TRANSMISSION PIPELINE INSPECTION.

When addressing an industry concern, it is essential to investigate all the technology options and to thoroughly test the most viable alternatives. To advance the science of pipe inspection we're looking at several in-line inspection technologies, each with a particular benefit regarding accuracy, speed or the ability to inspect lines that can't be inspected with traditional in-line inspection equipment.

Currently three technologies for applications with in-line inspection devices to detect pipe corrosion, crack and other defects:

--> Ultrasonic Inspection. Research is being conducted to develop gas-coupled ultrasonic as a very accurate method for measuring the extent and depth of corrosion and remaining wall thickness. In addition, effort are being made to adapt the depths of cracks and depth and extend of crack colonies.

--> Electro-magnetic Acoustic Trans-ducers. A method for measuring stresses on buried metal pipe through the development of a stress-measurement sensor that could be mounted on a robot, manually pushed inside the pipe or used on the outside of the pipe. Electro-Magnetic Acoustic Transducer (EMAT) technology is being developed to generate and detect sound waves. This approach minimizes complication caused by severe corrosion and pitting on the pipe wall.

Article: Electronics Drives Automation Of Critical Gas Operation
Source form: Pipeline& Gas Journal