High Resolution Electromagnetic Imaging and Decision Support for Pipeline Life Management Delivery

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• Non-destructive Testing/Evaluation
• Remote Sensing
• Fracture Analysis

Main Objective

Upon successful completion this project could result in developing an effective application of scanning Meandering Winding Magnetometer (MWM) sensor and Interdigitated Electrode Dielectrometer (IDED) arrays for rapid, in-situ imaging and assessment of several conditions of interest for pipeline life management. The scanning arrays will provide rapid detection and imaging of Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) in metallic pipelines and improved manufacturing quality control and in-situ condition assessment of coatings. Integration of these capabilities in a life management framework will provide pipeline owners/operators with new tools to reduce life cycle costs and improve safety margins.

Public Abstract

This project relates to the application of electromagnetic imaging of pipelines and coatings for damage detection, condition assessment and enhanced decision support and life management. JENTEK's inductive Meandering Winding Magnetometer (MWM) sensor and MWM-Arrays have demonstrated sensitivity and resolution capability superior to conventional nondestructive examination technology in a number of applications, such as detection of isolated fatigue cracks and crack clusters in fretting regions of jet engine components. Recent preliminary MWM-Array scans of steel pipeline samples have produced high resolution images of a stress corrosion cracking (SCC) colony, including capability to resolve individual cracks within the colony, through a simulated coating. This program will adapt MWMW-Arrays and calibration and measurement procedures for rapid scanning of metallic pipelines for detection and imaging of SCC. JENTEK's Interdigitaled Electrode Dielectrometer (IDED), the capacitive analog to the MWMW, has been used for characterization of non-metallic materials and coatings. This program will also evaluate capability of IDED sensors and arrays to perform pipeline coating characterization, including fingerprinting and quality control.

Final Report

DOTFinal Report 070531 final

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