Cost-Effective, 24/7 Leak Detection Based On Thermal Imaging
This article has been supplied as a media statement and is not written by Creamer Media. It may be available only for a limited time on this website.
To remove the labour-intensive job of monitoring the integrity of pipeline networks, the video analytics specialist, IntelliView has developed a smart camera solution, at the heart of which, is FLIR thermal imaging technology.
Corrosion, ageing pipes and fittings are the common causes of leaks with control valves, pig traps and receivers, meters and pressure gauges being especially susceptible. Although leaks often start small, delayed detection can cause significant financial losses as well as environmental and reputational damage.
As a result, oil and gas operators typically apply a multi-layered, multi-technology approach to early leak detection and a new method that is proving particularly effective is the intelligent video analytics-based system developed by IntelliView.
“We knew that a fixed, camera-based leak detection system would be an ideal approach for monitoring unmanned pump stations,” explains IntelliView’s Chris Beadle. “The combination of visual and thermal camera technologies enabled us to offer an effective method of detecting and alerting operators to very small, above-ground fluid spills within a couple of seconds.”
IntelliView’s leak detection solution is called DCAM (Dual Camera Analytic Module). It is a compact combination of visual and FLIR thermal cameras with built-in proprietary leak analytics, wireless connectivity and automatic climate control.
Within its field of view, the DCAM can see an oil leak as small as 0.36 cubic metres per hour from a distance of up to 60 metres. The software then automatically analyses the event based on user defined leak parameters and, if a critical condition is determined, an alert notification with image and video is generated for instant verification.
The FLIR model chosen for this task is the FLIR A65, a compact IR camera that produces high-quality thermal images with 640 x 512 image resolution and visualises small temperature differences. The series has ten field-of-view options for greater control over the measurement areas and can operate in all weather conditions and temperatures up to 60°C.
“The compact FLIR A65 is easy to integrate into the DCAM,” Chris Beadle continues. “It is a complete solution with a wide range of lenses and ability to discern absolute temperatures, critical information for use in our analytic algorithms.”
The IntelliView DCAM not only detects leaks based on temperature differences presented by the thermal camera but also based on smart video analytics that take into account liquid movement and leak size. This results in a very low false alert rate. The analytics work together with a series of algorithms to filter out unwanted events such as moving vehicles, snow, heavy rain, glare and shadowing. And any alert by the thermal camera can always be verified by an operator on the visual video image.
Chris Beadle concludes: “The IntelliView DCAM system is proving to be a very efficient way to monitor the safety of above-line piping facilities on a 24/7 basis. It not only helps organisations to enhance response time but also reduce manpower and save costs.”
Comments
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation