STATIONS

FIELD

[0001] The present embodiments generally relate to use of energy sources to power devices and processes for the assessment of conditions within or along a pipeline or pipeline network which transports fluids and/or gases, and specifically, the use of energy sources that can be independent of the presence of sunlight or wind (or optional including sunlight, geothermal or wind) to power (e.g., to provide energy to) systems which detect, identify and locate events which indicate failure modes and/or precursors to failure modes within or along the pipeline or pipeline network and optionally to power systems used for the capture/collection of hydrogen and/or oxygen.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Pipeline networks are universally known for transporting fluids and/or gases. Whether for the transmission or distribution of fluids or gases such as oil, gas, or water or for the transfer of fluids or gases within industrial areas, pipeline networks and pipeline network integrity is critical for operational adherence to regulatory compliance and industrial efficiency. Over time for a variety of reasons, points in or along the pipeline may fail due to a loss of integrity or other situations. Lack of pipeline integrity either within industrial areas or in external transportation and distributions networks can lead to unintended release of materials contained with the pipeline which could potentially cause catastrophic damage to the atmosphere or environment, loss of life or loss of revenue. Typical methods for preventing unintended release of pipeline transferred or distributed fluids or gases includes the monitoring of levels of various substances within the transported medium such as oxygen and also the monitoring of minor leaks which precede major catastrophic releases. Monitoring the makeup of the medium being transported can lead to timely preventative maintenance which reduces downtime and liability. Current monitoring stations can be either collection points accessed by personnel or remote monitoring points which can signal results of in-situ tests through cellular signals, satellite signals or other signal methods. These methods work but remote monitoring requires local power sources and/or sending personnel to remote locations to extract and record samples which can lead to accidents and necessarily uses time and fuel to transport personnel and equipment. This is especially dangerous in remote locations where inclement weather can add to life threatening situations.

[0003] There is thus a desire and a need in the art for systems, processes, methods and device configurations to provide improved access to off-grid electrical power sources that are available in remote areas.

SUMMARY

[0004] Accordingly, to advance at least the aforementioned deficiencies in the art, described herein are applications of the use of Seebeck effect devices to provide electric off-grid power, which is useful in remote locations. Optionally, the present applications may also use geothermal, wind and solar energy collection methods in addition to or instead of Seebeck devices.

[0005] Thermo-electric cells using the Seebeck effect generate electric power by separately stacking P-type and N-type semi-conductors between metal plates exposing the commonly connected side to a surface that is higher in temperature than ambient conditions. The difference in temperature across the stacked semi-conductors between these plates excites a flow of electrons which provides an electric potential difference used to create a current. This current flow is captured and the heat energy that creates the flow in the presence of these Seebeck devices is recycled into electrical energy. This Seebeck effect thermo-electric energy can then be used to provide needed electrical power to remote electrically powered systems in areas where pipelines are found absent available sources of electricity.

[0006] Thus, the present embodiments may use a variety of sources (Seebeck, solar, wind, geothermal, and the like and various combinations thereof) for electrical power for powering monitoring, sampling, and reporting systems for pipeline and pipeline integrity within an industrial area and in pipeline networks, irrespective of their location. Land based and submarine pipelines are typically constructed on risers, structural bases, on the ground/seabed or embedded in trenches. For a variety of reasons, the surface temperature of the pipeline is typically measurably warmer than ambient conditions. The temperature variance can be so great that micro-climates have been observed around above ground pipeline sections in the Alaskan pipelines. Because of the temperature gradient between the surface of the pipeline and ambient conditions, a Seebeck effect device may be used to collect and provide electrical power needed for systems used in measuring, monitoring, and reporting while the pipeline is actively transferring material fluids and/or gasses. In the case of greater power needs, multiple Seebeck Effect devices may be used for greater power supply to the desired amount of electrical power needed. Geothermal, wind, solar, and the like and combinations thereof energy power collecting and supplying devices may also be used as needed or desired. Power may also be supplied to an electrical storage system or device (e.g., a battery) as a “trickle charge” where larger amounts of power are needed for shorter intermittent periods.

[0007] The present devices, methods, systems and processes can also be deployed in other environments where variations in temperatures (such as ambient conditions) are found. For example, in a home environment Seebeck power collection and energy gathering can be applied from temperature differences between roofing and wall components and the internal or even outside ambient temperatures.

[0008] The present processes may allow the collection of 02 and/or hydrogen gas for fueling personal automobiles, tractors and the like though the powering of electrolysis devices. An additional application of this innovation is the use of Seebeck effect to store energy collected in solar, geothermal, wind and Seebeck devices used in conjunction with hydrogen home electricity generators so that power can be stored as hydrogen gas instead of using batteries of various types which are bad for the environment in manufacture, use and disposal.

[0009] According to one approach, a remote pipeline monitoring station, or other systems or devices may have devices to capture energy from by Seebeck effect which derive their energy from a temperature difference between the pipeline surface and ambient conditions.

[00010] According to another approach, a remote pipeline sampling system may be powered by Seebeck effect devices deriving their energy from temperature difference between the pipeline surface and ambient conditions.

[00011] According to another approach, An industrial pipeline monitoring station may be powered by Seebeck effect devices deriving their energy from temperature difference between the pipeline surface and ambient conditions.

[00012] According to another approach, an industrial pipeline sampling system powered by Seebeck effect devices may be provided deriving their energy from temperature difference between the pipeline surface and ambient conditions.

[00013] According to another approach, monitoring and sampling systems may have drones located at remote stations to monitor pipeline integrity configured to dock with Seebeck Effect powering systems to recharge when not deployed for monitoring pipeline conditions.

[00014] According to another approach, hydrogen collection skids may be configured for placement at intervals along a pipeline; said skids configured to capture energy from the Seebeck effect devices, wind, solar, geothermal, and the like and combinations thereof, to collect moisture (H2O) from a surrounding environment.

[00015] According to another approach, the Hydrogen Collection Skids may further have a process system which will collect moisture from the surrounding air; wherein the moisture is electrically separated into Hydrogen and Oxygen through electrolysis; wherein the hydrogen will be pumped into the pipeline at the collection site to mix with natural gas and will be collected and separated from the natural gas from the pipeline by the end user.

[00016] According to another approach, the Hydrogen Collection Skids separate the moisture electrically into Hydrogen and Oxygen through electrolysis; wherein the oxygen may be pumped into a storage tank.

[00017] According to another approach, the Hydrogen collection skids may pump hydrogen into a tank; wherein the skids can either collected hydrogen and or oxygen into trucks at the point of collection for storage or to provide motive force to the track or pumped in the case of hydrogen into the existing pipeline network.

[00018] According to another approach, the hydrogen collection skids, pump the hydrogen into a tank that is collected as a fuel source and pumped into field vehicles utilizing hydrogen motors.

[00019] According to another approach, the hydrogen collection skids collect 02 into a separate tank.

[00020] According to another approach, hydrogen collection skids may be powered by wind, solar, geothermal and Seebeck devices; wherein energy can be stored as hydrogen gas instead of using batteries or battery type technologies which are inherently bad for the environment.

[00021] According to another approach, the hydrogen stored from wind, solar, and Seebeck devices may be used for future power needs and “burned” in a hydrogen electric generator which outputs electricity and water.

[00022] Other features will become more apparent to persons having ordinary skill in the art to which the processes and methods pertain and from the following description and claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[00023] FIG. 1 illustrates a side perspective view of an approach to the systems of the present embodiments which include: a supported pipeline segment, Seebeck power collection skid, sampling and instruments module, and SCADA/communications module.

[00024] FIG. 2 illustrates a side perspective view of an approach to the systems of the present embodiments which include: pipeline segment, Seebeck power collection skid, sampling and instruments module, and SCADA/communications module, drone “nesting box”, wind, and solar power collection skids.

[00025] FIG. 3 illustrates a side perspective view of an approach to the systems of the present embodiments which include: pipeline segment, Seebeck, solar, and wind power collection skids, SCADA/communications module, and the hydrogen collection, storage and distribution skid.

[00026] FIG. 4 illustrates a top view of an approach to the systems of the present embodiments which include: pipeline segment, Seebeck, solar, and wind power collection skids, sampling and instruments module, SCADA/communications module, and the hydrogen collection, storage and distribution skid.

[00027] FIG. 5 illustrates a side perspective view of an approach to the systems of the present embodiments which include: notional house/barn or other building, vehicle or tractor, hydrogen electricity generator, Seebeck, solar, and wind power collection skids, and the hydrogen collection, storage and distribution skid.

[0001] While the features described herein may be susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to be limiting to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the subject matter as defined by the appended claims. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[00028] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well as the singular forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[00029] It will be further understood that the terms "comprises" and/or comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

[00030] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one having ordinary skill in the art to which these embodiments belong. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and the present disclosure and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

[00031] In describing the present embodiments, it will be understood that a number of techniques and steps are disclosed. Each of these has individual benefit and each can also be used in conjunction with one or more, or in some cases all, of the other disclosed techniques. Accordingly, for the sake of clarity, this description will refrain from repeating every possible combination of the individual steps in an unnecessary fashion. Nevertheless, the specification and claims should be read with the understanding that such combinations are entirely within the scope of the embodiments and the claims.

[00032] Provided herein are systems for providing electrical power to electrically powered devices such as powering pipeline monitoring and sampling systems. In the following description a plurality of methods for using the Seebeck effect for providing power to these systems will be explained. It will however be evident to one skilled in the art that the present embodiments may be practiced without these details.

[00033] The present disclosures are intended as examples only and are not intended to limit to these specific embodiments illustrated by the figures or descriptions below.

[00034] FIG. 1 depicts an example of an exemplary pipeline segment 1 according to various approaches to the present embodiments. Within this pipeline segment 1 are various types of sampling and monitoring stations. Each station contains a plurality of Seebeck devices 2. The particular number of Seebeck devices shown is not intended to limit the present embodiments and is depicted as an example only.

[00035] Some of the present embodiments described by the appended figures depict notional transmitting 4, re-transmitting 6 and receiving 5 equipment as an example only and is not intended to be limiting. One skilled in the art would logically conclude that more than one type of communication device could be used to transmit data, or in the case of local storage, no transmitting device would be needed or used at all.

[00036] Some of the present embodiments are illustrated by but not limited to the accompanying drawings in which like references may indicate similar elements in which: [00037] Fig. 1 illustrates a perspective view of an exemplary pipeline segment with an exemplary Seebeck electrically powered sample/monitoring stations and a communications method. As shown, this embodiment may provide for a pipeline segment 1 having a Pipeline Support 5, a Seebeck collection interface 2; a power collection and storage unit 3; a SCADA and/or other wireless communication transmission point 4; a power line from Seebeck collection interface 6; a direct sampling line 7 to pipeline 1 ; and a sensor package 8 including but not limited to photo, direct sensor, and “sniffer” packages. Supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) is a control system architecture that may have computers, networked data communications and graphical user interfaces for high-level supervision of machines and processes. It also covers sensors and other devices, such as programmable logic controllers, which interface with process plant, machinery and the like. A “sniffer” package is an assembly sensors and collectors and other devices intended to capture configured/desired samples from the surrounding environment.

[00038] Fig. 2 illustrates a Seebeck, Solar, and Wind power Drone “Nesting Pod” conguration. In this embodiment, components for pipeline segment 1 may include a Seebeck collection interface 2, a power line from Seebeck collection interface 3, a power collection and storage skid 4; a drone nesting and power field transfer/recharging pod 5, an observation drone 6; a SCADA and/or other wireless Communication Transmission Point 7; a wind power generation component 8; a solar power generation component 9, a power line from the solar power generation component to power collection skid 10, and a power cable from the wind power generation component to the power collection skid 11 .

[00039] Fig. 3 illustrates an exemplary Seebeck, solar, and wind powered hydrogen collection skid configured for deployment around a pipeline segment 1. This embodiment may have wind power generation component 2; a solar power generation component 3; a power line from wind power generation component 4; a power line 5 from solar power generation component 3; a power cable 6 from power collection and storage skid 10 to the hydrogen generation skid 12; a transfer line 7 from hydrogen storage vessel 11 to pipeline 1 ; a Seebeck collection interface 8; a SCADA and/or other wireless Communication Transmission Point 9; a power collection and storage skid 10; and a hydrogen storage vessel 11 on a hydrogen generation skid 12.

[00040] Fig. 4 illustrates a Seebeck powered sensor station group as well as a Seebeck, solar, and wind powered Hydrogen collection skid. The group may have a Seebeck collection interface 5; a direct sampling line 2 to from sensor package 4 to pipeline 18; a SCADA and/or other wireless Communication Transmission Point 3 communicatively connected to at least the sensor package 4; a sensor package 4 including but not limited to photo, direct sensor, and sniffer packages; a Seebeck collection interface 5; a power line 6 from Seebeck collection interface 5 to power collection and storage skid 7; a power line 8 from power collection and storage skid 7 to sensor package 4; a power line 9 from second Seebeck collection interface 1 to second power collection and storage skid 10; a wind power generation component 11 ; a solar power generation component 12; power cables 13 from power sources (e.g., power collection and storage skid 10, wind power generation component 11 , and solar power generation component 12) to collection and storage skid 10 and to storage skid 10 from hydrogen generation skid 14; a hydrogen generation skid 14; a hydrogen transfer conduit 15 from hydrogen generation skid 14 to hydrogen storage vessel 16; a hydrogen storage vessel 16; [00041] transfer conduit line 17 from hydrogen storage vessel 16 to Pipeline 18; and a pipeline segment 18. It is noted that this is an exemplary schematic to show one possible configuration and the power may be collected and distributed to any combination of one-to- many collection storage skids. It is also noted that conduits may have valves to selectively restrict flow through them and the electrical lines many also be switched to selectively restrict the flow of electricity. It is also noted that there may be multiples of the present components depending on the desired amount of sensing, electricity production or hydrogen production. It is also noted that 02 may also be collected and stored from the hydrogen generation skid 14. The present systems may use the captured energy to generate electricity used to separate water (H2O) into its atomic components of hydrogen (H) and oxygen (02) through processes such as electrolysis.

[00042] Fig. 5 a shows an exemplary Seebeck, wind, geothermal and solar powered hydrogen generation, collection and distribution group as well as a Hydrogen electrical generator and electrical distribution skid for other environments. By way of example only, Fig. 5 illustrates the deployment of the present embodiments in a home, barn or other building 1 . As shown, this embodiment may have Seebeck devices 2; a solar pack unit 3; a wind unit 4; hydrogen production skid and/or electrical storage 5; a hydrogen storage and distribution skid 6; vehicle or tractor powered by hydrogen motor 7; hydrogen fueled electric generator 8; power line 9 from hydrogen fueled electric generator 8 to building 1; power lines 10 from solar pack unit 3 and Seebeck devices 2 to electrical collection and storage skid and/or hydrogen production skid 5; wind power electrical generation component 11; and solar Power Generation Component. [00043] While the embodiments have been described in conjunction with specific embodiments, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, the present embodiments attempt to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Throughout this specification and the drawings and figures associated with this specification, numerical labels of previously shown or discussed features may be reused in another drawing figure to indicate similar features.