CHENNAI: A four-month-old IIT-Madras incubated start-up, Detect Technologies (DeTect), is already taking giant leaps at both domestic and international arena. It’s product, the Guided Ultrasonic Monitoring of Pipe Systems (Gumps) is being viewed as world’s first high temperature monitoring system based on sensors that will tolerate heat up to 350 degree Celsius and detect leakages besides actually telling the rate of corrosion.
Currently, oil and gas firms preset the clock for shutdowns and change the insulated pipelines every four years (approx) to avoid tragedies following leakages. This is irrespective of pipelines holding on to some life in them. Oil companies have no choice since there is no mechanism to continuously monitor the health of these insulated ferromagnetic pipelines that carry hot crude oil and operate at very high temperatures.
This is where Gumps comes as a major breakthrough for not just only for oil gas industry, but for chemical, nuclear power plants and other industrial customers who process or transport high temperature fluids (>125°C or 260°F) through insulated pipes.
DeTect CEO & Co-founder Daniel David, a fourth year mechanical engineering student at IIT Madras, told Sunday Express that presently available ultrasonic inspection systems will tolerate temperatures up to 100 degree Celsius (max).
“Also, our competitors don’t offer continuous monitoring like Gumps. We can actually sit in IIT Madras campus and monitor the condition of pipeline in Jamnagar refinery belonging to Reliance Industries on real-time basis,” he said.
The high temperature sensors are currently being installed at Reliance’s Jamnagar facility. The company has given Intent of Purchase for 200 sensors. “We will be installing a network of sensors for Reliance. Each sensor will take care of 60 metres of pipeline. Reliance has asked for sensors at critical portions. We will give a user interface for them which enable them to look for potential defects,” David said, adding that the start-up has been approached by other domestic players like Bharat Petroleum and Indian Oil Corporation. “A major foreign petroleum company has also contacted us, but we are yet to arrive at an agreement,” he said.
Karthik R, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the start-up, said only a week back the Chief Controller of Explosives has granted the required license. “We have a couple of tests to be conducted. Once all the R&D works are over, we will go for full market push. However, we need sponsors and are holding talks with few potential investors at this juncture.