System and method for detection of hydrocarbon leakage from an underwater pipeline in a body of water and hydrocarbon extraction unit
A leakage detection system configured to detect hydrocarbon leakage from an underwater pipeline in a body of water having a sensor configured to acquire signals related to the temperature of a liquid inside a chamber that is not watertight and which, in use, is full of water and extends along a portion of underwater pipeline susceptible to leakage, and a control unit, which is connected to the sensor and is configured to control if the temperature of the liquid in the chamber is within an expected range and emit a leakage signal when the temperature of the liquid in the chamber is outside the expected range.
1. A hydrocarbon leakage detection system comprising:
at least one sensor configured to acquire at least one signal related to a temperature of a liquid in a chamber containing water which extends along a portion of an underwater pipeline in a body of water which is susceptible to leakage, wherein the chamber is in communication with the body of water to enable an inflow of water to the chamber and an outflow of water from the chamber; and
at least one control unit connected to the at least one sensor and configured to emit a leakage signal when the temperature of the liquid in the chamber is outside an expected range.
2. The hydrocarbon leakage detection system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one control unit is configured to emit the leakage signal when the temperature of the liquid in the chamber remains outside of the expected range for a period of time greater than a predetermined period of time.
3. The hydrocarbon leakage detection system of claim 1 , which includes another sensor placed in the body of water outside the chamber, wherein said other sensor is configured to:
acquire at least another signal related to the temperature of the body of water, and
transmit the at least other signal to the at least one control unit to calculate the expected range as a function of the at least one other signal.
4. The hydrocarbon leakage detection system of claim 1 , which includes:
a plurality of chambers distributed along the underwater pipeline, and
a plurality of sensors configured to detect any hydrocarbon leakage inside at least one of the chambers,
wherein the control unit is configured to indicate a location of the underwater pipeline from where the leak originates.
5. The hydrocarbon leakage detection system of claim 1 , which includes:
two control units,
a plurality of first sensors connected to the two control units, and
a plurality of second sensors connected to the two control units.
6. The hydrocarbon leakage detection system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one sensor includes an optical fiber Bragg grating point sensor.
7. The hydrocarbon leakage detection system of claim 6 , which includes a fiber optic cable extending around the underwater pipeline and including a plurality of Bragg grating point sensors.
8. The hydrocarbon leakage detection system of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of Bragg grating point sensors are distributed around the underwater pipeline.
9. The hydrocarbon leakage detection system of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of Bragg grating point sensors are evenly distributed around the underwater pipeline.
10. The hydrocarbon leakage detection system of claim 1 , wherein the chamber has an annular shape and extends around the underwater pipeline.
11. The hydrocarbon leakage detection system of claim 10 , which includes a casing configured to be coupled to the underwater pipeline and configured to delimit said chamber together with the underwater pipeline.
12. The hydrocarbon leakage detection system of claim 11 , wherein the casing includes a partition wall which subdivides the chamber into an inner annular zone in which the at least one sensor is housed and an outer annular zone in communication with the inner annular zone.
13. The hydrocarbon leakage detection system of claim 11 , wherein the casing includes two shells hinged together at a first end and selectively connectable to each other at a second end.
14. The hydrocarbon leakage detection system of claim 11 , wherein the casing includes at least one opening to enable the inflow of water to the chamber from the body of water and the outflow of water from the chamber to the body of water.
15. The hydrocarbon leakage detection system of claim 11 , wherein the casing is configured to support at least one fiber optic cable inside the chamber.
16. The hydrocarbon leakage detection system of claim 11 , wherein the casing is configured to adhere to opposite faces of a flanged joint of the underwater pipeline.
17. The hydrocarbon leakage detection system of claim 11 , wherein the casing is configured to adhere to a curved section of the underwater pipeline.
18. The hydrocarbon leakage detection system of claim 1 , wherein the chamber is formed inside a flanged joint.
19. The hydrocarbon leakage detection system of claim 18 , wherein the flanged joint includes:
two flanges having a first annular seat configured to accommodate a gasket,
a second annular seat which defines said chamber, and
a plurality of holes each of which is configured to house a bolt and is arranged between the first annular seat and the second annular seat.
20. A hydrocarbon extraction unit for at least one well in an extraction field that extends along a bed of a body of water, the hydrocarbon extraction unit comprising:
a floating production, storage and offloading vessel,
a plurality of underwater pipelines that connect the at least one well to the floating production, storage and offloading vessel, and
a leakage detection system including
at least one sensor configured to acquire at least one signal related to a temperature of a liquid in a chamber containing water which extends along a portion of one of the underwater pipelines in the body of water which is susceptible to leakage, wherein the chamber is in communication with the body of water to enable an inflow of water to the chamber and an outflow of water from the chamber; and
at least one control unit connected to the at least one sensor and configured to emit a leakage signal when the temperature of the liquid in the chamber is outside an expected range.
21. A method for detection of hydrocarbon leakage from an underwater pipeline in a body of water, the method comprising:
acquiring at least one signal related to a temperature of a liquid in a chamber that is not watertight and which extends along a portion of the underwater pipeline which is susceptible to leakage;
determining if the temperature of the liquid in the chamber is within an expected range, and
emitting a leakage signal when the temperature of the liquid in the chamber is outside the expected range.
22. The method of claim 21 , which includes emitting the leakage signal when the temperature of the liquid in the chamber remains outside of the expected range for a period of time greater than a predetermined period of time.
23. The method of claim 21 , which includes:
acquiring at least another signal related to a temperature of the body of water outside the chamber, and
calculating the expected range as a function of the at least one other signal.
24. The method of claim 21 , which includes:
acquiring a plurality of signals related to a temperature of a liquid in a plurality of chambers full of water and distributed along the underwater pipeline,
determining if the temperature of the liquid in each chamber is within an expected range,
emitting the leakage signal when the temperature in at least one of the chambers is outside the expected range, and
indicating a point of the underwater pipeline that is subject to leakage.
25. The method of claim 21 , which includes:
acquiring two signals related to the temperature at a point inside the chamber via two sensors, and
processing the two acquired signals via two respective control units.
26. The method of claim 25 , which includes acquiring a plurality of signals related to a temperature at a plurality of points around the underwater pipeline via a fiber optic cable extending around the underwater pipeline, along which a plurality of sensors are arranged.
27. A hydrocarbon leakage detection system comprising:
at least one sensor configured to acquire at least one signal related to a temperature of a liquid in a chamber containing water which extends along a portion of an underwater pipeline in a body of water which is susceptible to leakage, wherein a leakage signal is emitted when the temperature of the liquid in the chamber is outside an expected range and the chamber is in communication with the body of water to enable an inflow of water to the chamber and an outflow of water from the chamber.
28. The hydrocarbon leakage detection system of claim 27 , wherein the leakage signal is emitted when the temperature of the liquid in the chamber remains outside of the expected range for a period of time greater than a predetermined period of time.
29. The hydrocarbon leakage detection system of claim 27 , which includes another sensor placed in the body of water outside the chamber, wherein said other sensor is configured to:
acquire at least another signal related to the temperature of the body of water, and
transmit the at least other signal, wherein the expected range is calculated as a function of the at least one other signal.
30. The hydrocarbon leakage detection system of claim 27 , which includes:
a plurality of chambers distributed along the underwater pipeline, and
a plurality of sensors configured to detect any hydrocarbon leakage inside at least one of the chambers.
31. The hydrocarbon leakage detection system of claim 27 , wherein the at least one sensor includes an optical fiber Bragg grating point sensor.
32. The hydrocarbon leakage detection system of claim 31 , which includes a fiber optic cable extending around the underwater pipeline and including a plurality of Bragg grating point sensors.
33. The hydrocarbon leakage detection system of claim 32 , wherein the plurality of Bragg grating point sensors are distributed around the underwater pipeline.
34. The hydrocarbon leakage detection system of claim 33 , wherein the plurality of Bragg grating point sensors are evenly distributed around the underwater pipeline.
35. The hydrocarbon leakage detection system of claim 27 , wherein the chamber has an annular shape and extends around the underwater pipeline.
36. The hydrocarbon leakage detection system of claim 35 , which includes a casing configured to be coupled to the underwater pipeline and configured to delimit said chamber together with the underwater pipeline.
37. The hydrocarbon leakage detection system of claim 36 , wherein the casing includes a partition wall which subdivides the chamber into an inner annular zone in which the at least one sensor is housed and an outer annular zone in communication with the inner annular zone.
38. The hydrocarbon leakage detection system of claim 36 , wherein the casing includes two shells hinged together at a first end and selectively connectable to each other at a second end.
39. The hydrocarbon leakage detection system of claim 36 , wherein the casing includes at least one opening to enable the inflow of water to the chamber from the body of water and the outflow of water from the chamber to the body of water.
40. The hydrocarbon leakage detection system of claim 36 , wherein the casing is configured to support at least one fiber optic cable inside the chamber.
41. The hydrocarbon leakage detection system of claim 36 , wherein the casing is configured to adhere to opposite faces of a flanged joint of the underwater pipeline.
42. The hydrocarbon leakage detection system of claim 36 , wherein the casing is configured to adhere to a curved section of the underwater pipeline.
43. The hydrocarbon leakage detection system of claim 27 , wherein the chamber is formed inside a flanged joint.
44. The hydrocarbon leakage detection system of claim 43 , wherein the flanged joint includes:
two flanges having a first annular seat configured to accommodate a gasket,
a second annular seat which defines said chamber, and
a plurality of holes each of which is configured to house a bolt and is arranged between the first annular seat and the second annular seat.