# US 11,441,926 B2 · Method and system for detecting events in a conduit

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- Number: US 11,441,926 B2
- Document ID: US11441926B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/961,031
- Filed: 2019-01-08
- Published: 2021-06-03
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2018-01-10
- Assignees: Hifi Engineering Inc.
- Applicants: Hifi Engineering Inc.
- Inventors: Adekunle Adeyemi; Seyed Ehsan Jalilian
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11441926B2

## CPC

- G01D 5/35361: {using elastic backscattering to detect the measured quantity, e.g. using Rayleigh backscattering}
- G01D 1/18: with arrangements for signalling that a predetermined value of an unspecified parameter has been exceeded (G01D1/14 takes precedence)
- G01D 5/35316: {using a Bragg gratings}
- G01H 9/004: {using fibre optic sensors (light guides per se G02B6/00, acousto-optical devices specially adapted for gating or modulating in optical wave guides G02F1/125)}
- G01K 11/3206: at discrete locations in the fibre, e.g. using Bragg scattering
- G01L 1/246: {using integrated gratings, e.g. Bragg gratings}
- G01D: MEASURING NOT SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR A SPECIFIC VARIABLE; ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEASURING TWO OR MORE VARIABLES NOT COVERED IN A SINGLE OTHER SUBCLASS; TARIFF METERING APPARATUS; MEASURING OR TESTING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G01H: MEASUREMENT OF MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OR ULTRASONIC, SONIC OR INFRASONIC WAVES
- G01K: MEASURING TEMPERATURE; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (radiation pyrometry G01J5/00)
- G01L: MEASURING FORCE, STRESS, TORQUE, WORK, MECHANICAL POWER, MECHANICAL EFFICIENCY, OR FLUID PRESSURE (weighing G01G)

## Abstract

There is provided a system for determining multiple baselines for detecting events in a conduit. The system comprises an optical fiber interrogator for interrogating optical fiber; and one or more processors communicative with the optical fiber interrogator and memory having stored thereon computer program code configured, when executed by the one or more processors, to cause the one or more processors to perform a method. The method comprises, for each of multiple channels of the conduit, each channel comprising a portion of the conduit: obtaining phase data for the channel, the phase data being obtained by causing the optical fiber interrogator to interrogate optical fiber positioned alongside the conduit; and determining one or more baselines from the phase data. As a result, events in the conduit may be detected with fewer false positives.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of detecting events in a conduit, the method comprising:
for each of multiple channels of the conduit, each channel comprising a portion of the conduit:
obtaining sensor data for the channel, the sensor data being obtained from one or more sensors;
determining one or more baselines from the sensor data;
setting one or more event thresholds for identifying when an event has occurred at the channel;
after determining the one or more baselines, using the one or more sensors to measure sensor readings from the channel;
extracting parameter data from the sensor readings; and
identifying whether an event has occurred at the channel using the measured sensor readings and the one or more event thresholds, wherein an event is determined to have occurred if (parameter value−mean)/(M*std)>1,
wherein parameter value is a value of the parameter data, mean is a mean of the parameter data, M is a scalar greater than 0, and std is a standard deviation of the parameter data.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the sensor data comprises using the one or more sensors to obtain the sensor data.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the sensor data comprises interrogating optical fiber positioned alongside the conduit.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the sensor data comprises phase data obtained by measuring interference between light pulses transmitted along the optical fiber.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors comprise one or more of pressure sensors, acoustic sensors, strain sensors, and temperature sensors.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein determining the one or more baselines comprises:
extracting parameter data from the sensor data; and
determining the one or more baselines from the parameter data extracted from the sensor data.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the parameter data comprises data relating to one or more parameters from a group comprising: temperature, strain, acoustics, and vibration.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein determining the one or more baselines further comprises:
processing the parameter data extracted from the sensor data to determine one or more statistical parameters of the parameter data extracted from the sensor data; and
determining the one or more baselines from the one or more statistical parameters.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more statistical parameters comprise one or more of: a mean of the parameter data extracted from the sensor data; a median of the parameter data extracted from the sensor data; a standard deviation of the parameter data extracted from the sensor data; and a variance of the parameter data extracted from the sensor data.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more baselines comprise a mean of the parameter data extracted from the sensor data, and a standard deviation of the parameter data extracted from the sensor data.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein identifying whether the event has occurred comprises:
determining whether a magnitude of at least one parameter of the extracted parameter data has exceeded at least one of the one or more event thresholds.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein:
an event is determined to have occurred if ((parameter value)i . . . N−meani . . . N)/(Mi . . . N*stdi . . . N)>1,
wherein (parameter value)i . . . N is a value of the ith parameter data, meani . . . N is a mean of the ith parameter data, M is a scalar greater than 0, stdi . . . N is a standard deviation of the ith parameter data, and N is an integer greater than 1.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
processing the sensor data so as to identify undesired noise; and
removing the undesired noise from the sensor data.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the conduit comprises a pipeline or a well.

### Claim 15

A system for detecting events in a conduit, comprising:
an optical fiber interrogator for interrogating optical fiber; and
one or more processors communicative with the optical fiber interrogator and memory having stored thereon computer program code configured, when executed by the one or more processors, to cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:
for each of multiple channels of the conduit, each channel comprising a portion of the conduit:
obtaining phase data for the channel, the phase data being obtained by causing the optical fiber interrogator to interrogate optical fiber positioned alongside the conduit;
determining one or more baselines from the phase data;
setting one or more event thresholds for identifying when an event has occurred at the channel;
after determining the one or more baselines, interrogating the optical fiber to obtain optical fiber readings from the channel;
extracting parameter data from the optical fiber readings; and
identifying whether an event has occurred at the channel using the optical fiber readings and the one or more event thresholds, wherein an event is determined to have occurred if (parameter value−mean)/(M*std)>1,
wherein parameter value is a value of the parameter data, mean is a mean of the parameter data, M is a scalar greater than 0, and std is a standard deviation of the parameter data.

### Claim 16

A computer-readable medium having stored thereon computer program code executable by the one or more processors and configured, when executed by the one or more processors, to cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:
for each of multiple channels of a conduit, each channel comprising a portion of the conduit:
obtaining sensor data for the channel, the sensor data being obtained from one or more sensors;
determining one or more baselines from the sensor data;
setting one or more event thresholds for identifying when an event has occurred at the channel;
after determining the one or more baselines, using the one or more sensors to measure sensor readings from the channel;
extracting parameter data from the sensor readings; and
identifying whether an event has occurred at the channel using the measured sensor readings and the one or more event thresholds, wherein an event is determined to have occurred if (parameter value−mean)/(M*std)>1,
wherein parameter value is a value of the parameter data, mean is a mean of the parameter data, M is a scalar greater than 0, and std is a standard deviation of the parameter data.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein, for at least one of the channels, identifying whether an event has occurred at the channel is further based on:
a baseline selected from among multiple baselines determined for the at least one of the channels, wherein each baseline determined for the at least one of the channels is dependent on respective one or more conditions affecting the conduit during the obtaining of the sensor data for the at least one of the channels.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the one or more conditions comprise:
one or more seasons during which the sensor data is obtained; or
whether a fluid is flowing within the conduit.