Long-Range Wireless Communication for In-Line Inspection Robot: 2.4 km On-Site Test

Huseyin Ayhan Yavasoglu (), Ilhami Unal, Ahmet Koksoy, Kursad Gokce and Yusuf Engin Tetik
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Huseyin Ayhan Yavasoglu: Mechatronics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Yildiz Technical University, Istanbul 34349, Türkiye
Ilhami Unal: TUBITAK Marmara Research Center, Kocaeli 41470, Türkiye
Ahmet Koksoy: TUBITAK Marmara Research Center, Kocaeli 41470, Türkiye
Kursad Gokce: TUBITAK Rail Transport Technologies Institute, Kocaeli 41470, Türkiye
Yusuf Engin Tetik: TUBITAK Rail Transport Technologies Institute, Kocaeli 41470, Türkiye

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 10, 1-17

Abstract: This paper presents a study of the feasibility of using in-line inspection (ILI) techniques with long-range communication-capable robotic systems deployed with advanced inspection sensors in natural gas distribution pipelines, which are rare in the literature. The study involved selecting appropriate antennas and determining the appropriate communication frequency for an ILI robot operating on Istanbul 12″ and 16″ steel pipelines. The paper identifies the frequency windows with low losses, presents received signal strength indicator (RSSI) and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) information for various scenarios, and evaluates the impact of T-junctions, which are known to be the worst components in terms of communication. To utilize the pipeline as a waveguide, low-attenuation-frequency windows were determined, which improved communication by a factor of 500 compared to aerial communication. The results of laboratory tests on a 50 m pipeline and real-world tests on a 2.4 km pipeline indicate that long-distance communication and video transmission are possible at frequencies of around 917 MHz with low-gain antennas. The study also assessed the impact of the early diagnosis of anomalies without incidents on the environment, achievable with ILI robots using long-range wireless communication.

Keywords: natural gas pipelines; nondestructive testing (NDT); in-line inspection robot; wireless communication; antenna; circular waveguide (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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