Composite gas or oil pipeline with embedded microchip and electrodes to detect corrosion and send data by radio signal to remote processor

摘要

A microchip (6) in a composite steel and epoxy-resin pipe has four electrodes to detect corrosion. A microchip in each section of pipe is interrogated sequentially and its response transmitted, either by antenna or by the pipeline acting as a waveguide, to a remote processor. The pipe is formed of three or more steel layers (1,2) embedded in insulating layers (3,4) of epoxy resin. A microchip (6) is powered either by a long-life lithium-thionil battery (7) or by energy conducted along the pipe acting as a waveguide. It has four electrodes: two connected to the inner and outer steel layers; one (8) to the surrounding medium; and one (9) to the fluid in the pipe. The latter electrode is flush with the pipe wall to prevent turbulence. The microchip acts as a high impedance voltmeter.