A distributed fibre optic approach for providing early warning of Corrosion Under Insulation (CUI)

A novel fully distributed fibre optic humidity sensor technology suitable for spatially continuous monitoring of water ingress under pipeline insulation is reported. Results from controlled water ingress tests are presented, where the fibre cables were mounted on pipes insulated with air gap cell glass and aerogel insulation. The experiments revealed that the fibre optic sensor responded to water ingress equivalent to <10 ml/metre pipe, under air gap cell glass insulation. The fibre optic measurements were validated by comparison with conventional calibrated point humidity sensors. A compensation methodology using a reference optical fibre was used to effectively reduce the effect of temperature variations on the measurements. The ability of the sensor to monitor the spatial evolution of water ingress with cm scale resolution was demonstrated, as was the feasibility to make accurate water ingress measurement over 2 km fibre lengths. The technology could be used to assist targeted inspection campaigns aimed at minimizing the risk of Corrosion Under Insulation (CUI).