Recently increasing threats of terrorism with a potential for large-scale environmental and technological damage, have resulted worldwide in adoption of special national laws demanding the installation of efficient pipeline monitoring systems capable to locate potentially hazardous events such as intrusion, unsanctioned activity or leakage.
There are several existing monitoring systems based on different physical and organizational principles:
– Traditional parametric systems perform statistical analysis dealing with a series of different pipeline signals from which the flow, pressure and temperature remain the most significant.
– Drones perform hidden monitoring of extended facilities taking high quality pictures of possible events locations.
– The negative pressure wave analysis looks into pressure wave configuration and intensity generated by a leak.
– The real time transient model (RTTM) represents a hydraulic model of boundary conditions provided by field instruments at several facilities such as supply/delivery points and pumping and compressor stations.
– Monitoring systems based on Fiber-optic cable acting as sensor perform on-line monitoring if extended facilities for any kind of activity in the protected zone as far as for leaks.
However, so far, the fact that no one of those sophisticated systems is perfect seems to be generally accepted. So the only way to ensure an efficient pipeline monitoring system demands a reasonable combination of different methods, underlining the advantages and eliminating the disadvantages of each other.
One of such innovative and future-oriented solution is the PROVISTA-100AO monitoring and security system the idea of which arose from productive cooperation between the ARATOS-SWISS Homeland Security AG and the internationally renowned Russian OMEGA Company.
Having developed and implemented FOC-based monitoring systems on more than 5500 km of pipelines, the OMEGA Company provides accurate (±5 m) location of any event along the facility. Implementing the Distributed Acoustic Sensor (DAS) and the Distributed Temperature Sensor (DTS) the OMEGA Leak Detection and Activity Control System (OMEGA LDACS) differentiates between several kinds of activities – but being merely an alarm system is not able to interfere or provide detailed report of the detected event (only, in some cases, the regenerated sound, e.g.. the vehicle sound or the shovel blows against ground).
This signal is instantly processed by the ARATOS-SWISS drones launching unit. Shortly thereafter, the ARATOS drones start (weight 4 and and 24 kilos, flight times up to 25 hours, range up to 100 km, petrol or electric drive, speed up to 100 km/h). The drones provide images (night vision, thermal pictures) in real time mode of the possible crime scene or the leakage point directly to the control center.
The high quality video is sufficient to recognize the events and to take necessary measures immediately. Unwanted intruders can be directly followed by the drone, and the coordinates are passed to the local security services. The drones can board photos/videos with up to 30 megapixel resolution.
Including numerous additional options (f.e. face recognition, possibility of computerized comparison of videos taken during several flights) the new PROVISTA product helps a.o. to avoid numerous security personnel emergency inspections. Besides, the ARATOS-SWISS – OMEGA system is completely suitable for monitoring not only of pipelines, but also for perimeter and border protection.
PROVISTA-100AO Pipeline Monitoring and Security System Includes:
- Fiber Optical LDACS System Continuous on-line analysis of the pipeline condition and instant indication of any events/threats such as leakage or activity with 3-meter location precision
- RPAS Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems Different kind of RPAS, range up to 100km LOS, endurance up to 25 hours, full automatically Systems
- 2D + 3D Mapping 1.5cm Pixel, accuracy 0,05 m, 10 square kilometer mapping in one flight
- FaceBirdge Comfortable, fast, flexible, high secured and user friendly face recognition system
- Car Plate Recognitions Night Vision Observation through glass pane (inside car), reading license plate, recognizes faces for identification
- Overlay Generator Changes on the ground between 2 videos taken in different time from the RPAS
- GLAM Ground-Level-Air-Monitoring Night Vision Automatically detection system with RPAS. SMS-Alerts if they are peoples or cars near the pipelines
- T.S.P.R. Total Security Process Re-engineering Methodology assessment and audit (Assets/Threats/Vulnerability Analysis)
Photo: Engineers Anna Malakhova and Ksenya Lysenko testing equipment for the PROVISTA project with ARATOS-SWISS Homeland Security AG in a OMEGA laboratory.Source: Press Release
The article is obviously based on a August publication in the Ecology Currier ( Ecologichesky Vestnik Russii) magazine, the aldest non-political independent publication of this kind.
Well-spotted !!!