The WAVEGuard^® system is the latest and the most advanced leak detection and location system in the industry with exceptional hardware and software capabilities.

The WAVEGuard^® system uses the CompactRIO^® Programmable Automation Controller (PAC) from the National Instruments Corporation for the local processor and the central control processor (FSP units and CC unit, respectively). The CompactRIO^® (or cRIO for short) is one of the most robust hardware platforms in the industry due to the following:

1. It is a rigid industry hardened platform.
2. It is a flexible programmable automation controller (PAC) designed specifically for applications that require high performance and reliability.
3. It is based on an open embedded architecture with hot-swappable industrial I/O modules.
4. It incorporates reconfigurable field-programmable gate array (FPGA) technology, which provides programming ability at the chip level.
5. It is rugged with extended industrial operating temperature and environmental protection.

This hardware platform is mature and used by leading oil and gas companies in the world such as Shell Global Solutions, Petrobras, Halliburton, and others. No other hardware platform in the world comes close to this level of ruggedness and flexibility, and this allows the WAVEGuard^® leak detection system to stand on a solid hardware foundation.

The WAVEGuard^® system uses the LabVIEW^® software environment from the National Instruments Corporation, which is a suite/package of powerful graphical programming tools for industrial applications. The following is a summary of key features of this software environment:

1. LabVIEW^® is a graphical programming environment used by millions of engineers and scientists around the world to develop sophisticated systems for measurement, testing, and control.
2. LabVIEW^® uses graphical icons and wires that resemble a flowchart, allowing for convenient design and modification development process.
3. LabVIEW^® offers unrivaled integration with thousands of hardware devices.
4. The software is cross-platform and can be integrated to other application software (Ex: SQL database).
5. The LabVIEW^® platform is scalable across multiple targets and Real-time Operating Systems (RTOS), and, since its introduction in 1986 it has become an industry leader.

This software platform is mature and rich with built-in libraries and analysis tools. Here again, no other software platform in the world comes close to this level of sophistication and flexibility, and this allows the WAVEGuard^® leak detection system to stand on a solid software foundation.

On top of these outstanding hardware and software platforms, PipeTech develops and runs state-of-the-art application-level software that performs the following tasks in real-time,

1. Filtering of measured signal,
2. Digital signal processing,
3. Feature extraction (of processed pressure signal),
4. Leak detection operation,
5. Leak location determination, and,
6. Event recording.

This software is very unique to our company, and is continuously being developed, refined, and maintained by a strong technical staff in our engineering department in Saudi Arabia.

The WAVEGuard^® system is the most reliable and sensitive leak detection system available in the market today. This system is capable of detecting and locating leak incidents within a few minutes and can reliably be applied to most pipeline applications and scenarios. Performance tests and field data have verified the reliability, accuracy, sensitivity, and robustness of our LDS system.

The WAVEGuard^® system advantages can be summarized as follows:

1. The fastest system in locating leaks, typically within a few minutes from leak incidence.
2. Accurate location of leak position, typically within 2-3% of the protected segment length.
3. Sensitive to small leaks.
4. Time of detection does not depend on size of leak hole.
5. Low false alarm rate.
6. Temporary loss of communication will not stop the function of leak detection (the system supports store-and-forward feature).
7. Works with liquids and gases.
8. Can interface with existing DCS/SCADA systems.
9. Can be configured to automatically shut off valves in case of a leak.
10. Simple to install and easy to test.

These features and the fact that technical expertise and support staff are all local in Saudi Arabia, make the WAVEGuard^® system the obvious choice for operators in the GCC and the entire Middle East market.