Pii Limited

David Martin Paige

Robert Andrew Mercel

Thomas James Batzinger

Jeffrey Earle Sutherland

Achim Hugger

Ian Sowerby

Ruediger Bauernschmitt

A method for pipeline inspection is provided. The method includes carrying out an inspection run in which a pipeline inspection apparatus travels inside a pipeline, wherein sensors on the apparatus are configured to conduct an in-line inspection of wall material along a length of the pipeline. The method includes initiating a first inspection mode to produce a primary inspection data set, wherein the first inspection mode comprises an inspection of the pipeline wall material upstream and downstream of a location of a dented region in the pipeline, selectively initiating a second inspection mode to produce a secondary inspection data set, wherein the second inspection mode includes an inspection of the pipeline wall material in the dented region in the length of the pipeline, and combining the primary and the secondary inspection data sets to provide a direct assessment for the presence of cracks and/or corrosion in wall material along the pipeline.

Method for pipeline inspection

Ultrasonic pipeline inspection apparatus which utilizes two different wave modes (e.g. a horizontally polarized shear mode and a symmetric Lamb wave mode) to discriminate different defect types by comparing corresponding signals collected from defects. EMATs may detect the signals. The detected amplitudes of the collected signals from both wave modes are compared to calculate a ratio, which may be compared with a distribution of ratio values for known defects to evaluate the type of defect detected. The apparatus may be a sensor module mountable on a pipeline vehicle and having a plurality of sensors distributed around its periphery.

Pipeline inspection apparatus and method

An electromagnetic acoustic transducer () has one or a plurality of magnets for applying a DEC magnetic field to a material () under test, and an electrical coil () supplied by an alternating current source for, providing an AC magnetic flux within the material under test. A wear plate () engages with an slides along the surface of the material under test. The wear plate () is of electrically conductive ferromagnetic material and has apertures () therein. Thus, both the DC field and the ACT flux can penetrate the material under test and create ultrasonic vibration of that material.

Electromagnetic acoustic transducer

An electromagnetic acoustic transducer for exciting ultrasound in a ferromagnetic material under test (), includes a magnetic unit () arranged to be moved relative to the material under test () to magnetize a surface layer of the material, and an electrical winding () supplied by an alternating current source, the magnetic unit () and the electric winding (), in use, being applied in sequence to the material under test () whereby the electrical winding () is positioned adjacent the material subsequent to magnetization thereof by the magnetic unit (), the alternating magnetic flux created by the winding () interacting with the remanent magnetization of the material to create ultrasonic vibration of the material.

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Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom

David Martin Paige