Pipeline Monitoring System: A Feasibility Study

Abstract

Pipeline is a medium through which fluids can be tran sported from one location to another. It is basically used to efficiently transport liquid and gaseous commodities over long distances at a low cost. Water, regular gases, petroleum products and liquid hydrocarbons are examples of transportable pipelin e commodities. The need for an efficient and reliable pipeline system is increasing by the day as a result of the detrimental effect of unreliable ones on society. Failure can result in environmental pollution and explosions which can destroy lives, prope rties and the ecosystem; moreover, the cost of restoring the ecosystem to its origin or natural form may be very costly or nearly impossible. To this effect, there is a need for pipeline monitoring systems (PMS) that will manage the pipeline network again st such detrimental effects. This paper review some of the existing PMS highlight s their sensing techniques, merits, de merits and areas of possible applications either onshore (surface or underground pipelines) or offshore (underwater pipelines). It also highlighted key components of PMS and classified the existing PMS into direct and indirect sensing, based on the sensing medium employed in their various methodologies.