PR-670-183906-R01 Literature Survey of Sensor Capability Embedded in Coating for Leak Detection

Abstract

The detection of pipeline leaks is essential for pipeline operators. The quicker the leak can be identified and located, the less product is likely to be lost from the pipeline. Reducing the loss of product results in a reduction of monetary penalties both in the value of the product lost and the associated cleanup operation that is required to remove the product from the surrounding environment. As well as preventing the reputational damage that a leak can cause. Internally based leak detection systems struggle to find small leaks and externally based systems each have their own sensitivities and difficulties in affixing near to or on the pipeline. A demand therefore exists amongst the pipeline operators to investigate the future possibilities for leak detection using methods that can be incorporated in the pipeline coating. These methods could be introduced to a pipeline when repairs are carried out to provide extra instrumentation to find leaks at these positions that are vulnerable from previous damage or points at which a leak from the pipeline would cause significant damage to the surrounding environment. This document therefore provides a literature review of currently available leak detection sensors that are embedded in pipeline coatings for the detection of small leaks and continues to give a landscape view of the research into coating embedded leak detection sensors at this time that could be built on to bring these coating embedded leak detection systems to a commercially viable state. The report gives an indication of the state of the art of the sector and the possibilities for future development of systems and techniques. Many of these techniques are at early stages of development and would require significant time and investment to commercialize as a viable system.