Instrumented Pig (IPIG) is a device for inline inspection of buried pipelines to monitor their health and assess the risk associated with their operation. Currently, only very few companies like PII, Rosen etc. provide these inspection services to pipeline operators world-wide.
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Instrumented Pig travels with the propelling force of the fluid being pumped through the pipeline. While traveling inside the pipeline the onboard data acquisition system records the defect data, sensed by the sensors touching the internal surface of pipe wall. |
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After analysis, the data on external and internal defects are reported with a fairly good accuracy with respect to defects sizing and location for a long distance cross country pipeline. |
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On the basis of this data the pipeline operators take appropriate corrective measures depending upon the severity of the defects. |
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IPIG works on the principle of Magnetic Flux Leakage (MFL). IPIG detects the pipeline defects by sensing the change in magnetic flux near the pipe wall under the influence of applied magnetic field. |
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The change in magnetic flux signal depends on the extent and type of metal loss, changes in material and its magnetic properties. The change is sensed by sensor and recorded into data acquisition system. |
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IndianOil and BARC have jointly developed 12" size instrumented Pig based on MFL principle. |
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Instrumented Pig has been extensively evaluated in Wet Test Loop specially designed and developed for testing of such tools under actual pipeline simulated conditions, at IndianOil R&D Centre. |
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The developed Instrumented Pig has also been tested in one of our field pipeline. |
The Wet Test Loop is a 12-inch diameter, 120m long pipe loop having various pipe fittings such as MOV's, bends and tee's etc. It also has pipe spools having internal as well as external defects of various dimensions. The test loop has the flexibility of once through and continuous operation and can be operated at various flow rates.
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 Extensive
field trials in M-A section of BKPL |
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Several field trials have been carried out, in 162 Km-long Mughalsarai-Allahabad (M-A) section of BKPL. The performance of 12|| IPIG with respect to mechanical negotiations, defect data capturing and analysis of defect sizes in terms of their size and location are commendable. Pipeline inspection services using IPIG are commercially available for 12" size lines.
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