The Colonial Pipeline, which carries fuel from Texas to New York, ruptured last fall, dumping a quarter-million gallon of gas in rural Alabama. By the time the leak was detected during routine inspection, vapors from released gasoline were so strong they prevented pipeline repair for days. Now, scientists are developing technology that would alert pipeline managers about leaks as soon as failure begins, avoiding the environmental disasters and fuel distribution disruptions resulting from pipeline leaks.
The researchers are presenting their work today at the 255th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS). ACS, the world’s largest scientific society, is holding the meeting here through Thursday. It features more than 13,000 presentations on a wide range of science topics.
“The advantage with our sensor is that it can detect very small leaks, and operators can take quick action to repair them,” says Veera Gnaneswar Gude, Ph.D., leader of the project. “We no longer have to wait until the leak is out of hand. Plus, if we are able to develop this system on a larger scale, the same unit would be able to treat the waste and to remediate the soil and water that has been contaminated.”
Read more at American Chemical Society
A press conference on this topic will be held Monday, March 19, at 11 a.m. Central time in the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Reporters may check-in at the press center, Great Hall B, or watch live on YouTube http://bit.ly/ACSLive_NOLA. To ask questions online, sign in with a Google account.