Product category:
Containment systems, Leak protection
News Release from: Brinker Technology | Subject: Micro-platelets
Edited by the Processingtalk Editorial
Team on 28 July 2006
Micro-platelets for detecting small
leaks
Brinker Technology has successfully used a Smart:Scotland award to help develop a solution for sealing and detection of hairline cracks and pinholes in pipes in the Oil and Gas Industry
A successful Smart:Scotland project has concluded that micro-platelets are a viable solution for sealing and locating small pipeline leaks The Scottish Executive has recognised that science, engineering and technology will continue to underpin Scotland's competitiveness in the marketplace
This article was originally published on Processingtalk on 31 Jul 2006 at 8.00am (UK)
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Brinker Technology sought a Smart award in order to investigate the feasibility of developing a pipeline integrity solution for the sealing and detection of hairline cracks and pinholes in pipes in the Oil and Gas Industry.
Hairline cracks and pinhole leaks in subsea flowlines cause significant problems for operators in terms of lost production, health and safety and environmental considerations.
Brinker had developed Platelet Technology, which is based on the method by which the human body responds to cuts and wounds, and have adapted this for use in pipeline integrity management applications.
Platelets utilise the fluid flow inside the pipeline and are delivered to the pipeline fracture, facilitating the sealing of the leak.
Additionally, through an embedded identifier, the Platelet position and therefore the position of the leak, can be found.
Micro-platelets, an adaptation of Platelet Technology, were developed in order to create a viable solution for small aperture leaks that often grow into larger cracks and can cause catastrophic pipeline failures.
Current methods of detecting small leaks include intelligent pigging, which is expensive to run, and so may be used infrequently.
In addition to this, a significant proportion of oil and gas pipeline infrastructure is non-piggable.
Micro-platelets have been developed to offer the industry an alternative means of locating and sealing leaks in these lines.
Brinker carried out a knowledge search on small aperture leaks in oil pipelines before the detailed design of micro-platelets.
As with larger Platelets a successful micro-platelet design is based on the choice of both material and geometry.
In the case of hairline cracks and pinhole leaks the leak zone is very small therefore micro-platelets have been designed to respond to the more modest flow fluctuation induced by the very small aperture leaks typical of hairline cracks and pinholes.
The challenges that faced the highly qualified engineering team at Brinker revolved around developing a solution that did not compromise either the strength of the embedded identifier source size or the Platelet size.
Brinker Technology engineers were able to develop a system by doping the micro-platelets with a very small amount of radioisotope with a high power to size ratio that can be detected from both inside and outside the pipeline.
To locate the Platelet, an appropriate radiation detection and data management system was identified and incorporated within an existing pipeline pig.
Proof of concept testing was carried out at the Brinker test facilities.
The radioactive micro-platelets were injected into a 8inch flow loop and successfully located by the pig mounted detector.
This trial tested the Platelet deployment system from injection to the total removal of all radioactive Platelets from the pipeline.
Bernie Anson, Chairman and CEO of Brinker Technology, is quoted as saying: "We can now build on the successful outcome of this development project and we are confident that it will not be 'if' but 'when' we implement, in the field, this further interesting aspect of our Platelet Technology".
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