Protecting National Asset.; Don invents pipeline monitoring Device.
Yahaya Zakka Minna
An Engieering Professor with the Federal University of Technology Minna in Niger State, has invented a system capable of monitoring pipeline vandalization across the country.
The Professor Oluwafemi Ayodeji Olugboji of the mechanical engineering department of FUT minna during the inaugural lecture series 95 of the University,stated that the pipeline monitoring devise when fixed can locate and characterise an event that happened along the pipeline in real time.
According to the Engineering Professor, the monitoring devise can instantly alert a danger such as an explosion or drilling of the pipeline, natural leak or corrosion or any related issue capable of causing harm to the environment.
” Pipeline can be damaged either through natural form such as corrosion, earthquake or activities of heavy duty equipment passing through or third party activities such as vandalization, use of explosive, drilling device or cutting device etc”,he added.
Professor Olugboj stated that the monitoring system when fixed to a pipeline can detect any damage or any impact on the pipeline,so that it can be addressed before any possible hazard.
“I’m hundred percent optimistic that the devised developed can be mounted on the Gas pipeline from any location to be monitored by the concerned authorities”.
According to him”We made use of two different techniques in creating the device, digital filtering used for decomposition and linear filter for the detection of signals,
Then the revers technique or the inverse method used for giving a precise location in real time based on the information available when ever there’s a strike or any attack or damage on the pipeline ,it works back ward to give out information in real time”.
” This techniques is applicable not only on Gas or petroleum pipelines, but in places where you monitored systems that have to do with communication from one end to another end like the rail transportation “.
Professor Olugboji further mentioned that the device can also be used for tracking of potentials dangers on railways lines says “The recent Abuja- Kaduna railway attacked could have been avoided if the said technique was applied,as the devise could have alerted the operations department of a danger ahead”.
The Universities Don pointed out that inadequate funding as a major challenge confronting researches in the country, adding that invention of the pipeline vandals detector and other successful researches by many Universities in the country are laying down in workshops and departments for lack of financial supports.
He then called on the Federal government for efficient monitoring of research funding to individuals or instiitutes to make sure it get to the end user,he however urged the Federal government on the need to always support people that are Industrious in bringing out their vision into reality.
