Hifi Engineering Inc.

Arne Dankers

Seyed Ehsan Jalilian

David Westwick

Mehri Owjimehr

Yuhong Liu

Niloufar Ghazavi

There is described a method of determining a position of a pipeline inspection gauge (PIG) in a fluid conduit. While the PIG is moving through the fluid conduit, one or more sensors positioned along the fluid conduit are used to detect one or more signals. Parameter data is extracted from the detected one or more signals. The parameter data includes one or more parameters of the detected one or more signals as a function of time and position along the fluid conduit. PIG movement data indicative of a position of the PIG in the fluid conduit as a function of time is generated using the parameter data.

Methods and systems for tracking a pipeline inspection gauge

Using at least one sensor positioned to monitor a fluid conduit, an acoustic event is detected. A speed of sound of the acoustic event is determined. The speed of sound of the acoustic event is compared to a baseline speed of sound. Based on the comparison, whether or not a leak has occurred in the fluid conduit may be determined.

Method of detecting a leak in a fluid conduit

A method of wrapping optical fiber around a fluid conduit. The optical fiber is wrapped at least partially around the conduit. The optical fiber is secured relative to the conduit at one or more securing locations, thereby defining a sequence of multiple optical fiber portions. Each optical fiber portion comprises a portion of the optical fiber. Each securing location delimits a given optical fiber portion from the subsequent optical fiber portion in the sequence of optical fiber portions. A direction of wrapping of each consecutive optical fiber portion in the sequence of optical fiber portions may be alternated between a clockwise direction and a counter-clockwise direction.

Methods of wrapping optical fiber around a fluid conduit

There is described a method of locating an area of interest in a conduit, comprising: measuring multiple acoustic signals at multiple locations along the conduit; for each acoustic signal, determining its autocorrelation; and applying a relationship to the determined autocorrelations to estimate a location of the area of interest, wherein the relationship is between autocorrelations of acoustic signals measured in a modelled conduit and modelled areas of interest in the modelled conduit, wherein it is assumed that acoustic signals propagating along the modelled conduit reflect from at least one point in the modelled conduit.

System and method for locating an area of interest in a conduit

There are described methods, systems, and computer-readable media for detecting events in a conduit. Multiple lengths of optical fiber positioned alongside a conduit are used to detect a signal. For each length of optical fiber, interferometric data is obtained from the detected signal. The interferometric data obtained for one length of optical fiber is compared to the interferometric data obtained for one or more other lengths of optical fiber. Based on the comparison, it is determined whether the signal originated from the conduit.

Method and system for detecting events in a conduit

There is described a method of making an acoustic sensor having a frequency response approximating a desired frequency response. The method comprises wrapping optical fiber around a core according to a wrapping pattern. The wrapping pattern is determined from an impulse response of the acoustic sensor. The impulse response is determined from the desired frequency response of the acoustic sensor.

Method of making an acoustic sensor

An optical fiber assembly comprising an optical fiber casing and optical fiber deployed within and fixed relative to the casing at multiple fixation points spaced along the casing. The optical fiber assembly includes one or more weights attached within the casing to the optical fiber, for increasing a tension of the optical fiber between the multiple fixation points; flexible portions and rigid portions, with the optical fiber fixed to the flexible portions; and/or at least one guide member positioned at at least one of the fixation points and configured to constrain a bend radius of the optical fiber.

Optical fiber assembly with improved sensitivity

Methods, systems, and techniques for determining whether an acoustic event lias occurred along a fluid conduit iliat lias acoustic sensors positioned along its length. For each of the sensors, a processor is used to determine a linear relationship between a measured acoustic signal measured using the sensor and a white noise acoustic source located along a longitudinal segment of the fluid conduit overlapping the sensor. From the linear relationship, the processor determines an acoustic path response that includes an acoustic response of the longitudinal segment and an acoustic source transfer function dial transforms the white noise acoustic source. Over time, variations in the acoustic path responses and/or acoustic source transfer functions are monitored. When the event threshold is exceeded, the acoustic event is identified as having occurred along the longitudinal segment corresponding to the acoustic path response or acoustic source transfer function that varied in excess of the event threshold.

Method and system for detecting whether an acoustic event has occured along a fluid conduit

Methods, systems, and techniques for determining whether an acoustic event has occurred along a fluid conduit having acoustic sensors positioned therealong. The method uses a processor to, for each of the sensors, determine a predicted acoustic signal using one or more past acoustic signals measured prior to measuring a measured acoustic signal using the sensor; determine a prediction error between the measured acoustic signal and the predicted acoustic signal; from the prediction error, determine a power estimate of an acoustic source located along a longitudinal segment of the fluid conduit overlapping the sensor; and determine whether the power estimate of the acoustic source exceeds an event threshold for the sensor. When the power estimate of at least one of the acoustic sources exceeds the event threshold, the processor attributes the acoustic event to one of the sensors for which the power estimate of the acoustic source exceeds the event threshold.

Method and system for detecting whether an acoustic event has occurred along a fluid conduit

Methods and systems for estimating a distance between an acoustic sensor and an acoustic reflector in a conduit are disclosed. One such method includes using the acoustic sensor to measure a combined acoustic signal that comprises an originating acoustic signal propagating along the conduit and an echo signal. The echo signal is generated by the originating acoustic signal reflecting off the acoustic reflector after propagating past the acoustic sensor. A frequency domain representation of the combined acoustic signal is determined and the echo signal is identified by identifying in the frequency domain representation periodic oscillations having a peak-to-peak difference between 0.75 Hz and 1500 Hz. The distance between the acoustic sensor and the acoustic reflector is determined from the velocity of the echo signal and a time required for the echo signal to propagate between the acoustic sensor and the acoustic reflector.

Method and system for determining the distance to an acoustically reflective object in a conduit

Sensor shaped to have a frequency response that has less spectral fading than a sensor with a rectangular wrapping pattern, and methods for making such sensors, are disclosed. One such method includes selecting a wrapping pattern comprising multiple layers in which a top layer has a different length than a bottom layer and where the bottom layer is adjacent a mandrel. The method further includes wrapping optical fiber around the mandrel according to the wrapping pattern.

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Calgary, Canada

Arne Dankers