GIS enabled pipeline upgrading system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9470591-B2
Application number	US-201314054276-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 15, 2013
Priority date	Nov 9, 2010
Publication date	Oct 18, 2016
Grant date	Oct 18, 2016

Abstract

Certain embodiments of the invention may include systems and methods for evaluating pipeline using GIS data. According to an example embodiment of the invention, a method is provided for evaluating pipeline using geographical information system (GIS) data. The method can include receiving component information from a GIS database for one or more components in a pipeline; determining a modified maximum allowable operating pressure (MAOPm) for the one or more components; determining an uprating pressure (MAOPm*) that the one or more components can withstand; and outputting a upgrade recommendation or an uprate recommendation based at least in part on the MAOPm and the MAOPm*.

First claim

The claimed invention is:

1. A controller for evaluating and improving a pipeline using geographical information system (GIS) data, comprising:
at least one memory for storing data and computer-executable instructions; and
at least one processor configured to access the at least one memory and further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions for:
receiving component information from a GIS database for one or more components in a pipeline;
determining a maximum operating pressure (MOP) of the one or more components in the pipeline;
determining a modified maximum allowable operating pressure (MAOPm) for the one or more components;
determining an uprating pressure (MAOPm*) that the one or more components can withstand; and
causing to output to a display:
the one or more components of the pipeline in a geographic region needing at least one of an upgrade recommendation or an uprate recommendation, corresponding to the one or more components of the pipeline in a geographic region based at least in part on the MOP, MAOPm, and the MAOPm*.

2. The controller of claim 1 , wherein receiving the component information comprises receiving one or more of: component location, corrosion rate, component wall thickness, maximum allowable operating pressure (MAOP), fault history, or trends.

3. The controller of claim 1 , wherein determining the modified maximum allowable operating pressure (MAOPm) comprises determining a modified specified minimum yield strength (SMYSm) based at least in part on a corrosion rate or an estimated component wall thickness of the one or more components.

4. The controller of claim 1 , wherein at least one processor is further configured for determining an estimated component wall thickness based at least in part on a corrosion rate associated with the one or more components.

5. The controller of claim 1 , wherein determining the uprating pressure (MAOPm*) is derived at least in part from a corrosion rate associated with the one or more components.

6. The controller of claim 1 , wherein outputting the upgrade recommendation is based at least in part upon one or more of the following being false:
maximum operating pressure (MOP)<MAOPm;
expected maximum operating pressure (MOPe)<MAOPm; and
minimum prediction limit<weak asset prediction<maximum prediction limit.

7. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured for outputting the upgrade recommendation based on one or more of: rules, trends, patterns, or fault history associated with the one or more components.

8. The controller of claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured for determining a health status of the one or more components based at least in part on the determined MAOPm, and outputting the health status.

9. The controller of claim 1 , wherein outputting the uprate recommendation is based at least in part upon all of the following being true:
maximum operating pressure (MOP)<MAOPm;
expected maximum operating pressure (MOPe)<MAOPm; and
minimum prediction limit<weak asset prediction<maximum prediction limit.

10. The controller of claim 9 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured for outputting the uprate recommendation based on rules, trends, patterns, or fault history associated with the one or more components.

11. A tangible computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, are operable to evaluate and improve a pipeline using geographical information system (GIS) data, by performing the following steps of:
receiving component information from a GIS database for one or more components in a pipeline;
determining a maximum operating pressure (MOP) of the one or more components in the pipeline;
determining a modified maximum allowable operating pressure (MAOPm) for the one or more components;
determining an uprating pressure (MAOPm*) that the one or more components can withstand; and
causing to output to a display:
the one or more components of the pipeline in a geographic region needing at least one of an upgrade recommendation or an uprate recommendation, corresponding to the one or more components in a geographic region based at least in part on the MOP, MAOPm, and the MAOPm*.

12. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein receiving the component information comprises receiving one or more of: component location, corrosion rate, component wall thickness, maximum allowable operating pressure (MAOP), fault history, or trends.

13. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein determining the modified maximum allowable operating pressure (MAOPm) comprises determining a modified specified minimum yield strength (SMYSm) based at least in part on a corrosion rate or an estimated component wall thickness of the one or more components.

14. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 11 , further comprising determining an estimated component wall thickness based at least in part on corrosion rate associated with the one or more components.

15. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein determining the uprating pressure (MAOPm*) is derived at least in part from a corrosion rate associated with the one or more components.

16. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 11 , further determining a health status of the one or more components based at least in part on the one the determined MAOPm, and outputting the health status.

17. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein outputting the upgrade recommendation is based at least in part upon one or more of the following being false:
maximum operating pressure (MOP)<MAOPm;
expected maximum operating pressure (MOPe)<MAOPm;
minimum prediction limit<weak asset prediction<maximum prediction limit.

18. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 17 , further comprising outputting the upgrade recommendation based on one or more of: rules, trends, patterns, or fault history associated with the one or more components.

19. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein outputting the uprate recommendation is based at least in part upon all of the following being true:
maximum operating pressure (MOP)<MAOPm;
expected maximum operating pressure (MOPe)<(MAOPm); and
minimum prediction limit<weak asset prediction<maximum prediction limit.

20. The tangible computer-readable medium of claim 19 , further comprising outputting the uprate recommendation based on rules, trends, patterns, or fault history associated with the one or more components.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Mohan Vinoth Kumar
• Andoji Kavitha
• Faucherand Christophe

Classifications

• G06F11/30

  Monitoring · CPC title

• G06F19/00

  Physics · mapped topic

• G06F17/40

  Data acquisition and logging (for input to computer G06F3/00) · CPC title

• F17D5/005

  of gas pipelines, e.g. alarm · CPC title

• G01L7/00 Primary

  Measuring the steady or quasi-steady pressure of a fluid or a fluent solid material by mechanical or fluid pressure-sensitive elements ({G01L11/004 takes precedence;} transmitting or indicating the displacement of mechanical pressure-sensitive elements by electric {, e.g., photoelectric} or magnetic means G01L9/00; measuring differences of two or more pressure values G01L13/00; measuring two or more pressure values simultaneously G01L15/00) · CPC title