Niger State: University Professor invents pipeline monitoring system

A Professor at the Federal University of Technology Minna in Niger State North Central Nigeria, Oluwafemi Ayodeji  Olugboji has invented a system capable of monitoring pipeline vandalization across the country.

Professor Olugboji of the Mechanical Engineering Department of the University during the inaugural lecture series stated that the pipeline monitoring devise when fixed would be able to locate and characterise an event that happened along the pipeline in real time.

According to him, the monitoring device can instantly alert a danger such as an explosion or drilling of the pipeline, natural leak or corrosion or any related issue capable of causing harm to the environment.

” Pipeline can be damaged  either through natural forms such as corrosion, earthquake or activities of heavy-duty equipment passing through or third party activities such as vandalization, use of explosives,  drilling device, or  cutting device etc”

Professor Olugboj added that the monitoring system when fixed to a pipeline is designed to detect on time any damage or any impact on the pipeline, to adequately address any possible hazard.

“I’m hundred percent optimistic the devised we developed can actually be mounted on the Gas pipeline from any location to be monitored by the authorities concerned.

“We made use of 2 different techniques   in creating the device, digital filtering used for decomposition filter and linear filter for the detection of signals,

Then the revers technique or the inverse method used for giving a precise location in real time based on the information available whenever there’s a strike or any attack or damage   on the pipeline,it works back ward to give out information in real time

 “This technique is applicable not only on Gas or petroleum pipelines,  but in places where you monitored systems that have to do with communicating from one end to another end like the rail transportation “.

Professor Olugboji who further mentioned that the device can also  be used for tracking potential dangers on railways lines says  “The recent Abuja- Kaduna railway attacked could have been avoided if the said technique was applied, as the device could have alerted to operations department  of a danger ahead”.

The Universities Don who pointed out inadequate funding as a major challenge confronting researches in the country mentioned that the invention of the pipeline vandals detector and other successful researches by many in the country are laying down in workshops and departments for lack of supports for various organizations.

” I have written various proposals to various parastatals of petroleum industry, and most times even when you make it to the interview stages  all you hear “is this is a viable and  good project we’llget back to you and nobody gets back to you”.

While calling on the government in Nigeria for efficient monitoring of research funding to individuals or institutes Professor Olagboji urged the government to support people that are Industrious in bringing out their vision into reality.

PIAK