Infrared Thermography for the Remote Monitoring of Pipeline Leaks
Thermogram of a traditional building in the background and a "passive house" in the foreground By Passivhaus Institut - Copied to Commons from http://en.wikipedia.org. Original source Passivhaus Institut, Germany – http://www.passiv.de, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1256683
Longtime Houston oil and gas industry executive Ivor R. Ellul leads CiSK Ventures, Ltd., and oversees projects that maximize the use of resources. Experienced in pipeline design and monitoring, Ivor Ellul has extensive knowledge in the methods of detecting leaks, which can impact production and pose environmental risks.
The methods to find leaks include acoustic emission sensors, vapor samples, fiber optics, and infrared thermography (IRT). IRT uses infrared cameras that display infrared radiant energy in the 900-1400 nm range. For gas leaks associated with abnormal temperature distribution, thermogram images pinpoint temperature changes in the pipeline that indicate perforation or rupture.
IRT differs from the use of resistance temperature detectors (RTDs) and other temperature measurement mechanisms be providing solutions that are noninvasive, contactless, distributed, and in real-time because IRT assesses temperatures spanning a continuous region. Remotely monitoring the temperature of an object, IRT provides an easy-to-read visual image that pinpoints temperature anomalies.
The methods to find leaks include acoustic emission sensors, vapor samples, fiber optics, and infrared thermography (IRT). IRT uses infrared cameras that display infrared radiant energy in the 900-1400 nm range. For gas leaks associated with abnormal temperature distribution, thermogram images pinpoint temperature changes in the pipeline that indicate perforation or rupture.
IRT differs from the use of resistance temperature detectors (RTDs) and other temperature measurement mechanisms be providing solutions that are noninvasive, contactless, distributed, and in real-time because IRT assesses temperatures spanning a continuous region. Remotely monitoring the temperature of an object, IRT provides an easy-to-read visual image that pinpoints temperature anomalies.
