Title: Geospatial informatics applications for assessment of pipeline safety and security

Authors: William Roper

Addresses: Department of Civil, Environmental and Infrastructure Engineering, School of Information Technology and Engineering, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Mail Stop 4A6, Fairfax, VA 22309, USA

Abstract: A variety of advanced technologies are available to enhance planning, designing, managing, operating and maintaining the components of the electric utility system. Aerial and satellite remote sensing represents one area of rapid development that can be leveraged to address some of these challenges. Airborne remote sensing can be an effective technology to assist pipeline risk management to assure safety in design, construction, operation, maintenance, and emergency response of pipeline facilities. Industrial and scientific advances in airborne and satellite remote sensing systems and data processing techniques are opening new technological opportunities for developing an increased capability of accomplishing the pipeline mapping and safety needs of the industry. These technologies have significant and unique potential for application to a number of cross cutting energy system security issues. This paper addresses some of the applications of these technologies to pipeline and power industry infrastructure, economics and relative effectiveness of these technologies and issues related to technology implementation and diffusion.

Keywords: remote sensing; satellite imagery; pipeline monitoring; LIDAR; radar; spectral imagery; thermal infrared; SHOALS; digital elevation models; pan-sharpened imagery; GIS; GPS; pipeline mapping; safety; geospatial informatics; energy system security; electric utility systems; power industry; risk reduction; pipeline industry; pipeline transportation; energy resources.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTTC.2005.006375

International Journal of Technology Transfer and Commercialisation, 2005 Vol.4 No.3, pp.401 - 420

Published online: 25 Feb 2005 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article