Reliability Modeling of Wireless Sensor Network for Oil and Gas Pipelines Monitoring

Abstract

Extensive network of pipelines carrying oil and gas is an integral part of any country’s energy management plan. As oil and gas are characterized as highly hazardous, their transportation through pipelines warrants proactive continuous monitoring. Unfortunately, there has been limited continuous monitoring of this crucial infrastructure, which causes financial losses to the industry. This paper presents a wireless sensor network (WSN) system and its reliability assessment model for oil and gas pipelines condition monitoring.
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\nAs a first step, a wireless sensor system for pipeline monitoring is selected. The selected system is revised for oil and gas application considering long distance transportation. Upon system development, a reliability model for the system is developed. A simple bottom-up approach is followed to analyze the reliability of the components, subsystem, and the system. Two explanatory examples are presented to demonstrate the applications of the selected system and developed reliability model. These examples help to better understand the interrelation between the reliabilities, the components and the system.