Design and Testing of Real-Time Sensing System Used in Predicting the Leakage of Subsea Pipeline

Sensors (Basel). 2022 Sep 9;22(18):6846. doi: 10.3390/s22186846.

Abstract

This study integrates the array sensing module and the flow leakage algorithm. In this study, a real-time monitoring deep-sea pipeline damage sensing system is designed to provide decision-making parameters such as damage coordinates and damage area. The array sensor module is composed of multiple YF-S201 hall sensors and controllers. YF-S201 hall sensors are arranged inside the pipeline in an array. The flow signal in the deep-sea pipeline can be transmitted to the electronic control interface to analyze the leakage position and leakage flowrate of the pipeline. The theory of this system is based on the conservation of mass. Through the flow of each sensor, it is judged whether the pipeline is damaged. When the pipeline is not damaged, the flowrate of each sensor is almost the same. When the pipeline is damaged, the flowrate will drop significantly. When the actual size of leakage in the pipeline is 5.28 cm2, the size calculated by the flowrate of hall sensors is 2.58 cm2 in average, indicating the error between experimental data and theoretical data is 46%. When the actual size of leakage in the pipeline is 1.98 cm2, the size calculated by the flowrate of hall sensors is 1.31 cm2 in average, indicating the error between experimental data and theoretical data is 21%. This can accurately confirm the location of the broken pipeline, which is between sensor A and sensor B, so that the AUV/ROV can accurately locate and perform pipeline maintenance in real time. It is expected to be able to monitor the flowrate through the array magnetic sensing module designed in this study. It can grasp the status of deep-sea pipelines, improve the quality of deep-sea extraction and pipeline maintenance speed.

Keywords: deep-sea water; hall sensors; leakage sensing system; subsea pipeline.

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.