EAR: the Extended Acoustic Radar

For many oil-extraction activities, a technique capable of assessing the status of a pipepline can be a key, cost-saving application. Such a technique can be effectively exploited during the pipeline installation procedure or even during routine operations in the case a pipeline anomaly needs to be identified and tracked.

In this framework Politecnico di MIlano and ARESYS partecipated to a R&D project aimed at the specification and prototyping design of a monitoring technique based on acoustic waves. The project called EAR - Extended Acoustic Radar has bee carried out jointly by POLIMI, ARESYS and SOLGEO for Saipem, and resulted in the implementation of the first acoustic radar prototype for pipeline monitoring applications. The main task of ARESYS within the project were:

• analyse and model acoustic wave propagation in pipelines;

• collaborate in the development of the acoustic radar;

• define and implement the radar location procedures.