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US 10,481,036 B2Granted
Pipeline leak detection system
OwnerLiu Willow Zhuinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This disclosure is related to the in-service detection of a leak in a flow line, whether the medium is a fluid, liquid or gas, a mixture of fluids (gas and liquids). More particularly, the invention is related to a device or devices in series and interconnected that monitor the flow and detects immediately the occurrence of a leak, accurately pinpointing its location and calculating the quantity of the leak.
Claims14
A method for detecting, locating, and measuring a leak in a closed system fluid transport pipeline using in-line multiphase mass flow meters at an upstream location and a downstream location, the method comprising:
- continuously measuring the real-time multiphase mixture mass flow rate and mixture pressure with an upstream meter in the fluid transport pipeline at the upstream location a;
- continuously measuring the real-time multiphase mixture mass flow rate and mixture pressure with a downstream meter in the fluid transport pipeline at the downstream location b;
- and
- performing, in an automated, real-time transient analysis, of a leak response function using the above real-time measurements comprising:
- detecting an upstream first n=1 leak perturbation wave at the upstream location a at time tan=1, having a transient pressure of Pan=1 a and a transient mass flow rate of Qan=1;
- detecting a downstream first m=1 leak perturbation wave at the downstream location b at a time tbm=1, having a transient pressure of Pbm=1 and a transient mass flow rate of Qbm=1;
- determining, independent of boundary conditions, an upstream leak response function LRFa using the mass flow rate and pressure measurements received from the upstream location, wherein δPa is an upstream leak pressure alteration factor according to
- δ
- P
-
-
- a
- =
- P
- a
- n
- =
- 0
- -
- P
- a
- n
- =
- 1
- P
- a
- n
- =
- 0
- and δQa is an upstream leak flow alteration factor according to
- δ
- Qa
- =
- Q
- a
- n
- =
- 1
- -
- Q
- a
- n
- =
- 0
- Q
- a
- n
- =
- 0
- ,
- wherein
- LRF
- a
- =
- (
- 1
- -
- δ
- Pa
- )
- (
- 1
- +
- δ
- Qa
- )
- ;
- determining, independent of boundary conditions, a downstream leak response function LRFb using the mass flow rate and pressure measurements received from the upstream location, wherein δPb is a downstream leak pressure alteration factor according to
- δ
- P
-
-
- b
- =
- P
- b
- m
- =
- 0
- -
- P
- b
- m
- =
- 1
- P
- b
- m
- =
- 0
- and δQb is a downstream leak flow alteration factor according to
- δ
- Q
-
-
- b
- =
- Q
- b
- m
- =
- 1
- -
- Q
- b
- m
- =
- 0
- Q
- b
- m
- =
- 0
- ,
- wherein LRFb=(1−δPb)(1−δQb);
- where Pan=0 is the pressure and Qan=0 is the mass flow rate at the upstream location before the leak;
- where Pbm=0 is the pressure and Qbm=0 is the mass flow rate at the downstream location before the leak;
- wherein the distance between the upstream location and the downstream location is L, detecting a first reflected perturbation wave at the upstream location at a time tan=2;
- determining a distance X from the upstream location to the leak, according to:
- X
- =
- L
- 2
-
- (
- 1
- +
- t
- a
- n
- =
- 1
- -
- t
- b
- m
- =
- 1
- t
- b
- m
- =
- 1
- -
- t
- a
- n
- =
- 2
- )
- ;
- determining a first i=1 leak mass flow rate Qleaki=1 according to:
- Qleaki=1=Qan=1−Qbm=1;
- and
- indicating a leak event when LRFa and LRFb trend downward simultaneously, the location of the leak relative to the upstream location, and the leak mass flow rate.
152 more elements
A system for detecting, locating, and measuring a leak in a closed system fluid transport pipeline with in-line multiphase mass flow meters at an upstream location and a downstream location, comprising:
- an upstream in-line multiphase flow meter for measuring multiphase mixture pressure and multiphase mixture mass flow rate at the upstream location in the fluid transport pipeline;
- a downstream in-line multiphase flow meter for measuring multiphase mixture pressure and multiphase mixture mass flow rate at the downstream location in the fluid transport pipeline;
- a remote terminal unit for continuously receiving pressure and mass flow rate data from the upstream meter and sending it to the control center;
- a remote terminal unit for continuously receiving pressure and mass flow rate data from the downstream meter and sending it to the control center;
- and
- a control center, continuously receiving the data from the remote terminal unit, the control center having a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system for determining, in an automated, real-time transient analysis, a leak response function comprising:
- detecting an upstream first n=1 leak perturbation wave at the upstream location a at time tan=1 having a transient pressure of Pan=1 and a transient mass flow rate of Qan=1;
- detecting a downstream first m=1 leak perturbation wave at the downstream location b at a time tbm=1, having a transient pressure of Pbm=1 and a transient mass flow rate of Qbm=1;
- determining, independent of boundary conditions, an upstream leak response function LRFa using the mass flow rate and pressure measurements received from the upstream location, wherein δPa is an upstream leak pressure alteration factor according to
- δ
- P
-
-
- a
- =
- P
- a
- n
- =
- 0
- -
- P
- a
- n
- =
- 1
- P
- a
- n
- =
- 0
- and δQa is an upstream leak flow alteration factor according to
- δ
- Q
-
-
- a
- =
- Q
- a
- n
- =
- 1
- -
- Q
- a
- n
- =
- 0
- Q
- a
- n
- =
- 0
- ,
- wherein
- LRF
- a
- =
- (
- 1
- -
- δ
- Pa
- )
- (
- 1
- +
- δ
- Qa
- )
- ;
- determining, independent of boundary conditions, a downstream leak response function LRFb using the mass flow rate and pressure measurements received from the upstream location, wherein δPb is a downstream leak pressure alteration factor according to
- δ
- P
-
-
- b
- =
- P
- b
- m
- =
- 0
- -
- P
- b
- m
- =
- 1
- P
- b
- m
- =
- 0
- and δQb is a downstream leak flow alteration factor according to
- δ
- Q
-
-
- b
- =
- Q
- b
- m
- =
- 1
- -
- Q
- b
- m
- =
- 0
- Q
- b
- m
- =
- 0
- ,
- wherein LRFb=(1−δPb)(1−δQb);
- where Pan=0 is the pressure and Qan=0 is the mass flow rate at the upstream location before the leak;
- where Pbm=0 is the pressure and Qbm=0 is the mass flow rate at the downstream location before the leak;
- wherein the distance between the upstream meter and the downstream meter is L, detecting a first reflected perturbation wave at the upstream location at a time tan=2;
- determining a distance X from the upstream location to the leak, according to:
- X
- =
- L
- 2
-
- (
- 1
- +
- t
- a
- n
- =
- 1
- -
- t
- b
- m
- =
- 1
- t
- b
- m
- =
- 1
- -
- t
- a
- n
- =
- 2
- )
- ;
- determining a first i=1 leak mass flow rate Qleaki=1 according to:
- Qleaki=1=Qan=1−Qbm=1;
- and
- adapted to indicate a leak event when LRFa and LRFb trend downward simultaneously, the location of the leak relative to the upstream location, and the leak mass flow rate.
157 more elements
A supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system for a pipeline control center for detecting, locating, and measuring a leak in a closed system fluid transport pipeline using in-line multiphase mass flow meters at an upstream location and a downstream location, comprising:
- a receiver for continuously receiving multiphase mass flow rate data and pressure data from an upstream multiphase mass flow meter at the upstream location and multiphase mass flow rate data and pressure data from a downstream multiphase mass flow meter at the downstream location;
- a computer for performing, in an automated, real-time transient analysis, an upstream leak response function LRFa using the data received from the upstream multiphase mass flow meter and a downstream leak response function LRFb using the data received from the downstream multiphase mass flow meter, according to:
- detecting an upstream first n=1 leak perturbation wave at the upstream location a at time tan=1 having a transient pressure of Pan=1 and a transient mass flow rate of Qan=1;
- detecting a downstream first m=1 leak perturbation wave at the downstream location b at a time tbm=1, having a transient pressure of Pbm=1 and a transient mass flow rate of Qbm=1;
- determining, independent of boundary conditions, an upstream leak response function LRFa using the mass flow rate and pressure measurements received from the upstream location, wherein δPa is an upstream leak pressure alteration factor according to
- δ
- P
-
-
- a
- =
- P
- a
- n
- =
- 0
- -
- P
- a
- n
- =
- 1
- P
- a
- n
- =
- 0
- and δQa is an upstream leak flow alteration factor according to
- δ
- Q
-
-
- a
- =
- Q
- a
- n
- =
- 1
- -
- Q
- a
- n
- =
- 0
- Q
- a
- n
- =
- 0
- ,
- wherein
- LRF
- a
- =
- (
- 1
- -
- δ
- Pa
- )
- (
- 1
- +
- δ
- Qa
- )
- ;
- determining, independent of boundary conditions, a downstream leak response function LRFb using the mass flow rate and pressure measurements received from the upstream location, wherein δPb is a downstream leak pressure alteration factor according to
- δ
- P
-
-
- b
- =
- P
- b
- m
- =
- 0
- -
- P
- b
- m
- =
- 1
- P
- b
- m
- =
- 0
- and δQb is a downstream leak flow alteration factor according to
- δ
- Q
-
-
- b
- =
- Q
- b
- m
- =
- 1
- -
- Q
- b
- m
- =
- 0
- Q
- b
- m
- =
- 0
- ,
- wherein LRFb=(1−δPb)(1−δQb);
- where Pan=0 is the pressure and Qan=0 is the mass flow rate at the upstream location before the leak;
- where Pbm=0 is the pressure and Qbm=0 is the mass flow rate at the downstream location before the leak;
- wherein the distance between the upstream meter and the downstream meter is L, detecting a first reflected perturbation wave at the upstream meter at a time tan=2;
- and
- wherein the leak response function further comprising determining a distance from the upstream location to the leak X, according to:
- X
- =
- L
- 2
-
- (
- 1
- +
- t
- a
- n
- =
- 1
- -
- t
- b
- m
- =
- 1
- t
- b
- m
- =
- 1
- -
- t
- a
- n
- =
- 2
- )
- ;
- determining a first i=1 leak mass flow rate Qleaki=1, according to:
- Qleaki=1=Qan=1−Qbm=1;
- and
- indicating a leak event when LRFa and LRFb trend downward simultaneously, the location of the leak relative to the upstream location, and the leak mass flow rate.
154 more elements
A system using in-line multiphase mass flow meters at an upstream location and a downstream location of a fluid transport pipeline, comprising:
- an in-line multiphase mass flow meter at the upstream location for measuring mass flow Q and pressure P of the mixture through the pipeline at the upstream location;
- an in-line multiphase mass flow meter at the downstream location for measuring mass flow Q and pressure P of the mixture through the pipeline at the downstream location;
- a computer adapted to calculate, in an automated real-time transient analysis, a leak response function comprising:
- detecting an upstream first n=1 leak perturbation wave at the upstream location a at time tan=1 having a transient pressure of Pan=1 and a transient mass flow rate of Qan=1;
- detecting a downstream first m=1 leak perturbation wave at the downstream location b at a time tbm=1, having a transient pressure of Pbm=1 and a transient mass flow rate of Qbm=1;
- determining, independent of boundary conditions, an upstream leak response function LRFa using the mass flow rate and pressure measurements received from the upstream location, wherein δPa is an upstream leak pressure alteration factor according to
- δ
- P
-
-
- a
- =
- P
- a
- n
- =
- 0
- -
- P
- a
- n
- =
- 1
- P
- a
- n
- =
- 0
- and δQa is an upstream leak flow alteration factor according to
- δ
- Q
-
-
- a
- =
- Q
- a
- n
- =
- 1
- -
- Q
- a
- n
- =
- 0
- Q
- a
- n
- =
- 0
- ,
- wherein
- LRF
- a
- =
- (
- 1
- -
- δ
- Pa
- )
- (
- 1
- +
- δ
- Qa
- )
- ;
- determining, independent of boundary conditions, a downstream leak response function LRFb using the mass flow rate and pressure measurements received from the upstream location, wherein δPb is a downstream leak pressure alteration factor according to
- δ
- P
-
-
- b
- =
- P
- b
- m
- =
- 0
- -
- P
- b
- m
- =
- 1
- P
- b
- m
- =
- 0
- and δQb is a downstream leak flow alteration factor according to
- δ
- Qb
- =
- Q
- b
- m
- =
- 1
- -
- Q
- b
- m
- =
- 0
- Q
- b
- m
- =
- 0
- ,
- wherein LRFb=(1−δPb)(1−δQb);
- where Pan=0 is the pressure and Qan=0 is the mass flow rate at the upstream location before the leak;
- where Pbm=0 is the pressure and Qbm=0 is the mass flow rate at the downstream location before the leak;
- wherein the distance between the upstream meter and the downstream meter is L, detecting a first reflected perturbation wave at the upstream meter at a time tan=2;
- and
- wherein the leak response function further comprising determining a distance from the upstream location to the leak X, according to:
- X
- =
- L
- 2
-
- (
- 1
- +
- t
- a
- n
- =
- 1
- -
- t
- b
- m
- =
- 1
- t
- b
- m
- =
- 1
- -
- t
- a
- n
- =
- 2
- )
- ;
- determining a first i=1 leak mass flow rate Qleaki=1, according to:
- Qleaki=1=Qan=1−Qbm=1;
- and
- indicating a leak event when LRFa and LRFb trend downward simultaneously, the location of the leak relative to the upstream location, and the leak mass flow rate.
152 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.