Vibro-Acoustic Leak Detection in Energy Pipelines

随着2015年《巴黎协定》和2019年COP25协定的签署，加拿大同意到2050年将温室气体(GHG)排放量减少到净零排放。通过通常所说的能源转型，加拿大的能源行业，包括其管道基础设施，将发生转型。能源转型将见证为现代社会提供动力的能源的变化。氢气形式的化学能源是难以脱碳的部门的有力候选者，这些部门包括航空；长途卡车、火车和轮船运输；混凝土和钢铁生产；以及化肥生产。到2050年实现净零能源系统还需要积极的碳捕获、利用和储存方法。管道将在这一转变中发挥核心作用，输送氢气和氨燃料、生物燃料、合成烃和二氧化碳。为了保护社会和环境，管道的这种重新利用将需要泄漏检测技术的进步。现有的泄漏检测技术主要分为三类：基于硬件的泄漏检测技术、基于软件的泄漏检测技术和基于检测的泄漏检测技术。顾名思义，基于硬件的系统确实需要在管道或周围区域添加额外的仪器或传感器，以确定管道系统是否存在泄漏。基于软件的系统使用现有的监控和数据采集(SCADA)数据，包括压力、温度和质量流量，并通过计算方法确定是否存在泄漏。最后，基于检查的系统定期对管道进行物理检查，以检查泄漏的证据。在这项研究中，使用壁挂式加速度计作为现场可部署的泄漏检测技术来研究基于硬件的传感。这种方法最适合在高后果地区(人口稠密地区、环境敏感地区等)附近应用。本研究将研究在操作雷诺数条件下，泄漏形态对泄漏特征的影响，以进行早期泄漏检测和识别。该研究将有助于对管道泄漏的流体力学和振动声学的理解。通过该研究计划培训的高素质人员(HQP)将配备非侵入性光学诊断、实验流体力学、振动声学和信号分析方面的最新知识。HQP还将学习如何使用人工智能和机器学习来增强数据分析。训练有素的HQP可以在学术界、政府实验室、监管机构或行业找到职业机会。行业职位将包括活跃在碳氢化合物生产或日益增长的氢能源传输和碳捕获、储存和利用领域的管道传输公司或服务公司。

With the signing of the Paris Agreement in 2015 and the COP25 agreement in 2019, Canada has agreed to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to net-zero by 2050. Through what is commonly referred to as Energy Transition, Canada's energy industry, including its pipeline infrastructure, will transform. Energy transition will see changes in the energy sources used to power modern society. Chemical energy in the form of hydrogen is a strong candidate for hard-to-decarbonize sectors that include aviation; long-distance truck, train and ship transport; concrete and steel production; and the production of fertilizers. Attaining net-zero energy systems by 2050 will also require aggressive Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage approaches. Pipelines will play a central role in this transition, transporting hydrogen and ammonia fuels, biofuels, synthetic hydrocarbons, and carbon dioxide. This repurposing of pipelines will require advances in leak detection technologies for the protection of society and environment. Existing leak detection technologies fall into one of three main categories: those that are hardware based; those that are software based; and those that are inspection based. Hardware-based systems do, as the name implies, require extra instruments or sensors to be added to the pipeline or surrounding area to determine if there is a leak in the pipeline system. Software-based systems use existing supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) data including pressure, temperature, and mass flow rate with computational methods to determine if a leak is present. Finally, inspection-based systems physically examine the pipeline periodically to check for evidence of a leak. In this research, hardware-based sensing is investigated using wall-mounted accelerometers for use as a field-deployable leak detection technology. The approach is best suited for application near high-consequence areas (high-population areas, environmentally sensitive areas, etc.). The research will investigate the influence of leak morphology on leak signatures under operational Reynolds number conditions for early-stage leak detection and identification. The research will contribute to the understanding of both the hydrodynamics and the vibro-acoustics of leaks from pipe flow. The highly qualified personnel (HQP) trained through this research program will be equipped with the latest knowledge in non-invasive optical diagnostics, experimental fluid mechanics, vibro-acoustics, and signal analysis. HQP will also learn how to augment data analysis using artificial intelligence and machine learning. Trained HQP could find career opportunities in academia, government laboratories, regulatory organizations, or industry. Industrial positions would include pipeline transmission companies or service companies active in both hydrocarbon production or in the growing area of hydrogen energy transmission and carbon capture, storage and utilization.