Seeking resources about crude oil flow in pipelines
Seeking resources about crude oil flow in pipelines
(OP)
Hello! I've inherited a project where I have to modify an existing leak detection system for a crude oil pipeline. It's a Volume Balance system (if volume departing a site is different from the volume arriving at the destination, then the difference is seen as a leak). The problem is, the system compares volumes at a moment in time.
We have a few pipelines that aren't packed, and so there is a time delay between departure and arrival, usually between 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the line. This throws the leak detection system off, and I want to predict the amount of time that it would take for the crude to reach it's destination.
Can anyone recommend a textbook or other resource for learning about crude oil pipelines?
We have a few pipelines that aren't packed, and so there is a time delay between departure and arrival, usually between 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the line. This throws the leak detection system off, and I want to predict the amount of time that it would take for the crude to reach it's destination.
Can anyone recommend a textbook or other resource for learning about crude oil pipelines?





RE: Seeking resources about crude oil flow in pipelines
The API has a reference library:
http://www.americanpetroleuminstitute.com/publicat...
RE: Seeking resources about crude oil flow in pipelines
I find it difficult to believe you have a working system like this.
Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.
RE: Seeking resources about crude oil flow in pipelines
Thanks for the link, I'll spend some time with that!
LittleInch:
Sorry if I miscommunicated. The leak detection system we have works for "packed" lines, but does not currently work for lines that aren't "packed". What I'm trying to do is to predict how long it takes for a shipment to reach its destination, given a specific flow rate and pipeline.
RE: Seeking resources about crude oil flow in pipelines
It doesn't depend on the volume in the pipeline, only what goes in and what comes out. The integral of flow in over time equals the same coming out over the same time, as long as the time is long enough to account for holdups within the line and give the holdups time to deplete again. Holdups are just noise in the signal. Sometimes the noise lasts a long time, however if the noise is getting louder, a leak can still be presumed. If next week two 1/2 truckloads are missing. That's probably a 1/2 truckload / week leak.
RE: Seeking resources about crude oil flow in pipelines
Why can't you operate these pipeline s in a packed condition at all times??
Remember - More details = better answers
Also: If you get a response it's polite to respond to it.
RE: Seeking resources about crude oil flow in pipelines
The issue with that approach in the troublesome pipelines is that the flow trickles down to a crawl in between shipments, but it doesn't stop. I'll have to go back and look for any large gaps between shipments where the flow might come close enough to zero to be called "stopped", but I believe that these periods are far and few between.
LittleInch:
The troublesome pipelines would be operated in a packed condition if they were equipped to, but they are not equipped to do it. I don't fully understand the reason why, but if I recall correctly, the pipes that operate in these conditions are short in length, and have their sources on a higher elevation. Gravity drives the flow, as long as a certain pressure is met at a checkpoint.
RE: Seeking resources about crude oil flow in pipelines
This is a completely statistical method. It needs to know nothing about hydraulics. Just algebra. If there is no leak, all volumes going in = all volumes going out, over time. If it doesn't, it's a leak... (or an ingress to the pipe, in the cases of very high hydrostatic pressure outside the pipe).
A 1% leak is picked up in around 10 time steps.
See attached spreadsheet.
RE: Seeking resources about crude oil flow in pipelines
RE: Seeking resources about crude oil flow in pipelines
Your best bet for a leak detection for system like that will probably be a leak sniffing or physical sensor cable string of some kind.