Smart pigs
Husky Energy has over 30,000km of
small-to-medium diameter pipelines
spread across the vastness of Western
Canada. These pipes must be regularly
maintained and monitored – and smart
pigs are part of the solution. Smart pigs are
wee vehicles that travel the pipes using an
on-board computer. Old pigs would scrape
the pipe to remove contamination, but
newer smart pigs also collect information
on minute pipe fractures, wear and tear
and other vital data that helps engineers
decide whether they need to make repairs,
or can leave a pipe be and focus elsewhere.
Pig traps are set into a pipe where it pops
above ground and these provide an access
point for catching or deploying pigs. The
strategic pipeline integrity management
programme is aided by engineers learning
from the pigs where efforts should be
focused to get ahead of potential problems,
and what can be left in the ground, making
the whole operation more efficient. Pigs
may be used to clean a given pipe once
a month or more, while smart pigs may
inspect pipes every two to five years.
As pigs become even smarter, engineers
anticipate that high-definition 3D cameras
and real-time inspection technology
may allow technicians to piggyback on
smart pigs to inspect pipes in situ, making
operations even more efficient.
In a yellow submarine
Moving from pipes to tanks, Northumbrian
Water has partnered with tech provider,
UK-based Panton McLeod Ltd, to bring a
little of The Beatles to water management.
Yellow submarines, individually bearing
staff-given names like Ringo (Starr) and
Macca (Paul McCartney), are Remote
Operated Vehicles (ROVs), controlled
by expert engineers who send them
into the massive water storage tanks of
Northumbrian Water.
About the size of a football, they can
access places staff otherwise can’t, and
can take water samples in real time. Old
inspection protocols required tanks to be
drained, a costly and expensive procedure
that put additional strain on the rest of
the system. Now the feisty little ROVs can
save time and improve information about
water quality in the tanks and about which
parts of the tanks need to be prioritised for
cleaning and maintenance.
These pigs don’t make for good
ham, but do … bring home the
bacon.
<<
Sphere
#40
2016
16
Vehiculation Aspiration
