Pipeline monitoring routine by tethered aerostats and georeferenced camera with automatic hazard alert

• Grant number: 18/22525-1
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: July 01, 2019
• End date: June 30, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Production Engineering - Product Engineering
• Agreement: FINEP - PIPE/PAPPE Grant
• Principal Investigator: Bruno Avena de Azevedo
• Grantee: Bruno Avena de Azevedo
• Company: Altave Indústria, Comércio e Exportação de Aeronaves S/A
• CNAE: Desenvolvimento e licenciamento de programas de computador customizáveis
• City: São José dos Campos
• Pesquisadores principais: Victória Maria Gomes Velame
• Associated researchers: Davi Ferreira de Castro ; Leonardo Vieira Costa ; Michelle Bueno Garcia

Abstract

Oil theft from pipelines has been a huge problem in countries around the globe for the last few decades. Losses in 2017 amount to US$1.6 billion in Mexico, nearly US$2 billion in Nigeria and hundreds of millions of dollars in Brazil. To fight such crime, companies are developing pipeline monitoring systems using vibration sensors, voltage sensors, monitoring system through an optical fiber, robots mounted with sensors moving inside the pipeline, among others solutions. However, these solutions have been fragile since they lack extensive visual monitoring. ALTAVE offers an air monitoring solution for the pipelines. In this project, it is proposed to use aerostats to monitor large pipelines, combining the concepts of patrol and deterrence applied to air surveillance and generating automatic alerts of suspicious activity at the monitored points. The objective of the work is divided into three stages: development of automation software for the determination of the balloon installation points, improvement of the camera georeferencing for automatic pointing round and software for the detection and issuing of automatic alert of suspicious activity at the monitoring points. (AU)