Decision support system for assessing the benefits of incorporating swabbing facilities into water pipelines

Abstract

[Abstract]: This project has examined the benefits of pigging pipelines and incorporated any findings into creating a decision support system to assist decisions in including swabbing facilities at the design stage of pipelines, on a case by case scenario. A literature review has been conducted in order to assess the current knowledge of the benefits of pigging a pipeline. Anecdotal evidence has been gathered from various, experienced pipeline operators which has been based on the intimate knowledge of particular pipelines. These pipelines were selected on the basis that some do get pigged regularly and some rarely get pigged, if at all. Pipeline data, including flow rates and power usage before and after pigging was collected on some pipelines to measure the effects of pigging. Results were analysed in Microsoft Excel. The research showed that pigging does have a financial benefit if biomass growth on the internal pipeline wall was significant enough. However, the reasoning for some pipelines to rarely be pigged needed clarification for inclusion in a decision support system which is detailed in this dissertation.