System for determining the location of pipelines

Abstract

A system for determining the location of pipelines using at least one geopig that is introduced into a pipeline, advances therein and that has a magnetic source for generating a magnetic field, wherein at least one unmanned aerial vehicle is provided with magnetic field sensors and position determination devices, a controller is provided for determining the field strength profile of the magnetic field and for positioning the unmanned aerial vehicle at a defined distance from the at least one geopig, and a device is provided for determining the location of the at least one geopig from the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle and the defined distance between the at least one geopig and the unmanned aerial vehicle.

Claims

1. A system for determining a location of at least one pipeline having at least one geopig which is introduced into the at least one pipeline, moved forward in said at least one pipeline and which comprises a magnetic source for generating a magnetic field, the system comprising: at least one unmanned aerial vehicle having position determining devices; a plurality of magnetic field sensors attached to the at least one unmanned aerial vehicle and arranged in a cross-shaped manner which detect a course of a field strength of the magnetic field and maintain positioning of the at least one unmanned aerial vehicle at a defined distance from the at least one geopig; and means for determining a location of the geopig from a position of the at least one unmanned aerial vehicle and the defined distance between the at least one geopig and the at least one unmanned aerial vehicle.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the position determining devices of the unmanned aerial vehicle comprise satellite navigation components.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the location of the pipeline is determined from a sequence of ascertained positions of the at least one geopig while moving.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one geopig is moved forward via flow of a medium being transported in the pipeline.

5. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the at least one geopig is moved forward via flow of a medium being transported in the pipeline.

6. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the location of the pipeline is determined from a sequence of ascertained positions of the at least one geopig while moving.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the location of the pipeline is determined from a sequence of ascertained positions of the at least one geopig while moving.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the magnetic source comprises a coil to which an alternating current is applied; and wherein the alternating current comprises a typical and distinguishable frequency pattern.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the magnetic field comprises a constant field having an alternating field superimposed on said constant field.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The invention is explained in detail with reference to the figures, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows the use of a system in accordance with the invention in a schematic and side view; and

(3) FIG. 2 shows the use of the system in accordance with the invention in a plan view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

(4) The figures illustrate the use of a geopig GM for determining the location of a pipeline RL.

(5) The geopig GM is equipped with a magnetic source MQ that generates a magnetic field. The course of the field strength of the magnetic field is detected via a magnetic field sensor MFS that is attached to an unmanned aerial vehicle UAV and spatially allocated.

(6) The unmanned aerial vehicle UAV follows the maximum of the magnetic signal at a predetermined flight height and positions itself in each case at a defined distance from the geopig GM, by way of example, directly above the geopig GM.

(7) Therefore, the movement of the geopig GM in the pipeline RL also causes the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV to follow the course of the pipeline RL.

(8) The location and course of the pipeline RL are ascertained from the position of the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV, which is continuously determined using satellite navigation, and from the distance between the geopig GM and the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV, where distance is determinable from the course of the field strength of the magnetic field MF. In addition, the location of the pipeline RL can be determined from a sequence of ascertained positions of the geopig GM while it is moving.

(9) In so doing, it is expedient if the data that is obtained using inertial measuring systems and that relates to the position of the geopig is likewise used in the procedure of determining the location and course of the pipeline RL.

(10) Permanent magnets or magnetic coils are, by way of example, conceivable as the magnetic source.

(11) It is advantageous to use a coil to which an alternating current is applied as a magnetic source MQ for generating an alternating magnetic field MF at an impressed frequency signature, with the result that it is possible to identify interference signals.

(12) It is expedient for this purpose if the frequency and field strength of the magnetic field MF are adjusted to suit the characteristics of the pipeline RL in order that the eddy currents that are induced therein are minimal.

(13) It is also advantageously possible to configure the magnetic field MF as a constant field that has an alternating field superimposed on it because it is possible to improve the alternating field permeability of magnetic materials by superimposing the alternating field on a constant field that magnetically saturates the material at a corresponding point.

(14) In order to avoid the pig magnetically attaching itself to the surrounding pipe, the magnetic constant field should continue to extend within the pipe as symmetrically possible.

(15) It may also be advantageous to equip the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV with a plurality of magnetic field sensors MFS and to arrange these sensors in the form of a cross, as is illustrated in FIG. 2. Consequently, the localization of the geopig GM and thus of the pipeline RL is improved in the lateral direction by virtue of the detection results being at a maximum.

(16) In a further advantageous embodiment of the invention, the magnetic field is also used simultaneously for detecting weak points in the pipeline casing or for detecting irregularities in the ground lying above the pipeline (for example, “illegal tapping” via attaching branch lines).

(17) A bi-directional measurement would also be conceivable, in that the signal that is measured via the magnetic field probe MFS is returned, for example, at another lower frequency to the geopig GM. As a consequence, it is possible using suitable coding over the propagation delay time of the signals to determine the distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV and the geopig GM.

(18) Alternatively, it would also be conceivable to measure the distance by comparing the phase position of the signals.

(19) The advantages that are achieved using the system in accordance with the invention particularly reside in a high degree of accuracy when determining the position of the geopig GM, above all in the case of comparatively long pipelines RL, by eliminating the drift behavior of the incremental measurement using an inertial measuring system.

(20) Consequently, it is also possible to use comparatively simple and cost-effective measuring systems in the geopig GM.

(21) Furthermore, the system renders it possible to fully automate the measuring procedure.