SBIR Phase II: Pipeline Integrity in Natural Gas Distribution and Transmission Systems

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II research project will solve challenging problems in processing, tracking, and communicating vibration recordings from remote locations in pipelines to determine whether a pipeline has suffered an integrity breach. The solutions include design of new battery-powered, wireless-enabled, rugged field instruments for the harsh pipeline environment, and the development of advanced signal processing methods to characterize and interpret the complex acoustic energy in pipelines. The broader impact of this research project will be to provide the industry with state-of-the-art, cost-effective equipment that will allow owners and operators to protect their investment in pipeline infrastructure and to meet the mandated pipeline integrity management regulations safely, efficiently and effectively. The societal impact will be increased personal safety through faster and more accurate inspection methods and the preservation of continued affordable energy transportation into the future.