Apparatus to Monitor Flow Assurance Properties in Conduits

Abstract

A combination of sensors are strategically placed along a pipeline to measure critical properties such as temperature and pressure of the flow product. The sensors are a combination of fiber optic sensing devices that are specifically designed to measure a range of properties within particular bandwidth, with a method to reduce light attenuation over the long pipeline distances. The pipeline is typically subsea and can range widely in diameter. In many cases the pipeline has a coating that acts as a barrier to the corrosive sea water and additional thermal barriers.

1 . A method for monitoring the flow characteristics of hydrocarbons in a subsea pipeline comprising the steps of:
 a. Collecting hoop deflection data on the exterior pipelines via a series of fiber optic sensors located on the exterior of the pipeline;   b. Transmitting the collected hoop deflection data to a monitoring station for translating hoop deflection into pressure levels within the pipeline.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further including the step of placing a plurality of fiber optic sensors along the exterior of the pipeline for collecting the hoop deflection data along the length of the pipeline. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further including measuring the temperature of the interior of the pipeline using the fiber optic sensors on the exterior of the pipeline in a non-invasive manner. 
     
     
         4 . A pipeline monitoring system for monitoring the flow characteristics of hydrocarbons in a subsea pipeline comprising:
 a. Fiber optic sensors mounted on the exterior wall of the subsea pipeline for collecting data;   b. Cables connected to each sensors for transmitting the collected data to a remote location;   c. A collector connected to the cables for collecting the data from a plurality of sensors.   d. A connector connected to the collector for transmitting the collected data to a remote location.   
     
     
         5 . The pipeline monitoring system of  claim 4 , wherein the pressure in the pipeline is measured by the hoop stress on the exterior of the pipeline.