The variety of experience and knowledge of my readers never ceases to amaze me. Do pipelines have stop-loss valves?
A->B->C
Idiots blow up pipeline at B.
If I designed pipelines, I would have sensors at A and C to detect sudden losses of pressure and close the pipeline at A and C, both to prevent loss of valuable merchandise and pollution from the hole at B. Also, for underwater pipelines, this reduces water pressure on sections that would now depressurize and be collapsed by the water pressure.
There's no way they don't, but I don't know how frequently. Back in the 1980's I programmed embedded systems to automate the check valves on pipelines in the middle of America. The reasonably assumption is that all of the check valves on modern pipelines are automated.
ReplyDeleteBased on the amount of gas released I would guess that there aren't many, if any, check valves out away from the shores.