System for assessing pipeline condition
AssigneeUniversity of Florida Research Foundation, Inc.
InventorMark E. Orazem
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and system for assessment of a pipe (110) is provided. The system can include a probe (100) having first (120) and second (130) electrodes and a processor (200) in communication with the probe (100). The probe (100) can be in a medium (140) proximate to a section of the pipe (110) to be analyzed. The section of the pipe (110) can have a coating (115) thereon. The processor (200) can measure a difference in potential between the first (120) and second (130) electrodes. The processor (200) can determine a local impedance with respect to the section of the pipe (110) based at least in part on the difference in potential. The processor (200) can evaluate a condition of the coating (115) on the section of the pipe (110) based at least in part on the local impedance or a parameter derived from the local impedance.
Claims17
A method for assessment of an external condition of buried pipe, the method comprising:
- disposing a multi-electrode probe having structure for sensing potential comprising at least a first electrode and a second electrode spaced apart from one another in a medium proximate to a section of a pipe to be analyzed, said pipe section having a coating disposed on at least a portion of its length;
- measuring a difference in potential (V1) between said first and second electrodes, and using V1 together with a value for soil resistivity proximate to said pipe section to determine a local current density;
- forcing an alternating current into a circuit comprising said pipe and a bias electrode selected from said first and second electrodes at a plurality of different frequencies and measuring a resulting potential difference (V2) between said pipe and said electrode other than said bias electrode;
- determining a local impedance at said plurality of frequencies from said V2 and said local current density, and
- evaluating a condition of said coating in said section based on said local impedance, or a parameter derived therefrom.
A method for assessment of a pipe under impressed current cathode protection (ICCP), the method comprising:
- positioning a probe in a medium proximate to a section of the pipe to be analyzed, the section of the pipe having a coating thereon, the probe including at least a first electrode and a second electrode spaced apart from each other;
- measuring a difference in potential between the first and second electrodes;
- determining a local impedance with respect to the section of the pipe based at least in part on the difference in potential and without interrupting the ICCP;
- and
- evaluating a condition of the coating on the section of the pipe based at least in part on the local impedance or a parameter derived from the local impedance.
A system for assessment of a pipe under impressed current cathode protection (ICCP), the system comprising:
- a probe having first and second electrodes, the probe being in a medium proximate to a section of the pipe to be analyzed, the section of the pipe having a coating thereon;
- a processor in communication with the probe, wherein the processor measures a difference in potential between the first and second electrodes, wherein the processor determines a local impedance with respect to the section of the pipe based at least in part on the difference in potential and without interrupting the ICCP, and wherein the processor evaluates a condition of the coating on the section of the pipe based at least in part on the local impedance or a parameter derived from the local impedance;
- and
- a cathodic protection signal generator connected to said pipe and a counter-electrode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.