High-Precision and Four-Dimensional Tracking System with Dual Receivers of Pipeline Inspection Gauge

Pipeline inspection gauges (PIGs) are widely used for nondestructive testing of oil and natural gas pipelines, while above ground markers (AGMs) can locate and track the PIG through a variety of methods, including magnetic flux leakage signals, acoustic signals, and extremely low-frequency (ELF) magnetic signals. Traditional AGMs have the disadvantages of low positioning accuracy and only one-dimensional tracking capability. In this paper, a newly-designed PIG tracking system based on the ELF magnetic field is proposed by assembling dual receivers. Moreover, this paper develops a magnetic field sign-integration algorithm to achieve high-precision and four-dimensional (4-D) tracking of PIG. The simulation and experiment results demonstrate that the tracking system has the capability of 4-D tracking. In comparison with the previously published work, the designed tracking system improves the positioning accuracy and orientation tracking accuracy by more than 50%. The dual receivers tracking system also has the characteristic of high-robustness. Even in the state of lateral offset or tilt, it can still achieve accurate tracking of PIG. The realization of PIG’s high-precision 4-D tracking can improve the accuracy of defect location. Moreover, it can also provide the latest pipeline network layout and facilitate pipeline maintenance and pipeline surveying applications.