Submarine gas-leakage monitoring system for long-term detection of gas and method of operating the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10097906-B2
Application number	US-201615387964-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2016
Priority date	May 31, 2016
Publication date	Oct 9, 2018
Grant date	Oct 9, 2018

Abstract

A submarine gas-leakage monitoring system for long-term detection of gas and a method of operating the same are disclosed. The submarine gas-leakage monitoring system includes: a buoy equipped with a satellite communication unit to transmit acquired data to a satellite or to receive a command for activation or inactivation of a first submarine sensor from the satellite when the buoy is raised to float on the seawater surface; a seabed observation unit located close to a seabed, the seabed observation unit acquiring and storing information about gas leakage from the seabed and controlling the buoy such that the buoy is raised or lowered; and a signal cable equipped with the first submarine sensor that detects migration or diffusion of leaked gas and connected between the buoy and the seabed observation unit to allow a signal transmission between the buoy and the seabed observation unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A submarine gas-leakage monitoring system for long-term detection of gas, the system comprising:
a buoy equipped with a satellite communication unit to transmit acquired data to a satellite or to receive a command from the satellite for activation or inactivation of any of a plurality of first submarine sensors when the buoy is raised to float on a seawater surface;
a seabed observation unit to acquire and store information about gas leakage from the seabed and control raising and lowering of the buoy; and
a signal cable equipped with first submarine sensors which are to detect migration or diffusion of leaked gas, the signal cable being connected between the buoy and the seabed observation unit to allow a signal transmission between the buoy and the seabed observation unit,
wherein,
the first submarine sensors are arranged at intervals along the signal cable to track leaked gas migrating or diffusing to the seawater surface, each first submarine sensor being controllable to be activated or inactivated on the basis of the command signal received from the satellite, and
the first submarine sensors are sequentially activated along with a flow of the leaked gas diffusing to the seawater surface.

2. The submarine gas-leakage monitoring system according to claim 1 , wherein the seabed observation unit includes:
a frame with an internal cavity;
a second submarine sensor installed in the frame to detect gas leakage from the seabed;
a data storage-and-transmission device installed in the frame and to store and transmit data acquired by the first and second submarine sensors;
a winch installed in the frame to wind or unwind the signal cable to raise or lower the buoy;
a controller installed in the frame, to control operation of the winch to raise or lower the buoy, and control operation of the second submarine sensor; and
a power supply device installed in the frame to supply electric power to the first submarine sensors, the second submarine sensor, and the controller.

3. The submarine gas-leakage monitoring system according to claim 2 , wherein the controller performs control such that the buoy is usually submerged at a predetermined depth from the seawater surface but is raised to the seawater surface when a predetermined period of time elapses or when a predetermined condition is satisfied to communicate with the satellite.

4. A method of operating a submarine gas-leakage monitoring system for long-term detection of gas, the system including:
a buoy equipped with a satellite communication unit to transmit acquired data to a satellite or to receive a command for activation or inactivation of any of a plurality of first submarine sensors from a satellite when the buoy is raised to float on the seawater surface;
a seabed observation unit located on a seabed and equipped with a second submarine sensor, the seabed observation unit configured to acquire information about gas leakage from the seabed and to control storage of the information about gas leakage from the seabed and to control raising or lowering of the buoy; and
a signal cable equipped with the first submarine sensors to detect migration or diffusion of leaked gas, the signal cable being connected between the buoy and the seabed observation unit to allow a signal transmission between the buoy and the seabed observation unit,
the method comprising the steps of:
(a) storing, for a predetermined period of time, information about leaked gas measured by the second submarine sensor;
(b) periodically, or when a predetermined condition is satisfied, unwinding the signal cable to raise the submerged buoy to the seawater surface;
(c) transmitting the data stored in the seabed observation unit to the buoy through the signal cable;
(d) transmitting the data to the satellite through the satellite communication unit installed in the buoy;
(e) when data communication with the satellite is finished, winding the signal cable to lower the buoy so that the buoy is submerged,
(f) when a value detected by the second submarine sensor equals or exceeds a reference value and when the buoy is raised to the seawater surface, repeatedly performing steps (f1) to (f3) to track migration or diffusion of the leaked gas to the seawater surface after performing step (d):
(f1) by the controller in the seabed observation unit, receive from the satellite the command signal for activation or inactivation of each first submarine sensor,
(f2) by the controller, control operation of each first submarine sensor,
(f3) transmit data acquired by the first and second submarine sensor to the satellite via the satellite communication unit; and

(g) when leaked gas is detected by the second submarine sensor and the buoy is raised to the seawater surface, sequentially activating the first submarine sensors.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein a distance by which the buoy is lowered in the step (e) is preset taking into account full draft of an ocean area in which the buoy is installed.

Assignees

• Korea Inst Geoscience & Mineral Resources

Inventors

• Chun Jong Hwa
• Eo Young Sang
• Bahk Jang Jun

Classifications

• H04Q9/00 Primary

  Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom · CPC title

• H04Q2209/826

  where the data is sent periodically · CPC title

• H04Q2209/40

  using a wireless architecture · CPC title

• H04Q2209/88

  Providing power supply at the sub-station · CPC title