Millimeter-Scale Leak Detection Using Distributed Acoustic and Temperature Gradient Sensing

• Published in: Proceedings of IEEE Sensors ... pp. 1 - 4
• Main Authors: Weber, Guilherme H., Gomes, Danilo F., dos Santos, Eduardo N., Santana, Ana L. B., da Silva, Jean C. C., Martelli, Cicero, Pipa, Daniel R., Morales, Rigoberto E. M., C., Sergio T., da Silva, Manoel F., da Silva, Marco J.
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: IEEE 29.10.2023
• Subjects: Acoustic measurements; Acoustics; distributed acoustic sensing; distributed temperature gradient sensing; Fluids; Gas industry; leak detection; Pipelines; Temperature measurement; Temperature sensors; two-phase flow measurement
• DOI: 10.1109/SENSORS56945.2023.10324904

The occurrence of leaks in the transport of fluids in the oil and gas industry is a recurring problem. Compounds subject to reactions with the environment flowing under high pressure and temperature, through long pipes in places of difficult access exposed to the weather create several conditions for leaks. Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) technology perfectly addresses those challenges as it provides long-range remote sensing through a dense network of sensors with high sensitivity and wide frequency response. In this work, we demonstrate the use of a DAS system simultaneously operating in acoustic and temperature gradient modes to detect a 1 mm diameter hole leak in a 1 inch-pipeline under water-air slug flow. The measurement data demonstrate the effects of the leakage in both acoustic and thermal perspectives. The results determine the system's ability to identify the integrity of the pipeline, as well as the exact moment the leak started, its location, characteristics in both time and frequency domain, and thermal effects as well. This research contributes to advance DAS technology as a sensing tool capable of detecting mm-sized leak hole in fluid transport pipelines.