Ge Oil & Gas UK Limited

Baker Hughes Energy Technology UK Limited

Philip Michael Hunter Nott

Geoffrey Stephen Graham

John Cross McNab

Phillip Edward Harley

William James Shepherd

Suranjith Warnakulasuriya

Philip Edward Harley

A detection apparatus and method arranged to detect defects within a flexible pipe at least partially surrounded by seawater. The detection apparatus comprises a seawater electrode, an impedance monitor and a processor. The seawater electrode is arranged to be in contact with seawater surrounding at least part of a flexible pipe. The impedance monitor is arranged to measure the impedance between a metallic structural component of the flexible pipe extending at least partially along the length of the flexible pipe and the seawater electrode in response to an electrical test signal applied to the seawater electrode. The processor is arranged to determine the distance from the seawater electrode to a pipe defect electrically connecting the metallic structural component to seawater using the measured impedance.

Apparatus and method for detecting defects within a flexible pipe

Detection apparatus and method for a flexible pipe

A flexible pipe body comprising an elongate curvature sensor and a tensile armor layer. The elongate curvature sensor incorporates a strain sensor arranged to provide an indication of bending strain applied to the curvature sensor. The tensile armor layer comprises helically wound tensile armor wires. The curvature sensor is positioned within the tensile armor layer helically wound adjacent to at least one tensile armor wire such that bending strain applied to the flexible pipe body is transmitted to the curvature sensor. The curvature sensor is smaller than an adjacent tensile armor wire in at least one of depth and width and arranged to slide longitudinally relative to the adjacent tensile armor wire.

Flexible pipe body and sensing method having a curvature sensor and tensile armour wire

A detection apparatus arranged to detect defects within a flexible pipe body. The detection apparatus comprises an electrical power supply and a first meter. The electrical power supply is arranged to couple between, and to supply current to, first and second electrically conductive members extending at least partially along the length of a flexible pipe body and electrically isolated from one another except for being electrically connected at a point remote from the power supply. The first meter is arranged to detect variation between the current flowing in each electrically conductive member. Detected variation is indicative of a pipe body defect causing an Earth fault along one of the electrically conductive members. A corresponding method, a pipeline apparatus including the detection apparatus and a method of forming the pipeline apparatus are also disclosed.

Detection apparatus and method

A pipeline apparatus comprising a flexible pipe body and a detection apparatus. The flexible pipe body includes an optical fiber extending at least partially along the length of the flexible pipe body, the optical fiber being encased in a metal tube. The detection apparatus comprises an optical sensor and an electrical sensor. The optical sensor is coupled to a first end of the optical fiber, the optical sensor being arranged to inject optical pulses into the optical fiber and to detect scattered or reflected light. The electrical sensor is coupled to a first end of the metal tube and to detect variation of an electrical impedance between the first end of the metal tube and a separate terminal. Variation of the scattered or reflected light, or impedance variation, is indicative of a potential pipe body defect.

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Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom

Philip Michael Hunter Nott