Abstract
Pipeline inspection gauges (pigs) have been used for many years to perform various maintenance operations in oil and gas pipelines. Different pipeline parameters can be inspected during the pig journey. Although pigs use many sensors to detect the required pipeline parameters, matching these data with the corresponding pipeline location is considered a very important parameter. High-end, tactical-grade inertial measurement units (IMUs) are used in pigging applications to locate the detected problems of pipeline using other sensors, and to reconstruct the trajectories of the pig. These IMUs are accurate; however, their high cost and large sizes limit their use in small diameter pipelines (8″ or less). This paper describes a new methodology for the use of MEMS-based IMUs using an extended Kalman filter (EKF) and the pipeline junctions to increase the position parameters’ accuracy and to reduce the total RMS errors even during the unavailability of above ground markers (AGMs). The results of this new proposed method using a micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS)-based IMU revealed that the position RMS errors were reduced by approximately 85% compared to the standard EKF solution. Therefore, this approach will enable the mapping of small diameter pipelines, which was not possible before.
Highlights
Advances in micro-electromechanical-systems (MEMS) technology combined with the miniaturization of electronics, have made it possible to produce low cost and lightweight chip-based inertial sensors
The developed method was examined through real pipeline inspection trajectories, using as few above ground markers (AGMs) as possible
The main objective of this work was to increase the accuracy of pipeline navigation
Summary
Advances in micro-electromechanical-systems (MEMS) technology combined with the miniaturization of electronics, have made it possible to produce low cost and lightweight chip-based inertial sensors. These chips are small, lightweight, reliable and they consume very little power. They have found a wide spectrum of applications in the automotive sector and other industrial applications. MEMS technology, can be used to develop navigation systems that are inexpensive, small, and consume low (microwatt) power. The attractive advantages of MEMS technology have led to remarkable research progress in the field of MEMS inertial sensors. The goal of this paper is to introduce new constraints for pipeline navigation to increase the position parameters’ accuracy and reduce the total RMS
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