Investigating the performance of transient model based leak detection system for liquid pipelines

加拿大的管道网络庞大，每天输送约300万桶原油。即使有广泛的联邦和省级法规，管道公司采取许多措施来维护和监测其管道，以确保安全运行，管道泄漏的可能性仍然存在。石油管道泄漏会导致严重的环境影响和巨大的经济损失，这突出了有效的泄漏检测的必要性，以促进对泄漏事件的快速响应。泄漏的发生导致瞬态事件，其形式为沿管道沿着两个方向传播的压力波。泄漏的存在可以通过使用计算机模型分析管道系统的水力行为来检测。基于计算机模型的泄漏检测技术广泛用于能源管道行业，但其有效性通常受到计算机模型准确再现真实世界管道系统的复杂性的能力以及不准确和不充分的测量数据的限制。 恩布里奇管道公司在几乎所有的液体管道上使用基于计算机模型的泄漏检测系统。基于模型的泄漏检测系统的一个当前挑战是，它们在瞬态条件下的表现不如在正常操作条件下的表现。第二个问题是，安装额外的管道仪表可能不会像预期的那样提高泄漏检测能力。该研究项目的目标是调查与基于计算机模型的泄漏检测系统相关的具体挑战。我们建议对Enbridge泄漏检测系统的商业软件进行广泛的诊断测试，以确定对泄漏检测影响最大的因素。此外，我们将调查泄漏检测的灵敏度，现场测量。我们还建议开发一个泄漏检测模型，这将作为一个“工具箱”，以帮助更好地理解基于计算机模型的泄漏检测方法，确定增强功能，并探索这种类型的系统的新挑战。

Canada's pipeline network is massive with approximately 3 million barrels of crude oil transported every day. Even with extensive federal and provincial regulation, and pipeline companies undertaking many measures to maintain and monitor their pipelines to ensure safe operations, there is always a possibility that a pipeline leak could occur. Oil pipeline leaks can result in significant environmental impacts and huge economic losses, which highlights the need for effective leak detection to facilitate fast response to a leak event. The occurrence of a leak causes a transient event, in the form of pressure waves that propagate in both directions along the pipe. The presence of a leak can be detected by analyzing the hydraulic behaviour of the pipeline system using a computer model. Computer model based leak detection techniques are extensively used in the energy pipeline industry but their effectiveness is often limited by the ability of the computer models to accurately reproduce the complexities of real-world pipeline systems, and by inaccurate and insufficient measured data. Enbridge Pipelines Inc. uses computer model based leak detection systems on almost all of their liquid pipelines. One current challenge with model based leak detection systems is that they do not perform as well under transient conditions, as they do under normal operating conditions. A second concern is that installing additional pipeline instrumentation may not improve leak detectability as expected. The goal of this research project is to investigate specific challenges related to computer model based leak detection systems. We propose to conduct extensive diagnostic testing of the commercial software upon which Enbridge's leak detection systems are built, to determine the factors that have the most impact on leak detection. In addition, we will investigate the sensitivity of leak detectability to field measurements. We also propose to develop a leak detection model which will serve as a "toolbox" to assist with better understanding of the computer model based leak detection method, identify enhancements, and explore new challenges with this type of system.