A new and innovative software tool can go on to help in a significant reduction when it comes to the time it takes to come up with energy models in the case of oil and gas platforms as well as pipeline repairs.
Scientists from the University of Aberdeen have gone on to work on this tech with GDi Ltd., which happens to be a digital asset management solutions provider.
It is called the Advanced Modeller, and it helps in automating the process of turning the laser scans of pipelines as well as platforms into precise and detailed engineering models that can be used for planning repairs, modifications, as well as maintenance.
The university went on to explain that the present processes see engineers using laser scans that have it in them point cloud, which is a large cluster of small individual points that happen to be plotted in 3D space, and also HD photography so as to come up with and also update the 3D models, which are necessary in case of planning any changes to platforms or for building new parts of the pipeline.
That said, this process is put forth as labor-intensive, especially when it comes to precision modelling, and it can go on to take hours to get a single pipeline fitted into the point cloud, as per the learning institute.
Notably, Advanced Modeller goes on to simplify this process by letting operators click along the pipeline and go on to get the precision-fitted pipe immediately, turning a process that at present takes hours into just a few minutes.
The technology happens to be powered by algorithms that are developed by scientists at the school of engineering working with GDi as part of a knowledge transfer partnership, thereby leading to the software launch.
At the University of Aberdeen, Dr. Marcus Campbell-Bannerman opines that the oil and gas industry happens to face a prominent challenge due to an infrastructure that’s ageing, oil prices that are volatile, regulatory pressures, and a move towards renewable energies.
It is indeed important that tech step changes get introduced so as to help the operators lessen their maintenance as well as operations budgets and carry on functions in a cost-effective way. The decommissioning cost is also largely borne by the taxpayer, so they have to figure out ways to plan the modifications better for the assets that are ageing in order to make sure that the burden is reduced.
These point cloud data sets go on to offer a huge option for applying AI tech to automate the inspection, planning modifications, and maintenance.
The advanced modeller development offers this potential in a way that could go on to offer huge savings for a sector that’s prone to a rapidly changing energy spectrum.
The GDi MD, Gianni Brooke, further to this said that Advanced Modeller got released for external trials at the start of 2023 as one of the plugins for AutoCAD as well as AutoCAD Plant 3D, and they have indeed come a long way where very promising results as well as feedback have been used to enhance the software further. He further said that although they have started automating the process in terms of pipeline repair and also its modification, the software comes with the potential to redefine the entire design process, and they shall use it across all their plans pertaining to future modelling automation.