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A Liquid–Solid Triboelectric Sensor for Minor and Invisible Leakage Monitoring in Ship Pipelines | IEEE Journals & Magazine | IEEE Xplore

A Liquid–Solid Triboelectric Sensor for Minor and Invisible Leakage Monitoring in Ship Pipelines


Abstract:

Ship pipelines are the most efficient and cost-effective devices for liquid transportation. However, pipeline leakage can pose a threat to ship operation, human safety, a...Show More

Abstract:

Ship pipelines are the most efficient and cost-effective devices for liquid transportation. However, pipeline leakage can pose a threat to ship operation, human safety, and marine environment, especially for minor or invisible leakage with insufficient monitoring. Herein, we propose a triboelectric liquid leakage sensor (TLLS) based on a liquid–solid triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG), aiming at detecting, locating, and identifying the invisible and minor leakage of the ship pipelines in real time. The proposed device mainly consists of a steel electrode and SiO2/PTFE coating. When the coating contacts and separates from the leakage droplets, it generates electric signals that reflect the information of the droplets, such as their angle, temperature, height, volume, and type. The coating also has self-cleaning, superhydrophobic, and wear-resistant properties, making it suitable for environments with vibration, high temperature, and humidity. In addition, the coating exhibits the potential to integrate with the prevailing ship steel structures, thereby enabling the formation of extensive sensor arrays for detecting leakages. From the experimental data analysis, the TLLS can obtain accurate information of minor or invisible leakage droplets. Moreover, an intelligence identification system based on the TLLS arrays and a lightweight artificial neural network (ANN) is successfully developed. To highlight the stability and scalability of the developed system, real-time liquid droplet detection and identification are performed, showing great potential for ship pipeline monitoring and providing an intelligent method for modern ship management.
Published in: IEEE Sensors Journal ( Volume: 24, Issue: 3, 01 February 2024)
Page(s): 3944 - 3951
Date of Publication: 22 December 2023

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I. Introduction

The ship pipelines are the significant components of the ship in the use of liquids transportation [1], ensuring the stability of the voyage and meeting the needs of the crew and passengers [2]. However, pipeline leakage can pose a threat to ship operation, human safety, and marine environment [3]. It can be typically caused by vibration, high temperature, corrosion, or sabotage [4], [5]. Manual inspection is the most common method for detecting pipeline leakage. It has high accuracy for larger leakage locations but is limited by the responsibility and experience of the inspector. Several leakage detection technologies have been developed based on different types of sensors [6], such as acoustic [7], infrared [8], fiber optic [9], and ultrasonic flow sensors [10]. These sensors rely on pressure, temperature, density, flow rate, or sonic velocity to detect and locate pipeline leakage. However, they have low sensitivity to minor or invisible leakage that can affect the performance and safety of pipelines [11], [12]. For example, traditional ultrasonic pipeline inspection has limitations [13] in application due to wave propagation attenuation, especially in complex fluids and high-pressure pipelines [14]. Furthermore, fiber optic sensors face challenges related to complex installation, costly and intricate replacement, and vulnerability to noise [15] and variations in light transmission, posing difficulties in detecting subtle or concealed leaks [16]. Therefore, designing an effective sensor for detecting minor or invisible leakage in ship pipelines is still a challenge.

References

References is not available for this document.