DETECTION OF INTERSTATE LIQUIDS PIPELINE LEAKS: FEASIBILITY EVALUATION

The approximately 200,000-mile fuel pipeline system in the U.S. operates at flow rates up to 2.5 (times) 10 (sup6) gallons per hour. Most commercial technologies only provide on-line leak detection at about 0.3% of flow rate, i.e., about 7,500 GPH or larger. Detection of leaks at about 1 GPH or so is desirable both from a regulatory and leak-prevention standpoint. Brookhaven's commercially accepted perfluorocarbon tracer (PFT) technology for underground leak detection of utility industry dielectric fluids at leak rates less than 0.1 GPH, with new enhancements, will be able to cost effectively detect fuel pipeline system leaks to about 1 GPH-3 orders of magnitude better than any on-line system. The magnitude of detected leaks would be calculable as well. There are no health nor safety issues associated with the use of the proposed technological approach nor any consequential environmental impacts associated with the proposed magnitudes of PFT tagging.

  • Corporate Authors:

    Brookhaven National Laboratory

    Associated Universities, Incorporated
    Upton, NY  United States  11973

    Department of Energy

    1000 Independence Avenue, SW
    Washington, DC  United States  20585
  • Authors:
    • Dietz, R N
    • Senum, G I
  • Publication Date: 1998-10-20

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Pagination: 12 p.

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00766497
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Report/Paper Numbers: BNL-65970
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Jul 30 1999 12:00AM