Scientific Reports (Aug 2023)

Pilot-scale testing of natural gas pipeline monitoring based on phase-OTDR and enhanced scatter optical fiber cable

  • Nageswara Lalam,
  • Paul Westbrook,
  • Khurram Naeem,
  • Ping Lu,
  • Paul Ohodnicki,
  • Nathan Diemler,
  • Michael P. Buric,
  • Ruishu Wright

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-41338-4
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13, no. 1
pp. 1 – 12

Abstract

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Abstract In this paper, we present the results of lab and pilot-scale testing of a continuously enhanced backscattering, or Rayleigh enhanced fiber cable that can improve distributed acoustic sensing performance. In addition, the Rayleigh-enhanced fiber is embedded within a tight buffered cable configuration to withstand and be compatible for field applications. The sensing fiber cable exhibits a Rayleigh enhancement of 13 dB compared to standard silica single-mode fiber while maintaining low attenuation of ≤ 0.4 dB/km. We built a phase-sensitive optical time domain reflectometry system to interrogate the enhanced backscattering fiber cable both in lab and pilot-scale tests. In the laboratory experiment, we analyzed the vibration performance of the enhanced backscattering fiber cable and compared it with the standard single-mode telecom fiber. Afterward, we field validated for natural gas pipeline vibration monitoring using a 4-inch diameter steel pipeline operating at a fixed pressure level of 1000 psi, and a flow rate of 5, 10, 15, and 20 ft/s. The feasibility of gas pipeline monitoring with the proposed enhanced backscattering fiber cable shows a substantial increase in vibration sensing performance. The pilot-scale testing results demonstrated in this paper enable pipeline operators to perform accurate flow monitoring, leak detection, third-party intrusion detection, and continuous pipeline ground movement.