Methods, products, and systems for monitoring and improving pipeline infrastructure

Abstract

Methods, products, and systems for monitoring and improving pipeline infrastructure are disclosed. At least one embodiment of the invention comprises a smart-sensing coating, which is applied to one or more interior surfaces of a pipe or pipeline. The coating may comprise a dual-purpose metamaterial, which itself may comprise a plurality of acoustically active and tunable particles that may be embedded in a low-friction, corrosion-resistant, omniphobic polymer matrix. The particles may comprise a multi-layered assembly with a high-density material core, elastic matrix filler, and a stiff outer shell. The particles may further be specifically engineered to form an acoustic band gap at a chosen ultrasound frequency. At this chosen frequency, the particles are very nearly acoustically opaque, preventing the transmission of any and all sound. As such, the position and distribution of the particles inside the pipelines can be clearly distinguished. Additionally, one or more embodiments of the present invention may be referred to as an Intelligent Pipeline System (IPS), which is a monitoring and reporting system for pipelines that uses a remote craft to monitor the interior condition of a pipeline. Preferentially, the IPS uses the smart-sensing coating that is applied to the interior wall of the pipeline to be tested or monitored. Installed acoustic sensors along the pipeline may query the coating and transmit pipeline conditions to the exterior environment where the information can be received by remote craft.