Sergej Arent, Director Applications, HIMA Group, and Michal Miklasik, Project Manager, HIMA Slovakia, explain how modern management and control solutions make pipelines safer, more efficient and more sustainable.
Pipeline leaks are among the greatest risks in the operation of critical infrastructure – economically, environmentally and in terms of safety. With the increasing age of many networks, growing regulatory pressure and new challenges such as hydrogen transport, the need for precise, automated monitoring is increasing. Find out how a modular software solution combines different detection methods to achieve highly sensitive and at the same time fault-tolerant leak detection in real time.
It is a normal morning in the control room of a large pipeline operator. Countless operating data appear on the screens of the employees in the control room – everything seems to be running smoothly. But suddenly a message appears in the event display: ‘Suspected leak – northern sector, segment 17 – position 85 km north of the refinery’. No shrill alarm, no panic – just precise, data-based information that leaves no doubt.
What might have taken days to detect in the past – a passer-by smelling oil or a pressure drop at a remote measuring point – is now visible in a fraction of a second. That’s because the pipeline is part of a modern monitoring system equipped with an intelligent leak detection system that registers and evaluates even the smallest deviations in pressure and flow behaviour. In this case: FLOWorX® – a system that works in real time and localises with pinpoint accuracy.
A moment later, a team is on site. The leak can be sealed quickly and precisely before more damage occurs. Minimised environmental pollution, reduced critical product loss, no damage to the company’s reputation. What sounds like a routine operation was still a long way off just a few years ago. For many pipeline operators worldwide, this shift towards a digitalised, preventive safety architecture has long since become a necessity.
The invisible risk: why pipelines need to be monitored more than ever
Pipelines are the lifelines of industrial and urban infrastructure – but they are also risk factors with a high potential for damage. Theft, corrosion, micro-leaks, damage caused by third parties or extreme weather events can all affect them. In addition, cybercrime is increasingly coming into focus. The older a pipeline, the greater the risk – and worldwide, environmental protection and safety requirements are increasing. In addition to numerous local laws and regulations, international standards such as API 1130, API 1149, API 1175 and API 1160 must be taken into account. Modern pipeline monitoring without intelligent, automated systems is hardly conceivable anymore.
But which technology is suitable for which infrastructure? Essentially, four approaches can be distinguished, which can be combined depending on the requirements:
- Classic inspection technologies: inline inspection (ILI), magnetic flux leakage (MFL) or ultrasound (UT) provide precise data on the condition of a pipeline. They show corrosion, material weaknesses or deposits – but they work selectively and reactively. Leaks can go unnoticed between inspections.
- Field instruments data solutions: sensors for pressure, temperature or flow register changes in real time and are easy to retrofit. However, they provide basic physical data and need further processing and calculations, as the data alone is not sufficient for making conclusions about leaks, especially in complex operating situations or with irregular flow rates.
- Centralised management systems (EPMS): enterprise Pipeline Management Systems combine monitoring, control and alerting. They integrate operating data and visualise processes. However, specialised modules or additional systems are required for leak detection.
- Computational pipeline monitoring (CPM): this is where model-based solutions come in: mathematical models such as real-time transient model, volume valance or pressure wave analysis simulate the pipeline and detect leaks reliably, even in complex scenarios – such as when pumps are started up or when there are flow fluctuations.
One software system, four detection methods
A modern all-in-one leak detection suite designed for oil, gas, water, chemical and hydrogen applications like FLOWorX® uses four different methods in parallel to ensure full coverage. It can be used as a stand-alone leak detection solution integrated into existing control systems or as part of a hybrid system with emergency shutdown (ESD) in a SIL 3-certified safety control system – for greenfield and brownfield projects.
Unlike many solutions that rely on one or two methods, the leak detection suite combines four detection methods that work in parallel and independently of each other. This is crucial because real operating conditions vary greatly – with pressure fluctuations, temperature changes or changing flow rates. Systems with only one method quickly reach their limits in terms of accuracy and might overload the operator continuously generating false alarms.
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