Petrochemical applications

Most modern airports depend on miles of direct buried fuel piping loops to distribute millions of gallons of fuel to airliners daily from the terminal aprons. An undetected fuel leak along the hydrant fuel system can be devastating to airport operations and the surrounding environment.

TraceTek Liquid Hydrocarbon Leak Detection and Locating Systems can monitor miles of single wall buried pipelines for fuel leaks, provide a precise location of a small developing leak, close valves before it becomes catastrophic, and interface with a pipeline monitoring control center for notification.

TraceTek TT5000 Sensing Cable installed inside slotted PVC conduit alongside a single wall buried hydrant pipeline, can detect a small fuel leak and identify the location with pinpoint accuracy. Traces of any fuel leakage are drawn into the conduit by capillary action and contact the sensing cable for detection and location of the leak.

Airport buried transfer pipes 

The danger of environmental contamination and the potential repair costs of an undetected fuel leak along an airport kerosene pipeline can be astronomical.

To reduce this risk of environmental contamination, TraceTek monitors hundreds to thousands of meters of single wall buried pipelines and provides the exact location of any developing small leaks.

An interface to the monitoring control center or BMS receives the notification and displays the distance to the leak.

The exact location allows quick reaction whilst the leak is still small, helping to prevent larger spills.

Under streets or other barriers it is installed in a coated pipe.

Within a laboratory where fuels, oils and chemicals are used there are many hazards especially from fluid processing equipment and supply and return piping which may be concealed within raised floors.

TraceTek TT3000 sensing cable is designed to detect waste water, acids, bases or any liquids that are conductive. Rapid detection, accurate location reporting and excellent chemical resistance make TT3000 a popular choice for direct fixing to below a raised floor or within double containment pipe systems. This sensor can also be used when high levels of radiation are present.

For strong acids such as Nitric or Sulphuric at concentrations of 90% or higher, TT7000 sensing cable is better suited.

For fuel piping, above and below ground storage tank, TT5000 is used. It will detect all hydrocarbons but ignores water. Simple and complex piping circuits can all be monitored using a variety of electronics to suit ATEX, SIL2 and Baseefa certification.

On a large petrochemical site such as storage facilities and refineries, rain water management is crucial for keeping bunds empty and ground water under control. If oil separators are unable to cope with large volumes of water or fail to filter out any hydrocarbon product, serious water pollution could follow.

The TraceTek Fast Fuel Sensor (TT-FFS) is able to detect hydrocarbons floating on the water surface in a bunded area or collecting in a sump. Response time is short enough to ensure quick closure of drain valves before fuel reaches a storm drain or surface channel.

Placing a sensor within the rain water outfall chamber will provide final monitoring of all the water being discharged from the site.

A variety of electronics to suit ATEX, SIL2 and Baseefa certification is available.

At oil terminals, refineries, storage facilities and ports around the world, tankers often unload their cargo of crude oil or refined fuels into small pipe systems that traverse or encroach on ecologically sensitive or populated areas.

Where operation is intermittent and pipeline lengths relatively short, traditional SCADA-based leak detection systems which rely on predictable constant flow rates are rendered ineffective. In fact even large leaks during off-loading may go completely undetected, compromising operator’s environmental responsibility and devastating the local ecology. The risk of explosions or fires can easily follow.

TT5000-HUV sensing cable is designed to detect the first drips of fuel or oil (Liquid Hydrocarbon Leaks). The sensor is constructed with a black external polyester rope layer which is strapped to the bottom side of the above ground single wall fuel pipeline.

The densely braided polyester yarn exterior covering provides a very effective ultra violet (UV) shield protection for the sensor cable within.

A variety of electronics to suit ATEX, SIL2 and Baseefa certification is available.

Every day millions of litres of fuel are stored and transferred to and from tanks. This poses a huge risk of leaks, spills or overfills.

Any hydrocarbon leaks or spills from tanks or pipes containing aviation fuels, gasoline, diesel and other petroleum fuels into bunds around storage tanks pose an extreme danger.

For fast above ground detection within bunds, the TT-FFS (fast fuel sensor) is able to detect a hydrocarbon fuel leak within a few seconds of initial contact. The minimum film thickness for fast detection is less than 1mm, so the sensor is able to detect a fuel spill floating on the surface of rainwater, in a bunded area or collecting in a sump.

Response time is short enough to quickly close drain valves before fuel reaches a storm drain or surface channel. TT-FFS can be monitored by a TTC-1, SIL-2 rated controller or a flashing battery power alarm unit.

TT5000 and TT5000-HUV are two types of sensing cable that can provide a wider area of coverage. TT5000-HUV has a densely braided polyester yarn exterior, which provides a very effective ultra violet (UV) shield for the sensor cable within. It and can be clipped to the concrete around the perimeter of a tank’s base, providing detection of leaks from flanges, pipes or valves.

TT5000 cable can be installed in a buried slotted PVC conduit to detect and locate fuels leaking into the soil beneath tank floors or from buried pipes or valves. The cable itself is the sensor and every point along its length is capable of detecting the presence of liquid hydrocarbon fuels. In combination with TraceTek instrumentation, it is possible to know when a leak develops and to identify the location of the spill to +/- 1 metre accuracy.

TraceTek instrumentation and industry standard telemetry solutions are all ATEX, SIL2 and Baseefa certified. They range from a battery powered, high-intensity flashing LED leak indicators, standalone alarm panel with digital display and can be fully integrated into existing SCADA system and web-enabled solutions for remote viewing of status and alarms. TraceTek TT-FFS and TT5000 sensors are also compatible with the Emerson ROSEMOUNT smart wireless network system.

Undetected leaks from buried pipes expose fuel companies to untold costs and unnecessary liability every year. If a leak occurs, companies are faced with expensive repair and clean-up costs.

Locating where to expose the damaged pipe and the disruption this can cause, pushes the costs even higher. Environmental issues are also an important factor. Local regulatory penalties, especially where drinking water is threatened, could easily exceed the repair and clean-up costs.

At the very least, the company’s reputation as a good neighbour will suffer, potentially threatening future community goodwill and support.

TraceTek TT5000 and TT5000-HS sensing cables can be installed in slotted PVC conduit to detect and locate fuel or oil leaking into the soil beneath buried pipes.

The cable itself is the sensor and every point along its length is capable of detecting the presence of liquid hydrocarbon fuels.

In combination with TraceTek instrumentation and industry standard telemetry solutions, it is possible to know when a leak develops and to identify the location of the leak to +/- metre accuracy.

A variety of electronics to suit ATEX, SIL2 and Baseefa certification is available.