Integrated System Provides Complete Pipe Condition Data

FLYEYE pipeline inspection system from CUES Inc.

Through a combination of laser profiling, sonar technology and high-resolution CCTV camera imaging, the FLYEYE pipeline inspection system from CUES Inc. collects detailed data about pipeline conditions without multiple individual surveys and without dewatering.

The floating unit is designed to inspect pipes from 24 to 100 inches and from 25 to 75 percent full. It uses sonar to “see” below the flow. For pipe erosion measurements and visual wall inspections, the unit uses a four-camera laser profiling and measurement system and a 3-megapixel, high-resolution (2048 x 1536) digital video camera.

“If the pipe is partially full, the system uses all three technologies,” says Doc Bennett, international sales manager. “If the pipe is fully charged, it uses only the sonar.” For maximum accuracy, the laser system’s four cameras capture a laser-ring image 30 times a second. The surface profiling measurements are accurate within 0.06 inch in a 100-inch pipe.

Software then converts the laser-ring images into detailed, high-resolution, color-coded flat displays of the pipe or color-coded, three-dimensional displays. The inspection provides complete data that confirms minimum and maximum pipe diameter, ovality, wall erosion, line capacity, holes, obstructions, multiple defects, and quantity of debris.

“You can compare each profile image with the original pipe image for size and shape to determine how much pipe wall is left, and to project future life before repair or replacement,” Bennett says. “This also provides the necessary data to determine the best and most economical repair method.”

Because the cameras and sonar do not use a power/signal cable, the system can inspect miles of pipe on a single-pipe entry. Battery and data pods can provide up to eight hours of onboard data storage. “The power pods are on board the float, and all data is collected on board,” Bennett says. “You can put the float in on one entry and, say, three miles down the pipe, pick up the hardware at another entry and download the data.”

The FLYEYE lets municipalities perform complete pipe inspections without interrupting or diverting sewage flow. This avoids the risk of ruptured lines and leaks during a bypass that could require a hazardous-material cleanup operation, Bennett says. For information: www.cuesinc.com; 800/327-7791.



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