Abstract

Internal inspection of pipelines is an important tool for ensuring safe and reliable delivery of fossil energy products. Current inspection systems that are propelled through the pipeline by the product flow cannot be used to inspect all pipelines because of the various physical barriers they encounter. Recent development efforts include a new generation of powered inspection platforms that crawl slowly inside a pipeline and are able to maneuver past the physical barriers that can limit inspection. At Battelle, innovative electromagnetic sensors are being designed and tested for these new pipeline crawlers. The various sensor types can be used to assess a wide range of pipeline anomalies including corrosion, mechanical damage, and cracks. The Applied Energy Systems Group at Battelle is concluding the first year of work on a projected three-year development effort. In this first year, two innovative electromagnetic inspection technologies were designed and tested. Both were based on moving high-strength permanent magnets to generate inspection energy. One system involved translating permanent magnets towards the pipe. A pulse of electric current would be induced in the pipe to oppose the magnetization according to Lenz's Law. The decay of this pulse would indicate the presence of defects in the pipe wall. This inspection method is similar to pulsed eddy current inspection methods, with the fundamental difference being the manner in which the current is generated. Details of this development effort were reported in the first semiannual report on this project. This second semiannual report focuses on the development of a second inspection methodology, based on rotating permanent magnets. During this period, a rotating permanent magnet exciter was designed and built. The exciter unit produces strong eddy currents in the pipe wall. The tests have shown that at distances of a pipe diameter or more, the currents flow circumferentially, and that these circumferential currents are deflected by pipeline defects such as corrosion and axially aligned cracks. Simple sensors are used to detect the change in current densities in the pipe wall. Document type: Report

Abstract

A staff exchange was conducted for the mutual benefit of the Department of Energy, the Gas Research Institute (GRI), Vetco Pipeline Services Inc. (VPSI), and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. This staff exchange provided direct exposure by a Laboratory staff member knowledgeable in inspection, integrity assessment, and robotic capabilities of the Laboratory to the needs of the natural gas pipeline industry. The project included an assignment to the GRI Pipeline Simulation Facility (PSF) during the period preceding the commissioning of the flow loop. GRI is interested in exploiting advanced technology at the National Laboratories. To provide a sense of the market impact, it is estimated that $3 billion was spent in 1993 for the repair, renovation, and replacement of distribution piping. GRI has goals of saving the distribution industry $500 million in Operations and Maintenance costs and having an additional $250M savings impact on transmission pipelines. The objectives of the project included: (1) For PNNL staff to present technology to GRI and PSF staff on non- destructive evaluation, robotics, ground penetrating radar, and risk based inspection guidelines for application to the operation and maintenance of natural gas pipelines. (2) For GRI and PSF staff to discuss with PNNL staff opportunities for improving the industrial competitiveness of operation and maintenance services. (3) To explore the basis for partnership with GRI and PSF staff on technology transfer topics. In this project, staff exchanges were conducted to GRI`s Pipeline Simulation Facility and to VPSI. PNNL . staff had access to the $10M GRI Pipeline Simulation Facility (PSF) at West Jefferson, Ohio. The facility has a 4,700-ft. long pipe loop, an NDE laboratory, and a data analysis laboratory. PNNL staff had access to the VPSI`s facility in Houston, TX. VPSI has developed some of the most sophisticated inspection tools currently used in the pipeline inspection industry. Document type: Report