Acoustic impact detection and monitoring system

A system for detecting and locating strikes to a pipeline, the system comprising:

• a plurality of sensors attached to the pipeline along a length of the pipeline, each of the sensors measuring acoustic noise fluctuation in the pipeline,
• a plurality of sensor stations positioned along the length of the pipeline, each sensor station being linked to a corresponding one of the plurality of sensors, each of the sensor stations collecting data from the corresponding sensor and processing the data collected from the corresponding sensor to autonomously determine whether the pipeline has been impacted and the time at which the impact occurred, each of the sensor stations being programmable to vary its detection threshold for determining that the pipeline has been impacted,
• a monitoring and diagnostic center remote from the plurality of sensors and sensor stations, and
• a bidirectional communications link between the remote monitoring and diagnostic center and each of the sensor stations,
• the monitoring and diagnostic center monitoring communications from the plurality of sensor stations for detecting pipeline strikes and calculating a position of the detected pipeline strikes that are determined to present a threat to the pipeline.

A system for detecting and locating impacts to a pipeline, the system comprising:

• a plurality of hydrophones attached to the pipeline along a length of the pipeline, each of the hydrophones measuring acoustic noise fluctuation in the pipeline,
• a plurality of sensor stations positioned along the length of the pipeline, each sensor station being linked to a corresponding one of the plurality of hydrophones, each of the sensor stations including a communications module and data acquisition and processing modules to autonomously determine whether the pipeline has been impacted and the time at which the impact occurred, each of the processing modules being programmed to autonomously vary its detection threshold for determining that the pipeline has been impacted,
• a remote monitoring and diagnostic center for receiving communications from the plurality of sensor stations indicating that the pipeline has been impacted, and
• a bidirectional communications link between the remote monitoring and diagnostic center and each of the sensor stations, the bidirectional communications link including a low earth orbit satellite link,
• the remote monitoring and diagnostic center determining whether the communications from the plurality of sensor stations indicating pipeline impacts are false alarms, and if not, calculating a position of a detected pipeline impact.