Ultrasonic Guided Wave (UGW)

Guided wave research on pipe structures is driven by the need to screen for Corrosion under Insulation (CUI) failures effectively.

Corrosion Under Insulation (CUI) is a well-known and widespread corrosion phenomena and screening for CUI by Ultrasonic Guided Waves (UGW) is now a widely accepted practice, overcoming many of the issues associated with convention method approach.

“Do you know where your higher risk CUI exposure is?”

“And do you have the needed resources applied to keeping your equipment that is susceptible to CUI safe and reliable?”

By utilising Synthetic Focussing, data signal responses can be positioned at ‘clock-positions’ around the pipe circumference and allows for a more accurate prediction of defect type and characterisation.

UGW inspection of pipeline has many advantages; from a single test location the system ‘guided ultrasonic waves’ can be directed in opposing direction along the pipe length testing up to several metres in length (dependant on pipe dimensions/condition), facilitating the inspection of long runs including (‘insulated’ and ‘buried’) pipeline, to screen for corrosion or cracking and corrosion-under-insulation (CUI). The inspections can be applied both to offline and operational systems (including ‘high temperature’).

For insulated pipes, only a local area of the pipe insulation is required to be removed, (along with any loose surface debris), following which the ultrasonic transducer ring can be simply fitted to the pipe and is ‘ready-for-test’. The UGW works ‘dry coupled’ and therefore requires no provision of couplant/water feed system as with standard ultrasonic applications.

Following data analysis UGW screening is backed by follow-up localised supplementary inspections for confirmation.

Integrity NDT have long-term client contracts supplying UGW inspection for both refinery system, refinery jetty and offsite pipeline systems.