Objective
The instrumented vehicle developed by SYMINEX enables the measurements of corrosion in hydrocarbon pipelines.
The risk of PIG permanently jamming in the pipe is eliminated by a sytem of automatic fragmentation.
The object of the project was the construction of the vehicle with integration of the thickness measurement system and the realization of tests on a pipeline in operation.
Calibration tests were performed on a pipe test whose defects were know, a phase shift of 5 degrees represented an attack of 3% of pipe wall for general surface pitting.
Tests on site were performed to compare the machine with an industrial environment.
The measurements at different speeds (20 cm/s to 40 cm/s) corresponded well. There was a phase shift in some tubes of 30 degrees corresponding to a 20% reduction in wall thickness.
These measurements were compared to those obtained from tests using an ultrasonic thickness transducer.
Wall thickness was controlled at 500 points per tube, areas of corrosion detected by the PIG corresponded to decrease in wall thickness.
The reliability of the system was established. Further improvements have been performed on electronics offering metal loss treshold detection of 2 % in volume with a reference log.
The dynamic measurements have been evaluated from 15 cm/s to 50 cm /s, speed increase has been afforded by a doubled sampling rate (twicethe frequency of the alternative emitted field).
No extension of interest has been made by oil companies so we do not engage an industrialization of the prototype.
After studying the various features linked with fragmentation, the use of syntactic foam for the body of the instrument seemed to be the best solution.
The vehicle length is 0.9 m, its weight with the electronic components is 25 kg.
It is propelled along the pipe by the fluid flow by means of two urethane cups at speeds of up to 0. 5 m/s.
Fragmentation of the vehicle takes place with the explosion of a pyrotechnical transmission cord embedded in the body of the vehicle.
Corrosion phenomena are monitored from the measurements of the quantity of metal in a section of pipe. The operational principle is based on the deformation undergone by an alternating magnetic field traversing a conducting surface.
Microprocessor circuits integrated into the equipment enable the measurement of the phase shift at each period with storage of the results in RAM CMOS.
The sensor/acquisition unit assembly requires little energy and allows complete autonomy via a distance of 20 Km.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
This project has not yet been classified with EuroSciVoc.
Be the first one to suggest relevant scientific fields and help us improve our classification service
You need to log in or register to use this function
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Data not available
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Coordinator
13009 Marseille
France
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.