Monitoring of the position of a pipe inspection tool in a pipeline

摘要

Apparatus and a method for monitoring of a pipe inspection tool in a pipeline, the apparatus comprising at least one sensor carrier apparatus being locatable along and in close proximity to a pipeline, a plurality of acoustic sensors being locatable on the sensor carrier apparatus, a pipeline inspection tool which is moveable through the pipeline being detectable by means of the acoustic sensors, and the location of the pipeline inspection tool being able to be determined by means of the acoustic sensors.

主权项

1. An apparatus for monitoring a pipeline inspection tool as the pipeline inspection tool travels through a pipeline, the apparatus comprising:
an acoustically-sensitive cable located proximate to and outside the pipeline and extending along a length of a continuous section of the pipeline, the acoustically-sensitive cable comprising a distributed optical acoustic sensor located closely proximate to and detached from the pipeline and configured to detect an acoustic signature of the pipe inspection tool as the pipeline inspection tool moves through the inside of the section of the pipeline and provides a signal based on the detected signature, wherein the acoustic signature comprises at least one of a continuous passive acoustic signature and an active acoustic signature; and a data interpretation device configured to determine information related to a state of the pipeline based on the provided signal as the pipe inspection tool moves through the pipeline.