Thorn Bulgaria Ltd.
Pipeline leak detection
Thorn Bulgaria Ltd. is an engineering company focused on the implementation of information technologies for automated control of technological processes.
The accidental and the criminal ruptures along a pipeline for petroleum products causes leaks with significant adverse consequences.
A tap for fuel theft, which was detected and successfully localised by the pipeline monitoring system.
- Ecological pollution of underground and drinking water, long-lasting destruction of soil, poisoning of the fauna and flora, etc.
- Costs due to prices of raw materials.
- Maintenance costs.
- Costs incurred as a result of suspension of pipeline operation.
- Security costs (personnel, equipment).
These, together with other effects of leaks happening along an oil- or gas-pipeline, made our specialists to do a thorough analysis and research and to develop a solution to this problem.
The solution is "Thorn" pipeline real-time leak detection and localisation system.
The "Thorn" system is monitoring an active pipelines for diesel and gasoline. For several years, the system has identified and successfully localized hundreds of cases of fuel theft and fuel leaks. In most cases, the system was the only source of information about the respective fuel theft or the accidental leak. The pipeeline operator wouldn't have known about most of the thefts and the leaks without the information obtained by our monitoring system.
The system itself consist of hardware and software for collection and real time analysis of a process data. The information is received from measuring devices installed on the pipeline. The data are transferred to a central computer usually through mobile network (The useage of another type of network is also possible) and the result is delivered to the system operator virtually at the moment of the event's occurrence.
The “Thorn" pipeline real-time leak detection and localisation system has the following components:
- mathematical model of the pipeline;
- measuring devices;
- measuring stations along the pipeline;
- data transmission network;
- central computer;
- software for real-time processing and analysis of the received data;
Operated in all kinds of pipeline process modes in real operation conditions, the "Thorn" pipeline real-time leak detection and localization system proved its efficiency in real-time localization of leaks.