US 12,085,236 B2
Determining thermal conditions in a pipeline
Hamad Alsaiari, Al-Khobar (SA); Ali Alshehri, Thuwal (SA); Ayman Amer, Thuwal (SA); and Ali Meshaikhis, Dhahran (SA)
Assigned to Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Dhahran (SA)
Filed by Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Dhahran (SA)
Filed on Jun. 15, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/348,486.
Prior Publication US 2022/0397241 A1, Dec. 15, 2022
Int. Cl. F17D 5/06 (2006.01); F16L 53/30 (2018.01); F16L 59/14 (2006.01); G01M 99/00 (2011.01)
CPC F17D 5/06 (2013.01) [F16L 59/143 (2013.01); G01M 99/002 (2013.01)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for determining a thermal condition of a pipeline, comprising:
identifying a pipeline that carries a first fluid at a first temperature, the pipeline comprising:
a tubular conduit that comprises a bore that carries the first fluid, and
a layer of insulation installed over an exterior surface of the tubular conduit;
circulating a second fluid that is separate from the first fluid from a bypass conduit that is external to the layer of insulation and is fluidly coupled to a source of the second fluid and to the tubular conduit through the layer of insulation into the bore to mix with the first fluid, the second fluid at a second temperature different than the first temperature and having a composition substantially similar to the first fluid;
based on circulating the second fluid into the bore, detecting a thermal gradient between the first fluid carried in the bore and at least one of the tubular conduit or the layer of insulation at a particular location of the pipeline; and
based on the detected thermal gradient, determining a presence of at least one of water or water vapor between the exterior surface of the tubular conduit and the layer of insulation at the particular location of the pipeline.