Impact of 3D Laser Data Resolution and Accuracy on Pipeline Dents Strain Analysis

摘要

Mechanical damage represents a major problem and a threat to pipeline integrity. Even if there is more corrosion typically found on pipeline networks, the number of leaks associated to dents is greater. Dent analysis methods used today are being questioned, being simplistic and very conservative due to lack of confidence in data. This paper presents a new approach to inspect mechanical damage on pipelines by using a 3D laser scanner, dedicated analysis software and a rugged field-pack to optimize deployment in the field. This solution is an improvement over traditional non-destructive techniques such as pit gauging and ultrasounds. Different plain dents will be used in a case study to clearly show the differences between inspection techniques. Depth based and strain based analysis of dents will be discussed. We will see the impact of data point density and interpolation on the ability to accurately regress a radius of curvature used for dent strain analysis. The use of high accuracy 3D laser scanning technique for data collection provides more confidence in depth and radius measurements allowing better failure prediction.