Pipeline with integrated fiber optic cable

• Main Author: VINCENT ALLIOT
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 15.05.2013
• Subjects: BLASTING; ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVEFUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; HEATING; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; LIGHTING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL; MEASURING; MEASURING QUANTITY OF HEAT; MEASURING TEMPERATURE; MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; PHYSICS; PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; TESTING; TESTING STATIC OR DYNAMIC BALANCE OF MACHINES ORSTRUCTURES; TESTING STRUCTURES OR APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL; THERMALLY-SENSITIVE ELEMENTS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; WEAPONS

Apparatus and methods for integrating a fiber optic cable (116) with a pipeline (104) are described. An example pipeline having an integrated fiber optic cable includes a plurality of pipe sections (119a, 119b), where each of the pipe sections has a thermally insulating outer layer (200, 202) and ends not covered by the outer layer. The ends of each of the pipe sections are welded to respective ends of other pipe sections to form field joints (111a) at the welded ends. The pipeline also includes a fiber optic cable, where first portions (120) of the fiber optic cable are in contact with some of the pipe sections at some of the field joints and where second portions of the fiber optic cable between the first portions are fixed to the outer layer. A coating is applied to cover each of the first portions of the fiber optic cable to integrate the fiber optic cable with the pipeline.