AUV-based Cathodic Protection (CP) Automatic Inspection Technology for offshore undersea pipelines -...

Cathodic Protection Underwater Automatic Inspection Technology

(CP-UAIT)

BaltRobotics- 2014

“The lack of breakthroughs in wireless

underwater communication and battery capacity

is prolonging the wait for a fully autonomous

underwater vehicle (AUV), one that will not need

a $ 100,000/day vessel and crew, a heavy tether

for power and control or hours to complete a

task that might take minutes onshore”

“Surveying the field in the search for fully autonomy”

by Bruce Nichols // Offshore Engineer, January, 2013

The Challenge

- Pressure capability and hence theoperational capacity of O&G pipelinesdeteriorates rapidly over their lifecycle.

- Increasing environmental awarenessfollowing BP Deep water Horizon spillnecessitates a more diligent approach tomaintenance

The Challenge

New regulatory and audit requirements:

- Safety and Environmental Management Systems(SEMS) by Bureau of Ocean Energy Management,Regulation & Enforcement (“30 CFR Part 250”)

- American Petroleum Institute’s (API) RecommendedPractice 75 (RP 75)

The Challenge

The 13 elements of RP 75 that the Workplace

Safety Rule makes mandatory are as follows:

-…. Audits: rule strengthens RP 75 provisions byrequiring an audit every 4 years, to an initial 2–yearreevaluation

www.bsee.gov

The Challenge

Inspection methods:

- Visual inspection- Cathodic potential reading- UT (ultrasonic compression wave) - contact method- Flooded member detection (FMD) – unsafe method- EDDY Current- Sonar Leak Detection- Magnetic- etc.

All non-contact methods need underwater carrier

The Challenge

• Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) is very slow

and costly

• High CAPEX and OPEX for ROV and mother

ship

• Associated CAPEX risk due to loss of or damage

to ROV

ROV Approach

ROV Approach

ROV Approach – Petronas

(Malaysia) example

• Visual control

• Inspection video recording

• Cathodic potential recording, CP-gram

formation

ROV Approach – Petronas

(Malaysia) example

• Cost of work – 75,000 -100,000 UDS/day

• Productivity – 6-8 km/day (depends on

weather conditions)

ROV Approach

Advantages:

• existing and proven technology

• the number of installed ROV: survey

equipment, and vessels

• the pool of trained staff

Disadvantages:

• high CAPEX & OPEX

• high risks (ROV loss)

• limited area of operations (shallow water

limitation)

The Solution

To create low CAPEX/OPEX system for CP

inspection and visual inspections using

Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) as

carrier.

AUV Approach

AUV Approach

AUV Approach

• System allows pipeline operator to inspect

greater pipeline lengths more frequently.

• System allows multiple AUV operations from

single mother-ship

AUV Approach

Advantages:• low CAPEX & OPEX• low risks• unlimited area of operations (deep and shallow water)• proven worldwide tendency of the development• carrier for any inspection equipment

Disadvantages:• lack of underwater communications• lack of battery capacity• new technology • needs the investments• has to be implemented

AUV Approach

Advantages:• low CAPEX & OPEX• low risks• unlimited area of operations (deep and shallow water)• proven worldwide tendency of the development• carrier for any inspection equipment

Disadvantages:• lack of underwater communications• lack of battery capacity• new technology • needs the investments• has to be implemented

“yellow” – it had been resolved by BaltRobotics

Our project

“BaltRoboticsSp.z.o.o.” (BR) –

http://www.baltrobotics.com - has developed and

tested a proprietary system that has applications in

particularly for low cost underwater Cathodic

Protection (CP) inspection of Oil and Gas pipelines

using AUV as a carrier.

Our project

1 – Vessel; 2 – GPS; 3 – AUV; 4 – Remote Underwater Docking System; 5 –

Navigation Current Generator; 6 – Ultra-Sonic Distance Measurement and Data

Transmission System; 7 – Ultra-Sonic Data Modem; 8 – Current Navigation Unit; 9

– Video Cameras; 10 – 3-D Video Compression System; 11 – Wire Connection and

Transportation Unit; 12 – Contact-Measurement Wire; 13 – Engines; 14 – CP

Measurement Unit (Calomel Electrode); 15 – Embedded Computer; 16 - Beacon

Unit; 17 – Power Supply Unit;

Main advantages of our System:

• The System can be used with a Vessel muchsmaller than ones that follow ROV (RemotelyOperated Vehicle).

• The System delivers the possibility to inspectseveral sections of the pipeline with ONE Vesseloperating several AUVs. It decreases the totalcosts of the inspection.

• The System can be used with the higher waves(rough weather: rain, wind, etc.) in comparisonto ROV-based technology.

Main advantages of our System:

• The System delivers more effectiveness of theinspections in comparison to ROV-basedtechnology – one operator can inspect moredistance of the pipelines.

• The CP Protection Inspection Report will include3-D Video Images that are matched with themeasurements of CP Potentials measured.

• AUV could carry any underwater inspectionequipment

Independent development by

BaltRobotics® :

• Unique Autonomous Underwater Vehicle AUV[2] was developed

• Proprietary Underwater Wireless Acoustic

Communications [1] technology system was

developed as integral element.

• Proprietary Video Compression was

developed

All systems had been tested successfully

Independent development by

BaltRobotics® :

• BaltRobotics® sea laboratory was created on the

board of company owned Vessel “MAEKSA”

• High Data Rate Ultrasonic full duplex Modem

• Ultrasonic Doppler Velocity Log

• Underground Magneto Vision System for

pipelines (to search for buried pipelines)

• Navigation and Autopilot System for AUV

“The lack of breakthroughs in wireless

underwater communication and battery capacity

is prolonging the wait for a fully autonomous

underwater vehicle (AUV), one that will not need

a $ 100,000/day vessel and crew, a heavy tether

for power and control or hours to complete a

task that might take minutes onshore”

“Surveying the field in the search for fully autonomy”

by Bruce Nichols // Offshore Engineer, January, 2013

• Distance – 300 m

• Depth – 300 m

Underwater wireless video data communication:

Underwater Video Processing Container

Independent development by

BaltRobotics® :

Underwater Ultrasonic Modem

Independent development by

BaltRobotics® :

Undersea Wireless Video

Independent development by

BaltRobotics® :

Proof of Concept

- Proprietary Technology was designed and

developed in-house

- Technology prototype was built and tested

successfully in the Black Sea

- Fully equipped, vessel based operational test

laboratory – aboard “MAEKSA” - vessel (66 tons)

is ready for operations

- Successful testing were carried out in Malaysia,

Ukraine, Bulgaria, Malta

AUV X-3A development finished.

Ready for testing

• Ultrasonic Video Transmission

Channel;

• Ultrasonic Modem – circuitry,

emitter, Doppler equalizer;

• Video-data compression processing

system;

• Acoustic Command Channel (low

data transmission rate/long range);

• Inertial Navigation System (INS) -

controls AUV in autonomy mode;

• Doppler 4-beams Log – combined

with INS for Auto-Pilot;

• “Magnetic Vision” system to search

for pipeline (incl. buried ones);

AUV X-3A development finished.

Ready for testing

• Depth –till 200 m.

• Distance in autonomic

mode – till 10 km

•Fully automatic inspection

mode

• Life cycle in sea bottom lying – till 2 months

Yacht “MAEKSA” - reconstruction project –had been constructed and tested

Yacht “MAEKSA” - completion of reconstruction

“CP-UAIT Complex” in the testing: Istanbul, Malta, 2013

Position to compete

Low OPEX of the technology proposed deliver

possibility of “flexible price”/”increased margin”

• Increased productivity of the new technology

proposed (per 1 vessel) – 3-4 times

• Longer “working year”: Increased from 80-100

days to 100-120 days.

Company Profile

“BaltRobotics Sp.z.o.o.” ® (BR®), Gdansk, POLAND (Code (REGON):

222049520), http://www.baltrobotics.com/ - is a scientific research,

design, development, and engineering business specializing in the

area of the competences that includes in particular: engineering in

robotics, telecommunications, navigation (GPS, land, underwater).

BR® key personnel have large experience gained whilst working in

former Soviet Union defense industry and state scientific research

institutes.

The leading specialists and management staff of the Company were

the project managers in many international projects, and they were

awarded with prestigious prizes, in particular: “Gold Medal” of

Brussels Exhibition “Eureka 2006” and the Medal of US Department of

Defense - DARPA - competition of robots - “Grand-Challenge 2005”.

Company Experience

Thank you for your attention!