Leak detection system for subsea equipment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12072264-B2
Application number	US-202017754616-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 7, 2020
Priority date	Oct 7, 2019
Publication date	Aug 27, 2024
Grant date	Aug 27, 2024

Abstract

A leak detection system includes a light source configured to output emitted light into a region of water, and a light detector configured to receive returned light from the region of the water and to output a detector signal indicative of the returned light. The leak detection system also includes at least one controller configured to detect hydrocarbons within the region of the water in response to detecting a hydrocarbon wavelength within the returned light, to determine at least one position of the hydrocarbons within the region of the water based on a time difference between a first time at which the emitted light is output from the light source and a second time at which the returned light at the hydrocarbon wavelength is received at the light detector, and to generate a three-dimensional model of a subsea structure based on the detector signal.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A leak detection system, comprising:
a light source configured to output emitted light into a region of water;
a light detector configured to receive returned light from the region of the water and to output a detector signal indicative of the returned light;
a mount configured to couple the light source and the light detector to a subsea structure; and
at least one controller communicatively coupled to the light detector, wherein the at least one controller comprises a memory and a processor, and the at least one controller is configured to:
receive the detector signal;
detect hydrocarbons within the region of the water in response to detecting a hydrocarbon wavelength within the returned light indicative of presence of the hydrocarbons within the region of the water;
determine at least one position of the hydrocarbons within the region of the water based on a time difference between a first time at which the emitted light is output from the light source and a second time at which the returned light at the hydrocarbon wavelength is received at the light detector;
generate a three-dimensional model of the subsea structure based on the detector signal; and
output an output signal indicative of the at least one position of the hydrocarbons within the region of the water and the three-dimensional model of the subsea structure.

2. The leak detection system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one position of the hydrocarbons comprises a plurality of positions of the hydrocarbons, the at least one controller is configured to generate a three-dimensional model of the hydrocarbons within the region of the water based on the plurality of positions of the hydrocarbons, and the output signal is indicative of the three-dimensional model of the hydrocarbons within the region of the water and the three-dimensional model of the subsea structure.

3. The leak detection system of claim 1 , wherein the light detector comprises a first light detector unit and a second light detector unit, the first light detector unit is configured to receive the returned light at the hydrocarbon wavelength, the second light detector unit is configured to receive the returned light at a second hydrocarbon wavelength indicative of presence of second hydrocarbons within the region of the water, the at least one controller is configured to detect the second hydrocarbons within the region of the water in response to detecting the second hydrocarbon wavelength within the returned light, the at least one controller is configured to determine at least one position of the second hydrocarbons within the region of the water based on a second time difference between the first time at which the emitted light is output from the light source and a third time at which the returned light at the second hydrocarbon wavelength is received at the light detector, and the output signal is indicative of the at least one position of the hydrocarbons, the at least one position of the second hydrocarbons, and the three-dimensional model of the subsea structure.

4. The leak detection system of claim 1 , comprising a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system, wherein the LIDAR system is configured to output a LIDAR signal indicative of the three-dimensional model of the subsea structure, and the at least one controller is configured to generate the three-dimensional model of the subsea structure based on the LIDAR signal and the detector signal.

5. The leak detection system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to generate the three-dimensional model of the subsea structure based on a stored model of the subsea structure and the detector signal.

6. The leak detection system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to determine a concentration of the hydrocarbons within the region of the water based on a magnitude of the returned light at the hydrocarbon wavelength and the at least one position of the hydrocarbons.

7. The leak detection system of claim 1 , wherein the light source and the light detector are configured to be coupled to an underwater vehicle.

8. The leak detection system of claim 1 , wherein the light detector comprises a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) receiver configured to receive the returned light and to generate LIDAR data, the detector signal output by the light detector includes the LIDAR data, and the at least one controller is configured to generate the three-dimensional model of the subsea structure based on the LIDAR data.

9. The leak detection system of claim 8 , comprising a dichroic mirror, wherein the light source is configured to output the emitted light at an emitted wavelength, the dichroic mirror is configured to reflect the returned light substantially at the emitted wavelength toward the LIDAR receiver, and the dichroic mirror is configured to enable the returned light at the hydrocarbon wavelength to pass through the dichroic mirror.

10. An underwater vehicle, comprising:
a propulsion system configured to control movement of the underwater vehicle through water; and
a leak detection system, comprising:
a light source configured to output emitted light into a region of the water;
a light detector configured to receive returned light from the region of the water and to output a detector signal indicative of the returned light; and
at least one controller communicatively coupled to the light detector and to the propulsion system, wherein the at least one controller comprises a memory and a processor, and the at least one controller is configured to:
receive the detector signal;
detect hydrocarbons within the region of the water in response to detecting a hydrocarbon wavelength within the returned light indicative of presence of the hydrocarbons within the region of the water;
determine a plurality of positions of the hydrocarbons within the region of the water based on respective time differences between respective first times at which the emitted light is output from the light source and respective second times at which the returned light at the hydrocarbon wavelength is received at the light detector;
determine an intersection between the hydrocarbons and a subsea structure based on the plurality of positions of the hydrocarbons and a three-dimensional model of the subsea structure;
control the propulsion system to move the underwater vehicle to a location, an orientation, or a combination thereof, that directs the light source and the light detector toward the intersection.

11. The underwater vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to:
generate a three-dimensional model of the hydrocarbons within the region of the water based on the plurality of positions of the hydrocarbons; and
output an output signal indicative of the three-dimensional model of the hydrocarbons, the three-dimensional model of the subsea structure, or a combination thereof.

12. The underwater vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the leak detection system comprises a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system, wherein the LIDAR system is configured to output a LIDAR signal indicative of the three-dimensional model of the subsea structure, and the at least one controller is configured to generate the three-dimensional model of the subsea structure based on the LIDAR signal.

13. The underwater vehicle of claim 10 , wherein the at least one controller is configured to control the propulsion system to move the underwater vehicle to a plurality of locations while directing the light source and the light detector toward the intersection to enable the at least one controller to determine an increased numbe

Assignees

• Onesubsea Ip Uk Ltd

Inventors

• Speck Andrew J

Classifications

• G01S17/89

  for mapping or imaging · CPC title

• G01S7/51

  Display arrangements · CPC title

• G01S7/4802

  using analysis of echo signal for target characterisation; Target signature; Target cross-section · CPC title

• G01N2201/0218

  Submersible, submarine · CPC title

• G01N21/6408

  with measurement of decay time, time resolved fluorescence · CPC title