Low-cost inspection tool for identifying illegal tapping

Abstract

Pipelines for fuel transportation range in length from hundreds to thousands of kilometers, with part of their length underground. Due to the high cost of the fluids and products transported an increasing number of criminal activities are taking place all over the world. In addition to causing great economic and environmental losses the illegal activity brings risks to the surrounding population. For example, the accident in Tlahuelilpan, Mexico, due to illegal tapping, resulted in the tragedy of hundreds of deaths. In order to combat such activities, many efforts have been employed to early detect and locate illegal tapping in pipelines. The great challenge of such inspections is the unpredictable activity of the clandestine taps, requiring frequent inspections. Usual pipeline inspection tools, such as ultrasound or MFL (Magnetic Flux Leakage) PIG’s, are sensitive for detecting and positioning the anomalies, however, the high operating costs make the recurring application of such tools unfeasible. Focusing on these challenges, a low-cost inspection tool embedded with a minimalist eddy current instrumentation was developed. The results achieved show the capability to detect and differentiate the components existing in the pipeline and illegal taps of different diameters as well as, in a complementary way, the detection of corrosion on the internal surface of the pipelines.