The monitoring will be done by fitting sensor belts to the new pipelines at 24-metre intervals. There is a thick insulating jacket containing polypropylene around the outside of the steel pipe sections carrying the well stream. It is here that the electronics are concealed, and along which data are transmitted wirelessly either onshore or to a platform.
SINTEF researchers have developed an entirely new concept for transmitting data via a belt containing a series of sensors designed to measure pipeline wall thickness, tension, temperature, vibration and acceleration. If this succeeds, Norway will become the first country in the world with a concept that has both domestic and global potential.
The SmartPipe project has been ongoing since 2006 when the Research Council of Norway and a group of oil companies provided about 25 million to fund the research programme.
Partners: SINTEF, Force Technology, Bredero Shaw, ebm-Papst, Siemens, Technip, Eni, ConocoPhilips, Petrobras and Total.