is advisable that the digital data storage device be made in the form of a direct access memory for digital transmission control means.

 In the claimed invention, the function of accumulating digital data corresponding to the diagnostic parameters of the main pipeline is performed by the drive on the direct access buffer memory elements (random access memory), this function can be performed by the buffer memory (intermediate data storage buffer, random access memory) of digital data transmission control devices (on-board computer) )

 It is advisable that the specified drive digital data was performed on the elements of dynamic or static memory. In the claimed device, the digital data storage device is expediently performed on the elements of RAM: dynamic, static, combined memory, video memory (graphic) (VRAM, WRAM, SGRAM, MDRAM).

 It is advisable that the digital data storage device includes a peripheral digital data storage device for direct access buffer memory elements; the power source is made in the form of a rechargeable battery, or in the form of an electric power generator (the specified generator is made in the form of a converter of energy of the flow transported through the main pipeline of the medium into electricity).

 The drives on the elements of the buffer memory direct access (RAM) can emulate peripheral drives of digital data, in particular part of the RAM can emulate a peripheral drive of data.

 It is advisable that the digital data storage device includes an autonomous power supply; these control tools for the transmission of digital data are made in the form of an on-board computer.

 In particular, the digital data storage device may be part of the RAM of said on-board computer recording digital data. The digital data storage device may be part of the cache memory of said on-board computer.

 It is advisable that the claimed device includes means for hardware compression of the received digital data, means for hardware decimation of these digital data.

 Preferably, the claimed transport device was made in the form of several separate sections, these sections are mechanically and electrically interconnected by electric cables and cardan connections, these means of communication are made protected from the effects of the environment inside the main pipeline.

 It is advisable to perform the claimed device in the form of a piston (scraper), or in the form of a liquid plug.

 As a transport device passed inside the main pipeline, in particular, a self-propelled device or a device in the form of a piston (scraper, plug) inside the main pipeline, which is placed inside any pipeline, can be used for pumping (transporting) the liquid inside this pipeline , the pressure of the fluid flow drives the piston (scraper, transport device) in motion.

 When using the specified piston (scraper, plug) in the main pipelines for pumping liquids (in particular, oil and oil products) in order to limit the speed of the transport device inside the pipeline for the duration of the technical diagnosis, the speed of pumping (transporting) the liquid in the main pipeline is reduced.

 From the prior art it follows the possibility of increasing the speed of pumping fluid through the pipeline while increasing the permissible speed of the scraper inside the pipeline with a simultaneous strengthening of factors that negatively affect the reliability and fault tolerance of the device for technical diagnostics (the device driven inside the pipeline) and the reliability of saving data during skipping. Such negative factors can be, in particular, damage to the cuffs, a change in the nature of the interaction of the cuff with the surface of the pipeline, shock and vibration due to collisions of the transport device inside the pipeline with obstacles. Such obstacles can be, in particular, foreign objects, backing rings and welding defects.

 As a result of the implementation of the invention, it was found possible to eliminate the need to reduce the pumping (transportation) rate of liquid in the main pipeline while performing technical diagnostics of the main pipeline while eliminating the influence of amplification factors that negatively affect the reliability of digital accumulation during skipping due to an increase in the speed of the scraper (plugs) inside the main pipeline.

 It is advisable that the sensors are located at some constant distance from the inner surface of the pipe wall.

 It is advisable to use supporting and conical cuffs of flexible material, for example polyurethane, mounted on the sections' bodies and having a diameter corresponding to the inner diameter of the pipeline. Cuffs fix the position of the product relative to the longitudinal axis of the pipeline, ensure the passage of the product through tees, valves. Passing of the transport device through pipelines having a narrowing of up to 85% or ovality to 13% of the nominal diameter, or underlay rings up to 8-10 mm thick is ensured. Connections (cardan) between sections provide free turns of sections.

 It is advisable that the claimed device includes these sensors of at least one of the types: ultrasonic, electromagnetic-acoustic, eddy current, magnetic leakage sensors, mechanical.

 The claimed invention can be implemented using any of at least one method of monitoring the technical condition of the pipeline using any type of sensors corresponding to the monitoring methods used, if the conditions are met: the sensors can be used independently as part of a device driven inside the main pipeline, the result of the sensors are sequences digital and / or analog signals (measurement results) corresponding to the measured diagnostic pair frames of the main pipeline, the technical status of the main pipeline and / or allowing to predict technical condition of the pipeline.

 One of the methods for monitoring the technical condition may be the method of non-destructive testing of the material of the pipeline. The device may include means for performing non-destructive testing of the material of the main pipeline with determining the location of controlled points (in particular, on the ground or on the pipeline). In particular, such means may be at least one of the ultrasonic means (in particular, using the method of reflected signals; using electromagnetic ultrasonic sensors that excite and measure ultrasonic waves in the material of the pipe wall), sensors based on eddy currents or magnetic leakage , optical, thermal and other means.

 The device may include means for measuring the geometric parameters of the profile of the pipeline and determining the location of the measured profiles (in particular, on the ground or on the main pipeline), means for measuring the parameters of the profile of the pipeline, in particular, using mechanical sensors or using the ultrasonic method of reflected signals.

 It is advisable that the claimed device includes means for determining the position of the transport device inside the main pipeline, these means include a sensor for determining the length of the path traveled inside the pipeline and a sensor for the angle of rotation of the transport device relative to the axis of the main pipeline.

 The device may include means for determining the geographic (geometric) parameters of the occurrence of the main pipeline, sensors sensitive to the parameters of the occurrence of the main pipeline, means for converting analog signals to digital form, means for obtaining digital data during the diagnostic pass, means for determining the parameters of the occurrence of the pipeline corresponding to the specified digital data after performing the specified run.

 The device may include means for determining the distance traveled by the transport device inside the pipeline, odometers, gyroscopes, accelerometers, and also means for determining the position of the transport device using marker signals.

 It is advisable to use at least two independent odometric systems. Each odometer consists of a freely rotating wheel of a certain diameter, supporting a rod with a length corresponding to the diameter of the pipeline, and a spring pressing the wheel against the wall of the pipeline. Permanent magnets are mounted on wheels. Electromagnetic sensors are installed on the rods, converting the magnetic field created by the wheel magnet into electrical impulses. The linear distance traveled by the wheel between two electrical pulses is defined as the odometer odofactor and is used in calculating the distance traveled depending on the number of odometer pulses counted. The diameters of the odometer wheels and the number of pulses per one full revolution of the wheel are set when preparing the pass. The odometer pulses are counted in three independent counters: the counter of the first odometer, the second odometer and the counter of the resulting increment. At certain time intervals (1-2s), increments from two odometers are analyzed, the largest increment is selected and summed in the counter of the resulting increment.

 To determine the current rotation of the transport device by the angle around the main axis (axis) of the main pipeline and to bind the angle of rotation of the product to the pipeline coordinate system, a pendulum system is used. A liquid pendulum is used as a sensor for the angular position, which converts the angular position to an equivalent voltage. The output voltage of the pendulum, depending on the angle of rotation, varies linearly from 0 to 5V according to a sawtooth law.

 Information on the geographical location of the transport device, in particular on the location of the transport device inside the main pipeline and the geographical position of the main pipeline, is determined using several odometers, gyroscopes and accelerometers and refined using a marker system: from some points outside the pipeline, the position of which is known, emit marker electromagnetic low-frequency signals, and inside the pipeline on the transport device receive these signals, respectively uyuschimi means and recorded time of reception of the marker signals with reference to currently measured diagnostic parameters; marker electromagnetic low-frequency signals are emitted from the transport device inside the pipeline, and outside the pipeline, at certain points, the position of which is known, they receive signals using appropriate means and record the time and place of reception of marker signals.

 After skipping, information about marker signals received inside and / or outside the pipeline is combined with the measurement results (digital data corresponding to the measured diagnostic parameters and other measured parameters).

 It is advisable to use direct access memory (random access memory, random access memory) in the form of a buffer between the sensors from which digital signals are received, or by means of converting analog sensor signals to digital form and the device on which the final recording of digital data is performed (peripheral device, external device, peripheral or external digital data storage device, on-board computer port): buffer memory (buffer direct access memory, buffer memory of data input-output means).

 It is advisable to use the claimed device for the technical diagnosis of sections of the main pipeline of extra large length with a total length or length of each section of more than 10-100 km.

 It is advisable to use non-volatile buffer memory. As non-volatile buffer memory, buffer memory on non-volatile memory elements or buffer memory on non-volatile memory elements with an autonomous power supply supplying these memory elements can be used.

 It is advisable to perform technical diagnostics using the claimed device using a buffer memory, the speed of data recording into which (steady-state speed) exceeds 1-100 MB / s.

 It is advisable to use the claimed device to perform technical diagnostics of the main pipeline with a resolution of not more than 10 mm in the longitudinal direction and 30 mm around the circumference of the main pipeline.

 It is advisable to perform non-destructive testing of the material of the main pipeline using the claimed device with a resolution of not more than 3.5 mm in the longitudinal direction and 9 mm around the circumference.

 It is advisable to use a drive on the elements of buffer memory direct access with a volume exceeding 100-6000 MB.

 In the inventive device, it is advisable to use an autonomous power source, in particular, a battery source, a source on galvanic cells or an autonomous electric power generator that converts the energy of a stream transported through a trunk pipeline into electric energy.

 It is advisable to use pressure sensors, temperature sensors, current values of the supply voltage, error sensors when collecting and recording digital data as part of the claimed device.

 It is advisable to use sensors in the inventive device for non-destructive testing of pipeline material, these sensors are evenly distributed around the inner circumference of the main pipeline and mounted on a cuff of elastic material, this cuff has the shape of a body of revolution with an axis coinciding with the axis of the main pipeline, the sensors are mounted on several cuffs, these cuffs have the same shape and can have the same geometric parameters, it is advisable to perform the cuff in the form echennogo from two sides of the body of rotation, the radius of one of the bases of the cuff greater than the radius of the second base, it is advisable to perform said cuff frustoconical.

 Description of the drawings.

 In FIG. 1 shows a device for the technical diagnosis of a trunk pipeline.

 In FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the claimed method for the technical diagnosis of the main pipeline and the method of using the claimed device for the technical diagnosis of the main pipeline.

 Information confirming the possibility of implementing the invention.

 As a result of the implementation of the invention, it was found that it is possible to perform technical diagnostics of trunk pipelines up to 100-300 km long, with a resolution of at least 3.3 mm in the longitudinal direction and 9 mm around the perimeter.

 HP SCSI DAT Drive tape drives used for in-line diagnostics have an average power consumption of 4 W and a steady-state data recording rate of 0.2 MB per second with a capacity of up to 4 GB. A 3.2 GB Quantum Rushmore Ultra Series drive with direct access features an average power consumption of 18 W and a steady data write speed of 30 MB per second. Similar parameters have a similar drive manufactured by Imperial Technology Inc. The 2 GB drive has an average power consumption of 22 W and a steady data write speed of 40 MB per second. Thus, the 4 GB drive has an average power consumption of 44 W, which is an order of magnitude higher than the value for the tape drive. Meanwhile, the use of these drives allows you to increase the speed of data acquisition at least 2-3 times, increasing the speed of movement of the transport device inside the main pipeline, respectively, 2-3 times without deterioration of resolution. With an average power consumption of in-line flaw detectors (transported inside the pipeline of transport devices for technical diagnostics) of 100 W, the use of drives on direct access buffer memory (RAM) with a capacity of 4 GB leads to an increase in the total power consumption of the flaw detector by 30-40%, and with a capacity of 8 GB by 50-90%, while reducing the time for performing technical diagnostics on a given length of the main pipeline leads to a total reduction in energy consumption for one diagnostic pass (at a given length of the main pipeline) by 5-55%.

 An example implementation of the invention.

 The transport device is made in the form of a piston (scraper) and is structurally divided into four sections, mechanically and electrically connected to a method (FIG. 1, FIG. 2): battery section 1, sensors section 2, data section 3, media section 4. Battery section 1, the sensor section 2 and the carrier section 3 are structurally metal sealed enclosures. Inside the buildings placed electronic equipment. Polyurethane cuffs are installed on the sections, which provide the movement of the piston (scraper) in the medium flow. The carrier section 4 is a structure on which ultrasonic sensors are mounted. The sections are mechanically connected by cardan joints, the electrical connection between the sections is through external intersection cables, protected from the effects of the external environment. The device can be reconfigured to various diameters of pipelines by replacing cuffs in sections, replacing sections of sensor carriers and odometers.

The device includes (figure 2):
as part of the battery section 1:
battery pack 5 for supplying +25 V to the power-on module is a cassette with galvanic batteries installed in it;
power-on module 6 for:
- issuing power voltages and control signals: to the on-board marker system (power and modulation control) and to the battery section fan,
- the issuance of signals for the supply of piezosonic signals,
- issuing to the data section and the ultrasonic section: standby power: standby power + 5V, supply voltage + 25V, signals from the on-board marker system;
(the power of the power-on module is supplied from the battery power supply; control signals to the power-on module are received from the ultrasonic section; the power-on module provides adjustment of the supply voltage + 5V);
the fan of the battery section 7, designed to cool equipment installed in the battery section, the fan operates when a voltage of + 25V is applied from the power-on module;
as part of the sensor section 2:
sensor section fan 8 for cooling equipment in the sensor section;
airborne marker system 9 (airborne marker transceiver and antenna marker transceiver) designed for:
- generating an electromagnetic recognition signal (from the on-board marker transmitter),
- issuing in the ultrasonic section of the analog signal marker marks,
- generating an electromagnetic signal of a passive state; (the electromagnetic signal of the passive state is an identification signal with pulse modulation);
airborne marker system provides adjustment of the sensitivity of the airborne marker receiver;
a piezo-acoustic indicator of a passive state 10, designed to generate an acoustic signal of a passive state (frequency 1-2 kHz); the generation of an acoustic signal of a passive state (occurs when a piezo-sound signal is supplied from the power-on module);
odometers 11, designed to generate signals (electrical pulses), the number of which is proportional to the distance traveled by the transport device inside the pipeline (pulses arrive in the ultrasonic section);
a pendulum sensor of the angular position of the transport device inside the pipe 12,
external pressure sensor 13,
gyroscopes 14,
accelerometers 15,
piezo-acoustic indicators of data collection and recording 16,
as part of data section 3:
ultrasonic blocks 17 designed for:
- issuing triggering signals to ultrasonic sensors,
- receiving signals from ultrasonic sensors of the sensor section corresponding to reflected ultrasonic signals from the external and internal walls of the pipeline,
- converting the values of the time intervals between the signals (triggering, from the inner and outer walls) of the corresponding ultrasonic sensor into digital codes (into digital form) and transmitting them to the control and synchronization unit;
the secondary power supply module of the ultrasonic blocks 18, designed for:
- converting the supply voltage +25 V to the voltage -5 V, +5 V, +15 V, +12 V and issuing these voltages to the ultrasonic units;
control and synchronization unit 19, designed for:
- control of ultrasonic units,
- registration of data coming from ultrasound units,
- registration of signals from odometers received from the matching module, and converting them into a code proportional to the distance traveled by the transport device inside the pipeline (odometric information),
- formation of service information for the control computer about the process of collecting ultrasonic data;
(the work of the control and synchronization unit is controlled by a control computer; to reset the control and synchronization block to the initial state (the registers of the control and synchronization block are reset), the "Reset" signal is used, coming from the control computer through the analog and digital exchange module and matching module);
analog and digital exchange module 20, designed for:
- management of the coordination module through digital ports,
- receiving from the module matching analog signals, converting them into a digital code and transmitting to a control computer,
- receiving from the module matching digital signals and transmitting to a control computer,
- reception through the ISA system interface from the control computer and issuing control signals matching module,
- monitoring the operability of the analog-to-digital converter, which is part of the analog and digital exchange module, an analog signal is generated at the output of the digital-analog converter, which is part of the analog and digital exchange module, which is fed through the matching module to the input of the analog-to-digital converter, where it is converted into digital code: the control computer evaluates the correctness of the conversion.

matching module 21, intended for:
- transmission of digital and analogue pulses to the analogue and digital exchange module and control and synchronization unit;
- transmission of control signals to the power-on module, drive power-on module, piezoelectric sensors, product angular position sensor, ultrasonic unit secondary power supply module;
- receiving control signals about the presence of supply voltages to the secondary power supply module of ultrasonic units,
- receiving from the module analog and digital exchange and issuing to the control unit and synchronization signal "Reset",
- issuance of supply voltage;
(the work of the matching module is controlled by the analog and digital exchange module);
general cooling fan of data section 22,
the on-board computer 23, designed for:
- management of the processes of collecting and recording data during the run in accordance with a given algorithm,
- monitoring the normal functioning of equipment in all operating modes,
- management of the on-off order of equipment in all operating modes, including in emergency operating modes,
- communication with external devices through the RS-232C interface;
(exchange of information of the control computer with the analog and digital exchange module and with the control and synchronization unit occurs via the ISA system interface);
a digital data storage device 24 for recording and storing information about a diagnostic pass coming from the ultrasound section, issuing information about a pass on the SCSI interface to an external digital data storage after performing a diagnostic pass;
autonomous power source (rechargeable battery) 25, which ensures the non-volatility of the digital data storage device,
a cooling fan of the on-board computer processor 26,
The technical diagnostics of the main pipeline is based on the immersion pulsed ultrasonic diagnostic method. This method provides for the complete immersion of the sensor and the object under study in a liquid, pulsed irradiation of the object with ultrasonic waves, reception and processing of reflected waves from the object. According to the characteristics of the transmitted and received signals, a conclusion is drawn on the properties of the object. Ultrasonic sensors are located at a certain constant distance from the inner surface of the wall, the distance from the ultrasonic sensors of the pipe wall is constantly measured, while providing constant washing of the ultrasonic sensors with the transport medium.

 The ultrasonic sensor is excited by a short electric pulse with an amplitude of up to 200 V, a duration of up to 0.2 μs and an excitation energy of up to 90 μJ. The sensor converts the electric pulse into an acoustic wave with an oscillation frequency of 5 MHz, focuses the acoustic wave, forming an irradiation spot on the surface of about 6-9 mm. After some delay, the sensor from the transmission mode switches to the reception mode of the reflected acoustic wave. Part of the energy of the acoustic wave is reflected from the first interface of the media (the inner surface of the pipeline wall). Another part of the wave energy penetrates into the pipeline wall and, reaching the second interface of the media (the outer surface of the pipeline wall) is also reflected from it. Secondary reflections from both surfaces continue until the wave energy is completely attenuated. The ultrasonic sensor receives the reflected waves, converts them into an electrical signal. If the threshold is exceeded by the first reflected signal, the signal is prohibited from receiving for some time, after which a second acoustic wave is received, reflected from the outer surface of the pipe wall, and converted into an electrical signal. If the threshold is exceeded, the reception of acoustic waves is prohibited. The reflected signals are in the form of damped sinusoidal half-waves, positive and negative polarity. Triggering of prohibitions occurs on the first half-wave. The time intervals between the first and second acoustic waves are converted into digital codes. Sensing the full surface of the pipeline around the circumference is provided by using the estimated number of ultrasonic sensors installed around the circumference in increments of 8-9 mm. Information for all sensors determines one complete section.

 The sounding of the full surface of the pipeline in the longitudinal direction is provided by the periodic launch of each sensor in cross section. The probe pulse repetition rate for each sensor is defined as the cross-sectional frequency, which is determined by the required resolution in the longitudinal direction and the speed of the transport device inside the pipeline. With a decrease in the speed of movement at a certain constant frequency of the formation of the cross section, the resolution in the longitudinal direction improves, while the amount of data obtained increases. As a result, the run distance to the full filling of digital information drives is reduced. To preserve the "Distance-information volume" characteristics, the variable "Scan period", which is variable in preparation for the run, is proportional to the frequency of the cross-section formation. To ensure the cross-sectional formation frequency for each of the 192 ultrasonic sensors equal to 394 Hz (period 2.54 ms), and at the same time provide measurements of the maximum indent values (distances between the sensors and the inner surface of the pipeline) of at least 20 mm (time interval 32 μs) and maximum values of wall thickness of at least 22.5 mm (time interval of 9 μs), a division of all ultrasonic sensors into groups of 32 sensors is introduced. Start is carried out simultaneously for each n-th sensor in all groups. For example, with six groups, six ultrasonic sensors are triggered simultaneously, one in each group. To probe the full cross section, 32 launches are carried out, sequentially for each group sensor. The period between sensor starts in the group is defined as the scanning period and is set in the run parameters. The control of the start of the sensors, the reception of reflected pulses, their conversion into codes for a group of 32 sensors is provided by the ultrasonic unit 17 of FIG. 2. The number of ultrasonic blocks is determined by the total number of ultrasonic sensors for various sizes of pipelines. So, for the size 20 ”, 192 sensors and 6 ultrasonic blocks are used, for the size 16” 160 sensors and 5 ultrasonic blocks are used, for the size 14 ”144 sensors and 5 ultrasonic blocks are used.

 The movement of the transport device through the pipeline takes place in the medium flow (drift) due to the supporting and conical cuffs installed on the sections' bodies and having a diameter corresponding to the inner diameter of the pipeline. Cuffs fix the position of the product relative to the longitudinal axis of the pipeline, ensure the passage of the product through tees, valves. Passing of the transport device through pipelines having a narrowing of up to 85% or ovality to 13% of the nominal diameter, or underlay rings up to 8-10 mm thick is ensured. The transport device is structurally divided into separate sections. Connections between sections provide free section turns.

 The length of the path traveled in the pipeline is measured using two independent odometric systems 11. Each odometer consists of a freely rotating wheel of a certain diameter, supporting rods with lengths corresponding to different diameters of the pipelines, and springs that press the wheels against the walls of the pipeline. Permanent magnets are mounted on wheels. Electromagnetic sensors are installed on the rods, converting the magnetic field created by the wheel magnet into electrical impulses. The linear distance traveled by the wheel between two electrical pulses is defined as the odometer odofactor and is used in calculating the distance traveled depending on the number of odometer pulses counted. The diameters of the odometer wheels and the number of pulses per one full revolution of the wheel are set when preparing the run. The odometer pulses are counted in three independent counters: the counter of the first odometer, the second odometer and the counter of the resulting increment. At certain time intervals (1-2s), increments from two odometers are analyzed, the largest increment is selected and summed in the counter of the resulting increment.

 To determine the current rotation of the transport device in an angle around the longitudinal axis of the pipeline and to bind the angle of rotation of the product to the coordinate system of the pipeline, a pendulum system 12 is used. A liquid pendulum is used as a sensor for the angular position, which converts the angular position to an equivalent voltage. The output voltage of the pendulum, depending on the angle of rotation, varies linearly from 0 to 5V according to a sawtooth law. To initialize the values of the pendulum to the pipeline coordinate system, when preparing the run, the ultrasonic sensor number is entered, which is located in the lowest position and the pendulum reading at the moment is stored.

 To determine the position of defects relative to external landmarks (on the ground), a marker system is used, which includes an on-board marker system 9 as part of an antenna and an on-board marker transceiver, ground equipment as part of sets of a ground marker transmitter and low-frequency locator. Communication is carried out by means of low-frequency electromagnetic waves with a carrier frequency of about 22 Hz. The on-board transceiver is configured for alternate reception (1s) and transmission (0.4s). The ground receiver (low-frequency locator) receives onboard signals and gives the operator visual (light) and sound alarms. When the transport device passes the sensitivity zone of the low-frequency locator, the signaling intensity changes. The on-board receiver receives signals from the ground marker transmitter, which is set by the operator before the passage of the marker device by the transport device. The on-board marker system generates the output signals of the receiver: an analog marker and a digital marker, which enter the control system of the transport device.

 Based on the measurement and evaluation results, an 8-digit digital marker status code is generated. The seven least significant bits of the marker carry information about the value of the output signal of the receiver: the analog marker, while the unit of the least significant bit of the code is 39 mV. 128 gradations (codes) of values of an analog marker provide measurement of the maximum level to 5B. The eighth, most significant bit of the marker code determines the state of the digital marker. A high level of signal at the output of the digital marker means the absence of a digital marker and is encoded "logical 0" in the eighth bit of the marker code. A low level at the output of the digital marker means the presence of a digital marker and is encoded as “logical 1” in the eighth bit of the marker code. The 8-bit marker code is stored in the control system.

 The codes of the odometer counters, angular position sensor, gyroscopes, accelerometers, marker, along with the indent codes and the pipe wall thicknesses form the basic ultrasonic information of the run. Ultrasonic information provides the identification of defects, their binding by distance, by external landmarks (marker points), by angular position.

 As part of the additional information of the diagnostic pass, information on pressure, temperature, current values of the supply voltage, and errors during data collection and recording is recorded.

 The power management system ensures that the main power circuits are turned on and off in accordance with the parameters of the diagnostic pass programmed when preparing the product for the pass.

 The collection, formation, transformation, recording of ultrasonic and additional information of the pass to the digital data storage device is provided by the control system, the basis of which is the on-board computer 23.

 In the process of diagnostic skipping, data compression and data thinning algorithms can be used.

 The data compression algorithm is based on the method of extracting the nominal value for each ultrasonic sensor for a certain number of sections. If consecutive values coinciding with the nominal value within the tolerance are found in the data stream, then an overhead byte is written instead of this sequence, defining the sign of information compression (high bit) and the number of repetitions (low 7 bits) of the nominal value. The values for the indentation and wall thickness are determined in each frame of ultrasonic information with a length of 336 sections for each ultrasonic sensor and are recorded in the frame header. The value that is most often encountered in the analyzed frame of ultrasound information is selected as the face value.

 The data thinning algorithm is activated when run speeds are less than expected. At speeds less than expected, the longitudinal resolution improves. As a result, the same surface region is probed several times. When thinning, certain sections from the ultrasound information are discarded in such a way as to ensure a constant resolution in the longitudinal direction at the level of 3.3 mm.

 The on-board computer 23 transmits the digital data of the ultrasonic and additional information of the pass, writes it to the digital data drive on the direct access buffer memory elements in the on-board computer RAM, or to RAM disks with a SCSI interface up to 3 GB each. The total volume of the drive may change during operation. The maximum distance that can be diagnosed in one diagnostic pass is proportional to the volume of the digital data storage device, the speed of the transport device inside the pipeline, the data compression ratio, the period of formation and recording of the ultrasound information frame, and is inversely proportional to the size of the ultrasound information frame. The size of the ultrasound information frame is a constant value of approximately 127 kB. At the same time, the allowable distance is determined by the maximum battery capacity, current consumption when collecting information, speed when skipping.

 So, with a capacity of 6800 Mb of onboard digital data storage devices at an average speed of the transport device inside the pipeline of 0.5 m / s, a frame formation and recording period of 2.2 s, a compression ratio of 2.5, the maximum distance to complete filling of the digital data storage device is 150 km, and at a speed of 1 m / s, the period of formation and recording of the frame is 1.1 s and the same other parameters, the maximum distance is 145 km.

Claims (25)

 1. A method for the technical diagnosis of a trunk pipeline by passing inside a trunk pipeline of a transport device with sensors installed on it that are sensitive to pipeline diagnostic parameters, measuring instruments, processing and storing measurement data and a battery power source, performing the specified diagnostic parameters during the passage of measurements using the indicated sensors, receiving in the process of skipping a sequence of digital or analog and subsequently digitalized signals corresponding to the measured diagnostic parameters of the pipeline, performing in the process of non-destructive testing of the material of the main pipeline using several ultrasonic sensors installed on the transport device and distributed around the inner circumference of the main pipeline, storing the received digital data in direct access buffer memory in the process of skipping, determining after completing the specified skipping diagnostic of parameters of the main pipeline, corresponding to the indicated digital data, characterized in that the non-destructive testing of the material of the pipeline is performed with a resolution of not more than 3.3 mm in the longitudinal direction and 9 mm around the circumference of the main pipeline with a transport device moving inside the pipeline of 1.3 - 3 m / s, in the process of skipping, the sensors are divided into 5-6 groups, so that every n-th sensor in all groups is launched at the same time, the received digital data is stored directly in the buffer memory access of more than 6000 MB, the digital data are accumulated at a steady rate of more than 1 MB per second, after technical diagnostics of one or several sections of the main pipeline with a total length of more than 100 km are performed, the data blocks are formed in the buffer memory and the digital data is finally recorded with the generated data blocks from the specified buffer memory to the peripheral digital data storage device on the elements of dynamic direct access memory of more than 6000 MB.  2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the methods of non-destructive testing of materials, eddy currents, the method of leakage of magnetic flux is used in the process of technical diagnostics, digital data is accumulated in the buffer memory that corresponds to diagnostic parameters related to the state of the material trunk pipeline.  3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that in the process of technical diagnostics the parameters of the main pipeline profile are measured, in the process of these measurements at least one of the types of sensors is used, ultrasonic, mechanical, digital data is accumulated in the buffer memory that correspond to the geometric parameters of the profile trunk pipeline.  4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that in the process of skipping determine the location of the transport device inside the main pipeline, the parameters of the main pipeline, determine the length of the path traveled by the transport device inside the pipeline and the angle of rotation of the transport device around the main axis of the pipeline, accumulate in the buffer memory digital data corresponding to the length of the path traveled inside the main pipeline, the angle of rotation of the transport device around the main axis eral pipeline geographic location parameters of the transport device, time, pressure fluid within the pipeline, the accelerations of the transport device, supply voltages, errors in the assembly and recording the digital data.  5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the diagnosis of the pipeline is performed using 144 - 192 sensors uniformly distributed on the inner surface of the pipeline with an interval of 8 - 9 mm between the sensors.  6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that when the amount of buffer memory indicated in claim 1 is less than a certain value, the part of the buffer memory is freed from the recorded data and used to record subsequent data.  7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that in the process of storing digital data specified in claim 1, the compression of the digital data specified in claim 1 is used, the compression is performed by hardware before writing the digital data to the buffer memory specified in claim 1.  8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that the compression indicated in claim 6 is implemented by allocating a nominal value for each sensor for a certain number of consecutive measurements, if the specified data sequence matches the nominal value within the tolerance, the service byte is written instead of the specified data sequence, the defining sign of information compression and the number of repetitions of the nominal value, the nominal values are determined before performing the pass and change during the pass.  9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that in the process of skipping determine the length of the path traveled inside the pipeline using two odometers and two counters that count the number of pulses from the odometers proportional to the distance measured by the odometers, in the process of determining the length of the path traveled through time intervals 1 - 2 s analyze the increments from the two indicated pulse counters from the odometers, select the larger of the two and sum it in the third independent counter.  10. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that in the process of skipping specify the position of the transport device in the pipeline using marker signals emitted from points outside the pipeline, the position of which is known, and received by appropriate means in the transport device inside the pipeline, by storing in the process passing information about the place of receiving signals, during the passage marker signals are emitted from the transport device inside the pipeline and received by appropriate means outside the pipeline at the points Assumption known.  11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that the radiation and reception of the marker signals indicated in claim 10 are performed using a transceiver, alternating a reception mode of up to 1 s and a transmission mode of up to 0.4 s, when receiving said marker signals inside or outside the pipeline, store information about the time of reception of signals.  12. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that upon receipt of the marker signals indicated in claim 10 inside the pipeline, a corresponding analog signal from 0 to 5 and a digital eight-bit code are generated using 128 gradations of the values of the specified analog signal, the seven least significant bits of which carry information about the value of the analog signal, and the eighth digit of the code carries information about the digital code.  13. A device for technical diagnostics of a trunk pipeline, including a housing for a transport device for passing inside the trunk pipeline, digital or analogue devices installed on the transport device with means for converting analog signals to digital form sensors sensitive to the diagnostic parameters of the specified pipeline, a power source in the form of a battery, the on-board computer containing the drive for receiving digital data, the drive includes I buffer memory, and direct access peripheral data storage module, characterized in that the random access memory has a capacity of 6000 MB, said peripheral data storage module is configured for dynamic random access memory elements and has a volume of more than 6000 Mb.  14. The device according to item 13, wherein the direct access buffer memory indicated in item 13 is made on the elements of dynamic, static combined memory or on non-volatile memory elements.  15. The device according to item 13, wherein the digital data storage device includes an autonomous power source.  16. The device according to item 13, characterized in that it includes means for determining the position of the transport device inside the main pipeline, these means include at least two odometric systems for determining the length of the path traveled inside the pipeline with two electric pulse generation sensors, the number of which in proportion to the distance traveled by the transport device inside the pipeline.  17. The device according to clause 16, characterized in that it includes two independent odometer pulse counters and an independent counter of the maximum of the two indicated counts of the increment of the number of pulses over a period of 1 to 2 seconds.  18. The device according to p. 13, characterized in that it includes a sensor of the angular position of the transport device, including a liquid pendulum and a converter of the angular position of the liquid pendulum to an equivalent voltage from 0 to 5V according to a sawtooth law.  19. The device according to p. 13, characterized in that it includes means of hardware compression and hardware decimation specified in paragraph 13 of digital data.  20. The device according to p. 13, characterized in that it includes an on-board marker system for generating an electromagnetic identification signal and an electromagnetic signal of a passive state from the on-board marker transmitter and issuing an analog signal of marker marks.  21. The device according to claim 20, characterized in that it includes a piezo-acoustic indicator for collecting and recording data and a piezo-acoustic indicator of a passive state for generating acoustic signals with a frequency of 1 to 2 kHz.  22. The device according to item 13, wherein the transport device indicated in item 13 is made in the form of a piston or a liquid plug and is structurally divided into several sections with polyurethane cuffs installed on the sections.  23. The device according to item 13, characterized in that it includes sensors of at least one of the types, ultrasonic, electromagnetic-acoustic, eddy current, magnetic leakage sensors, mechanical, these sensors are uniformly distributed around the inner circumference of the main pipeline.  24. The device according to item 23, wherein the sensors indicated in item 23 are mounted on a cuff made of elastic material, said cuff has the shape of a body of revolution with an axis coinciding with the axis of the main pipeline, said cuff is made in the form of a body truncated on both sides rotation with unequal radii of the bases.  25. The device according to p. 24, characterized in that the cuff specified in clause 24 is made in the form of a truncated cone, the sensors indicated in clause 24 are mounted on several cuffs specified in clause 24.

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