Long-Range Guided-Wave Ultrasonics: A New Age in Pipeline Inspection

This technology can measure significant lengths of pipe from a single point to rapidly locate areas of corrosion
BY STEPHEN BIRCH AND FLOYD BAKER
he integrity of pipelines is a natural concern for pipeline operators, and so the ability to detect corrosion, erosion, and mechanical damage in pipes is of significant interest. Traditional methods of detection, such as pigging and crawlers, have been used to inspect pipelines with great success for many years. Particular benefits of these methods include their ability to inspect long lengths of pipe in a short period of time and to inspect pipes that are otherwise inaccessible (buried, placed on the seabed, or encased in protective coatings). The fact that the pipes dont actually have to be emptied for inspection is a further advantage. However, these techniques do have limitations. For example, the use of pigs requires entry Fig. 2 Teletest Mk 1 system. and exit points, and pipe bends and steep gradients can prevent the pig from passing through the pipe. As a result, pigs cannot inspect a significant How Does LRUT Work? proportion (suggested to be as high as 75%) of all pipelines. In situations where pipelines are in Fig. 1 Pipelines in refineries are In LRUT, a pulsed guided ultrasonic close proximity to one another, the use of exter- often situated close together, making wave mode is propagated in a pipe wall inspection with external crawlers nal crawlers along the entire length of the from a ring of equally spaced ultrasound pipeline becomes impractical Fig. 1. impractical. probes supported by a collar wrapped Therefore, alternative solutions need to be conaround the pipe. The ultrasonic waves sidered for difficult-to-inspect pipelines. are reflected by features such as flanges, circumferential welds, One such alternative is long-range ultrasonic testing (LRUT), branches, and defects in the wall, and the reflected echoes are arguably one of the most significant developments in nondereceived by the transmitting probes. Therefore, all features in structive testing to have taken place over the last two decades. the entire run of pipe are detected during the same scan, proThis method was first introduced as a commercial technique vided the response is large enough to produce an echo ampliwhen Plant Integrity Ltd. (Pi Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of tude above the random noise level. TWI Ltd.) launched Teletest in 1997 Fig. 2. Since its introducThe success of the technique stems from the fact that lowtion, the system has been through a number of development frequency guided waves can be transmitted a long range in programs to become a highly versatile inspection tool. pipes. This is because of the following: Absorption of the waves in the pipe material is low due to the What Does LRUT Detect? low frequencies. For pipes in air, leakage of waves out of the pipe is very low Long-range ultrasonic testing is a global monitoring technolbecause of the high acoustic impedance mismatch at the ogy for the detection and analysis of metal loss features, such as solid-air boundaries. Therefore, all the energy propagates corrosion and erosion, in pipes. It is capable of measuring sigdown the pipe with little attenuation of the energy density nificant lengths of pipe (typically 60 m, but up to 350 m) from a (wave amplitude). single point, detecting and locating areas of corrosion rapidly. A wave mode with low dispersion (frequency dependence of The technique is capable of detecting 9% metal loss flaws. Once these flaws have been located, conventional inspection techphase velocity) can be selected so that the rate at which the niques are deployed to characterize the defects. wave pulse spreads out in time is small.

STEPHEN BIRCH is LRUT technical officer and FLOYD BAKER (floyd.baker@twinorthamerica.com) is vice president, TWI North America, LLC, Houston, Tex. FALL 2007 13

Fig. 4 LRUT equipment: A Multimode modules; B inflatable collar with rapid clamping mechanism; C a complete system. Fig. 3 Comparison between conventional and LRUT inspection of pipe. A Conventional techniques inspect a few square centimeters under the device; B LRUT inspects tens of meters in each direction. The pipe acts as a waveguide, an effect that can be demonstrated at audible frequencies by someone whispering from one end down a long-length pipe to be heard at the other. With this combination of conditions, the wave amplitude incident on a defect decreases only slowly with wave propagation range and, correspondingly, the minimum detectable defect increases only slowly with propagation range. Since these waves can propagate for some considerable distances within pipes, the technique can be used to inspect significant lengths of pipe from a single point. This is advantageous in a number of specific situations: 1. Inspection of coated pipe. By exposing a small area around the circumference of the pipe on which to fit the transducers, it is possible to inspect coated or insulated pipe without stripping the coating from the entire pipe length. 2. Inspecting elevated pipe. Placing a ring of transducers around an elevated pipe and using LRUT to inspect lengths of pipe removes the need to construct extensive scaffolding along the pipe to perform a full inspection. It also reduces the risk to personnel of extended periods of working at height. 3. Inspecting buried pipe. In some instances, overground pipelines intersect roads. Here, the roads are built up over the top of the pipe, and the pipe is therefore buried. LRUT inspection techniques can inspect the entire length of the pipe situated under the road without the need for excavation. The benefit of the long-range nature of the LRUT signal is illustrated in Fig. 3. Teletest has been designed as a modular system Fig. 4. Tools are built up using the appropriate number of modules (for example, 36 for testing 12-in. pipe). Each module has five individual transducer elements as shown in Fig. 4. Three are oriented parallel to the pipes axis to generate longitudinal waves, and two are oriented circumferentially to generate torsional waves. This gives multimode capability, which is an important feature because for some pipes and flaw types longitudinal testing is most sensitive, whereas, in other situations, torsional testing is more satisfactory. The modules are forced into contact with the pipe by means of a lightweight inflatable collar. Figure 4 also shows a collar that has been populated with multimode modules. The collar is assembled around the pipe by a rapid clamping mechanism. Modules can be quickly removed from the collars and refixed in another collar for use on a different pipe diameter. Unlike conventional UT, a liquid couplant between transducer and pipe surface is not applied. There merely needs to be sufficient, evenly distributed pressure of the transducer on the test surface. A typical display from an LRUT A-scan (signal amplitude vs. distance from the transducer ring) is shown in Fig. 5. Distance amplitude correction (DAC) curves are plotted on the display. These are based on the decaying signals from subsequent girth welds. From experience, it is known that the reflection from a girth weld with normal cap and root profile is 14 dB (a factor of 5) less intense than the reflection from the pipe end (i.e., total reflection). This is the blue line plotted on the display shown in Fig. 5. Furthermore, experience also shows that an area of thinning that has resulted in a loss of cross-sectional area of 9% in the pipe wall will produce a signal that is a further 12 dB less intense than the signal from the girth weld. This 26-dB level is used as a threshold for evaluating signals and is plotted as the green line in the A scan. A recent development in LRUT technology now allows the ultrasonic waves to be focused around the circumference of the pipe. At the core of this new system is the new 24-channel Teletest Focus multimode flaw detector. A major advance on the existing 12-channel unit, it operates in the same way but with 24 channels and 50% more power, and offers the potential for greater inspection distance and resolution. The equipment can generate any of the three main wave types used in guided wave technology: longitudinal, torsional, and flexural. It has been designed to be used as a phased array. This makes it possible to focus ultrasound at any point both along and around the pipe, thus improving flaw detection capability. It also means that it is possible to determine the approximate circumferential extent of any flaw that has been identified using the equipment in its original screening mode. The modules in this LRUT tool are grouped in octants around the tools perimeter. The unit triggers the octants separately so that the tool acts as a phased array. Furthermore, the power to each octant can be adjusted to compensate for any variation in coupling. The phasing of the firing of the transducer modules enables ultrasound to be focused at a predetermined position both along and around the pipe. Thus, when a normal

14 INSPECTION TRENDS

Fig. 5 LRUT A-scan display, showing the distance amplitude correction curve (blue) and the 9% wall thinning threshold curve (green). A B

Fig. 6 Teletest Focus scan at 225 deg.

Fig. 7 Some examples of LRUT applications: A Road crossing on the North Slope in Alaska; B bayou crossing; C Ahia manifold.

screening test has identified the longitudinal position of a flaw that might normally be deemed marginal, ultrasound can be focused at the position and the focal point can then be swung around the pipe in eight steps. This means it is possible to determine both the circumferential position and the circumferential extent of a flaw. The display from a Teletest Focus scan is shown in Fig. 6. The display shows an A-scan (left-hand window) showing the condition of the pipe, with the highlighted area indicating where the ultrasound is focused in terms of distance along the pipe. In this case, the focal point is at a longitudinal position of 15.42 m and at an angle of 225 deg from top dead center. The polygon plotted inside the polar plot, on the bottom right-hand side of the screen, shows the amplitude of each octant relative to all of the others. The maximum amplitude is displayed as contact between the gray polygon and the black circle. The red dot on the outside of the black circle indicates the circumferential position of the A-scan being displayed in the main window.

Capabilities of Some LRUT Tools

General. The technology was developed to screen pipe work for metal loss features such as corrosion and erosion. Originally developed for the inspection of corrosion under insulation in petrochemical plant pipe work, the technology is equally suited for application to pipelines including road crossings, bridge piers, and poorly accessed pipe work generally. LRUT is particularly suited to pipeline monitoring operations, allowing the pipe condition to be checked on a periodic

basis without the need to access the entire length of pipe (remove significant lengths of insulation, excavate roads, etc.). As mentioned previously, the field reporting threshold is area metal loss equivalent to 9% of the pipe wall cross section. However, features of between 3 and 9% cross section are commonly found. The technology will provide information on the metal loss feature in terms of the distance from the transducer (or agreed datum), location around the circumference of the pipe (by octant), and severity in terms of both signal amplitude and circumferential extent. Conventional LRUT cannot distinguish between a wide shallow flaw and a deep axial narrow flaw of similar cross-sectional area, but the introduction of focusing capabilities, as mentioned earlier, makes this distinction possible. Pipe Diameters. The modular nature of the equipment means that the tooling can be configured to inspect pipe diameters (ANSI/ASME nominal bore) from 1.5 to 48 in. Access and Setup. When inspecting pipes using LRUT, it is necessary to expose 0.5 m of bare pipe in order to mount the transducer ring. The location of this ring would ideally be at least 1 m from the nearest girth weld. The transducer ring has been designed so that it only needs 65 mm (or less in some instances) of clearance between adjacent pipes. Due to its rapid clamping mechanism, an assembled collar can be mounted on a pipe in less than a minute. The inspection is carried out under control of a rugged laptop PC. Since the umbilical between the unit and laptop can be up to 100 m long, the data can be analyzed in the comfort of a

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Fig. 9 Cut out of pipe showing severe corrosion.

Fig. 8 A-scan of corrosion near the weld.

Fig. 10 Example of weld-pack corrosion. portable office, a truck for example. Pipe Configurations. This technology is ideally suited for inspection of straight sections of pipe, where inspection of tens of meters in either direction can be achieved. Testing around large radius swept or pulled bends generally causes no problems, but testing around elbows can result in mode conversion of the guided ultrasound wave and thus reduced testing capabilities. Pipe Situations. LRUT has been successfully used to inspect pipes with surface temperatures up to 125C (257F). It is possible to transmit the signal along pipes that are immersed in water, with good results. Figure 7 shows a few of the many situations for which LRUT has been used. As for the pipe contents, it has been found that as the viscosity of the pipe contents increases, the range of the inspection decreases due to loss of ultrasound energy. The presence of heavy deposits in the pipe can also reduce the range of inspection. The condition of the pipe itself can affect the efficacy of the inspection. Areas of corrosion on the pipe wall act as reflectors to the signal, each in turn reducing the intensity of the ultrasound traveling beyond it. On pipe work exhibiting general heavy corrosion, ultrasound will be reflected from all the corrosion, effectively reducing the inspection range. However, it must be remembered that this in itself is a result and the corrosion would be reported accordingly. Heavy corrosion at the location where the transducer ring is placed can be particularly detrimental to successful inspection since it prevents the formation of a symmetrical wave. It is therefore important for test areas to be examined with a scan from a

Fig. 11 Anomaly at weld pack position. conventional ultrasonic probe beforehand. External Coatings. As reported earlier, one of the benefits of using LRUT is that it is only necessary to remove a short length of pipe coating to achieve successful inspection of a pipeline. However, there are some situations where the coatings themselves can affect the inspections. Mineral wool insulation presents no difficulties. Bonded foam polyurethane insulation leads to a loss of ultrasound, but this merely results in a reduced inspection range. Some limited success has been achieved in testing pipe passing through concrete walls and pipe encased in lightweight fireproofing cement. However, concrete attenuates ultrasound rapidly and may prevent, or severely limit, the effectiveness of LRUT. Bitumastic coatings currently inhibit the effective operation of LRUT, except where they have dried to a hard finish. Some types of heavy adherent wrapping (Denzo wrap) can result in excessive loss of ultrasound. Newly applied material causes the most problems. Testing has been successful on pipe where the tape has dried out and is no longer well adhered to the pipe surface. Testing of this type can be on a trial basis only. Test Range. During standard LRUT inspections, pipes are interrogated first in one direction and then in the other from the one transducer location. Typically, ranges of 30 m in each direction are achieved. Under ideal conditions, a range of 180 m in each direction has been achieved. As you can see, a variety of factors can affect the range of the inspection. Table 1 summarizes the factors affecting performance, principally the test range over which adequate signal-to-

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Table 1 Factors Affecting Performance

Degree of difficulty Easy

Surface condition Bare metal Smooth well bonded paint Mineral wool insulation Fusion bonded epoxy

Geometry Straight lengths Infrequent swept/ pulled bends Attachments/brackets

Contents Gas

Low-viscosity liquid

Difficult

Light pitting Heavy pitting Plastic coating Buried lines Bitumastic coating Concrete coating

High-viscosity liquid Branches Waxy or sludgey deposits Many bends

Table 2 Estimated Costs as a Ratio to the Costs of an LRUT Inspection for 1 m of 12-in.-diameter Pipe No access problem Buried in road crossing Buried and insulated Elevated and insulated 5.2 5.5 10.7 5.2 5.8 9.3 1

Insulated

Buried

Elevated

Visual Manual UT Mechanized UT Profile radiography Pulsed eddy current Magnetic flux leakage LRUT

0.5 0.9 7.2 4.7 5.5 5.5 1

4.7 5.1 11.4 4.7 5.5 10.2 1

7.8 8.2 13. 11.1 11.7 12.1 1

13.0 13.1 17.9 16.0 16.4 16.6 1

10.3 10.6 15.1 10.3 10.9 13.9 1

1.8 22. 7.9 5.6 6.4 6.4 1

noise separation is achieved. As the degree of difficulty of guided wave propagation increases, so the test range decreases and noise increases.

Productivity
Test rates of up to 1 km per day have been achieved, although as with conventional NDE, the rate of inspection depends largely on the condition on the pipe being inspected.

Cost Comparison
The fact that LRUT can inspect a significant length of pipe from a single location, in conjunction with the techniques ability to be deployed in situations that prove difficult for alternative inspection methods, represents a significant opportunity for cost savings over these alternatives. A leading provider of LRUT services has generated some estimates on the relative costs of using different testing methods to inspect comparable pipes in different situations (Table 2). A number of factors were taken into account when arriving at these estimates, including excavation and replacement of roadways, removal and reinstatement of coatings, and use of scaffolding to access elevated pipes. For the purpose of this estimation, it was assumed the inspections provided 100% coverage in all cases except for manual UT, for which spot checking was assumed. It should be noted that the cost estimates were based on activities in the UK, but these should apply to any economically developed country.

Demonstrating the Capabilities of LRUT

Following are two examples of situations in which the ser-

vice company has utilized the LRUT technology. Jay oil field, Alabama/Florida. Teletest was being used to inspect a high-pressure water injection line buried in and around the main Jay facility. The pipe was buried in a light sandy soil and wrapped in plastic. The test results were acted upon immediately. The position of any anomaly on the A-scan was measured and paced out from the LRUT tool placed on exposed pipe in a bell hole. One such indication is shown in Fig. 8. The anomaly, indicated by the (+) in the figure just beyond the weld, approaches the moderate threshold level, the blue DAC curve. A bell hole was dug down to the pipe at the indicated position, where corrosion was revealed. It was decided to cut out the corroded section of pipe Fig. 9. This confirmed the presence of severe corrosion at the position indicated, just beyond the weld. North Slope oil field, Alaska. Before this major survey of road crossings in the oil fields at Kuparuk and Prudhoe Bay, the LRUT system had to pass field trials to detect examples of weldpack corrosion. Figure 10 shows an example of this corrosion. The corresponding A-scan is shown in Fig. 11. It has been magnified, a useful feature of the software, to view the signal just in front of the weld. The corrosion gives rise to a moderate anomaly, about 750 mm in front of the signal from the weld. The signal in the anomaly indicated by a peak in the red line indicating a horizontal flexural response due to the corrosion being concentrated near the three or nine oclock positions. In addition, Pi Ltd. has provided support to service inspection companies in the pipeline sector with the Teletest system since the late 1990s. During this time, it has gained vast experience of the growing potential of the long-range ultrasound technique, particularly in the Alaska, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, east and southeast Asia, and Middle Eastern oilfields.

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