Monitoring pipelines

摘要

An apparatus and method that provide for an accurate and reliable way of remotely determining the presence and/or location of slacks and/or slugs within fluid transporting pipelines is disclosed. A method and apparatus for detecting a volume of a second fluid contained within a first fluid (a slack or slug) in a pipeline is disclosed. The apparatus is associated with a pipeline and has pressure changing means to apply a pressure change signal to the first fluid; pressure sensing means for monitoring the pressure within the first fluid; and a processing means for identifying the reflections of the pressure change signal from an interface between the volume and first fluid and determining the location of an interface between the volume and first fluid. The pressure change signal may be generated by opening or closing a valve, a signal generator, an oscillator or a loudspeaker. The pressure sensing means may be located at the same point in the pipeline as where the pressure change signal is applied, or the pressure sensing means may be located at a different point in the pipeline. The pressure sensing means may be a microphone or a strain gauge. Reflections from discontinuities in the pipeline may also be detected. The time difference between the applied pressure change signal and the identified reflection from the interface may be detected and the location of the interface calculated using the propagation speed of the pressure signal. The propagation speed may be determined by measuring reflections from known discontinuities (e.g. 107) in the pipeline. The temperature, density may be measured of the first fluid.