Understanding Magnetic Flux Leakage (MFL) Signals from Mechanical Damage in Pipelines

Overview

Fast Facts
Project No.	176
Contract No.	DTPH56-05-T-0001
Research Award Recipient	Electricore, Inc. 27943 Smyth Drive Suite 108 Valencia, CA 91355
AOTR	Joshua Johnson
Researcher Contact Info	Mr. Ben Dudley Ph: (661)607-0286 Fax: (661)607-0264 ben@electricore.org

Technology and Commercialization
Technology Demonstrated	TBD
Commercialized (in whole/part)	TBD
Commercial Partner	Empty Value
Net Improvement	Empty Value

Financial and Status Data
Project Status	Closed
Start Fiscal Year	2005 (04/01/2005)
End Fiscal Year	2012 (12/31/2011)
PHMSA $$ Budgeted	$351,696.00

Main Objective

The Pipeline Safety Research and Development project will provide for understanding, identification, and characterization of the MFL signals arising from the geometric and residual stress components to enhance the reliability of employing MFL tools for mechanical damage detection.

Public Abstract

The project aims to study MFL Signals From Oval Dents. Finite Element Analysis modeling of MFL signals from dents having shapes and sizes that are more characteristic of those found in mechanically damaged pipelines will be reviewed. Investigate MFL Signals From Dents Containing Single Corrosion Pits. This will involve FEA modeling of MFL signals from circular dents containing corrosion pits. Stress FEA modeling will be used to model the dent + corrosion pit stress fields (due to the fact that pits will create stress concentrations around themselves. The resulting stress state and the geometry of the pit + dents will be incorporated into to the magnetic FEA model. Experimental verification will involve creating circular dents in plate samples with our existing circular denting tool, and then electrochemically machining pits into the base. MFL patterns from these defects will be used to experimentally verify the modeling results.