Non-destructive Toughness Measurement

Overview

Main Objective

The project will develop a comprehensive database of mechanical characteristics of close to one hundred pipelines steels available to the project. The data will include instrumented Charpy v-notch dynamic toughness test data for the steels where the full S-curve will be developed for steels conditioned in air, methane, and methane/hydrogen blends. This database will be made available to the providers of non-destructive evaluation testing and is based toughness predictions to refine the prediction models.

Public Abstract

Project Description: The proposed project will evaluate several available non-destructive methods for estimating pipeline toughness. These techniques include surface indentation and correlations from inline inspection (ILI) data.

Anticipated Results: The project will develop a comprehensive database of mechanical characteristics of close to one hundred pipelines steels available to the project. The data will include instrumented Charpy v-notch dynamic toughness (Charpy) test data for the steels where the full S-curve will be developed for steels conditioned in air, methane, and methane/hydrogen blends. This database will be made available to the providers of non-destructive evaluation (NDE) testing and is based toughness predictions to refine the prediction models. In addition to this material properties database, the project will deliver a comprehensive evaluation of potential technologies based on a literature review, as well as an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the indentation techniques evaluated in the laboratory and the field (in the ditch). The project will also deliver the operational tasks necessary to implement the technologies evaluated in pipeline operations.

Potential Impact on Safety: More accurate prediction of pipeline steel toughness will enhance fitness for service (FFS) assessments of steel pipelines. This increased prediction accuracy will also enhance pipeline safety through more accurate determination of the limit of the state of the pipeline, given a defect known to exist in the pipelines.

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