Digital Imaging of Pipeline Mechanical Damage and Residual Stress

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Main Objective

This project addresses the need for a more reliable means of characterizing pipeline mechanical damage through application of digital eddy current imaging. JENTEK's patented Meandering Winding Magnetometer (MWM) arrays have demonstrated capability to use lift-off measurements to profile the surface of a dented area, while MWM-Array measured magnetic permeability can be correlated with residual stresses around and within the mechanical damage site.

Successful completion of this program will result in enhanced remaining life prediction capability for pipelines suffering mechanical damage and a reliable decision support tool for pipeline owners and operators. This will enable operators to avoid overly conservative decisions while enhancing pipeline safety.

Public Abstract

While mechanical damage to pipelines is a common occurrence, the impact of mechanical damage on
pipeline remaining life is not easily determined. The mechanical damage features, such as residual
stresses and stress concentrations, will determine the effect of the damage on pipeline remaining life.
Empirical relationships between damage features and burst pressure have been developed and
adopted into national and international standards, but they are conservative to encompass the scatter
in the data.
Mechanical damage characterization and assessment have been highlighted as a critical need by
PHMSA, PRCI and at public forums. Yet no "low-cost, time-efficient, reliable and simple to use"
solution is available. We will deliver such a low cost, easy to use solution in the form of both a hand held version and a portable version, based on our award winning MWM-Array technology.