Technology Development center

A CATALYST AND HUB FOR INDUSTRY-WIDE PIPELINE RESEARCH AND ACTIVITIES.

The Technology Development Center continues to be a hub for industry-wide pipeline research and development activities. PRCI-related work in 2019 included projects that utilized the flow loop, both dry and wet pull-string tests, and a large amount of NDE-related work.

The TDC is a key catalyst for allowing PRCI to grow more ambitious with its research goals. As an example, the Performance Evaluation of ILI Systems for Detecting and Discriminating Metal Loss, Cracks, and Gouges in Geometric Anomalies project. Led by PRCI’s Research Steering Committee Chair Mark Piazza, this project takes on the impressive task of evaluating ILI system performance on a scale never before seen in our industry.

At the center of the project is the TDC and pull-test facility. The project is leveraging an already existing mechanical damage pull-test string at the TDC and has tested a range of ILI technologies, both well-established and emerging. The predicted outcome of the project is an improved understanding of ILI system capabilities to detect and discriminate between injurious and non-injurious mechanical damage features, which are critical drivers for an operator to decide if it is necessary to use additional assessment methods and in making repair decisions. Again, the TDC is an essential tool for PRCI research to provide more key information that supports an operator in improving its integrity management programs.

The opportunity for industry collaboration that the TDC provides was made especially apparent when PRCI was awarded an unprecedented seven research projects valued at nearly $4 million USD by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). While certainly not the only deciding factor for the awards, it was noted by visiting PHMSA delegates that the TDC provided an exceptional venue for executing pipeline research.

The TDC played host to several PRCI and industry workshops in 2019 that brought additional learning opportunities to members and non-members alike as it continues to be utilized in a variety of ways that often combine classroom learning with hands-on training. The TDC provides not only a place to execute research, but also to demonstrate how to put the research into practice. PRCI is working to enhance the tools, processes, and personnel involved in pipeline safety and integrity