Speed Control of Pipeline Pig Using the QFT Method Contrôle de la vitesse d’un racleur grâce à la méthode de synthèse QFT

Abstract

To provide an efficient inspection of pipeline, pigging operations must be executed at a constant speed. This paper presents an efficient and simple method based on Quantitative Feedback Theory (QFT), which is a well-known robust controller scheme, for speed control of a pig with bypass flow in a liquid pipeline. This classical-type controller commands the valve installed in the body of the pig to open or close. Then, the pig is controlled using the amount of bypass flow across its body. For this purpose, the nonlinear dynamic equation of motion of the pig is converted to a family of linear uncertain equivalent plants using Sobhani-Rafeeyan’s method (SR method). Then, for this family of uncertain equivalent plants, a QFT-type controller is synthesized. The presented method is developed for two-dimensional pipelines in two cases. The designed controllers are simulated numerically using the Simulink toolbox of the MATLAB software. The simulation results show that the designed controller can be used for speed control of the pig with good performance when it runs in the liquid pipelines.