A Study of Multi-Method Based Subsea Pipeline Leak Detection System

Pipelines are of most importance to subsea systems. The leakage of pipelines which may be caused by aging or corrosion will lead to serious environmental damage and significant economic losses. In this paper, a submarine pipeline leak detection system is developed to protect environment and also improve the safety of subsea system via quick detection and relatively correct location. The leak detection system includes data acquisition devices, wireless communication devices, the calculation part is also involved, like data processing module, leak detection module, pattern recognition module and positioning module. The corrected flow balance principle and a statistical analysis method, namely Wald’s Sequential Probability Ratio Test (SPRT), are used to decide whether it is leak-free or leak-present. Besides, a pattern recognition system is developed to minimize false alarms. The method of Hydraulic Grade Line was employed to locate the leakage. Our study provides a quick response to leak detection as well as leak location. A quick and convenient method to leak detection and location is provided by this paper.