04/10/2011

Imperial College NDT Group

The Guided Wave Testing Method for

Screening of Pipelines

V Pan American Conference for Non Destructive Testing

Cancun, October 2011

Michael Lowe
Imperial College London

Imperial College NDT Group

Outline

 I t d ti to
Introduction t guided
id d waves
 Concept of guided waves for NDT
 Development of guided wave modelling tools
 Properties of guided waves
 Development of GWT for pipelines
 GWT of pipelines in practice
 Future directions

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Imperial College NDT Group

Sound waves

Imperial College NDT Group

Sound waves
Sound
pressure

Distance (x)
or time (t)

i(kx - t)
Pressure = A e

Wavenumber Frequency

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Imperial College NDT Group

Conventional ultrasound NDT

Pulse-echo test

Imperial College NDT Group

Conventional ultrasound NDT

"Flaw detector" for pulse-echo test

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Imperial College NDT Group

Conventional ultrasound NDT

Ultrasound imaging

Imperial College NDT Group

But what about "guided waves?"

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Imperial College NDT Group

But what about guided waves?

Imperial College NDT Group

Could guided waves be useful for NDT?

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Imperial College NDT Group

Outline

 I t d ti to
Introduction t guided
id d waves
 Concept of guided waves for NDT
 Development of guided wave modelling tools
 Properties of guided waves
 Development of GWT for pipelines
 GWT of pipelines in practice
 Future directions

Imperial College NDT Group

Concept of long range guided wave inspection

Transducer

Structure

• If the guided wave encounters a defect then part of the signal is reflected
• A single measurement inspects all the material in a long length of the structure

Volts End of structure

Defect

Time, distance

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Imperial College NDT Group

What happens if we just try......

Problems:
- Multiple modes
- Dispersion
- Sensitivity to defects varies with modes

Imperial College NDT Group

Guided wave dispersion curves

"Dispersion curves" for a 1mm thick steel plate
10
a s s a
Phase 1 1 2 2
speed
(km/sec)

s
0

a
0

Frequency (MHz) 10

L Rayleigh (1885); H Lamb (1917)

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Imperial College NDT Group

Imperial College NDT Group, 1991.

Imperial College NDT Group

Outline

 I t d ti to
Introduction t guided
id d waves
 Concept of guided waves for NDT
 Development of guided wave modelling tools
 Properties of guided waves
 Development of GWT for pipelines
 GWT of pipelines in practice
 Future directions

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Imperial College NDT Group

Development of the waveguide model

DISPERSE

Imperial College NDT Group

Field in layer of material is built up

by summation of partial waves

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Imperial College NDT Group

....including multiples if waveguide has multiple layers

Imperial College NDT Group

Boundary conditions must be satisfied at all interfaces:

(1) Between the layers

(2) At the top and bottom surfaces

(2a) If the plate is in vacuum: (2b) If the plate is immersed:

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Imperial College NDT Group

This results in a Characteristic Function:

F a Plate
For Pl t or Cylinder
C li d ini Vacuum:
V

f (, kreal) = 0

For a Plate or Cylinder Immersed or Embedded:

f (, kreal, kimag) = 0

The Dispersion Curves are the Solutions of the Characteristic

Function. These are lines in 2D or 3D space

Imperial College NDT Group

Developments packaged in the modelling tool

"DISPERSE"

Plates Surfaces
10
Phase a1 s1 s 2 a2
speed
(km/sec)

s0

a
0

Frequency (MHz) 10

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Imperial College NDT Group

......and also: Solids, fluids, anisotropic....

Pi
Pipes M lti l llayers
Multiple
Bars

Solids
or
fluids

Embedded or
immersed

Composites

Imperial College NDT Group

DISPERSE software:

• First version 1991

• MS Windows versions
since 1997

• Widely used for guided

wave research

• More than 80 licensed

clients

Lowe. IEEE Trans UFFC, 42, 1995.

Pavlakovic, Lowe, Alleyne, Cawley. Rev Prog QNDE, 16, 1997.

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Imperial College NDT Group

Development of Finite Element

Modelling Tools

Imperial College NDT Group

Finite Element simulation to calculate

reflections from defects

Lowe, Diligent. J Acoust Soc Am, 111, 2002.

Lowe, Cawley, Kao, Diligent. J Acoust Soc Am, 112, 2002.

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Imperial College NDT Group

Scattering of guided waves from a crack

Imperial College NDT Group

Scattering of guided waves from a crack

Rajagopal, Lowe. J Acoust Soc Am, 122, 2007. Drozdz, Moreau, Castaings, Lowe, Cawley. Rev Prog QNDE, 25, 2006.
Rajagopal, Lowe. J Acoust Soc Am, 124, 2008. Drozdz, Skelton, Craster, Lowe. Rev Prog QNDE, 26, 2007.

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Imperial College NDT Group

Outline

 I t d ti to
Introduction t guided
id d waves
 Concept of guided waves for NDT
 Development of guided wave modelling tools
 Properties of guided waves
 Development of GWT for pipelines
 GWT of pipelines in practice
 Future directions

Imperial College NDT Group

Phase and group speed

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Imperial College NDT Group

Phase and group speed example: wake from boat

Expected Actual

Group speed = 0.5 phase speed

Imperial College NDT Group

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Imperial College NDT Group

Phase and group speeds

Dispersion curves for a 1mm thick steel plate
Phase speed (km/sec) Group speed (km/sec)
8.0 8.0

0.0

0.0
0.0 Frequency (MHz) 10.0 0.0 Frequency (MHz) 10.0

Imperial College NDT Group

Effect of dispersion after long distance of travel

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Imperial College NDT Group

Leaky waves
Dispersion curves for a 1mm thick steel plate in water

Phase speed (km/sec)

8.0

0.0
0.0 Frequency (MHz) 5.0
Scholte (1941)

Imperial College NDT Group

Mode shapes
Plates
S f
Surfaces
For 1mm thick steel plate
10
a s s a
Phase 1 1 2 2
velocity
(km/sec)

s
0

a
0

Frequency (MHz) 10

Mode shapes are the key to understanding wave behaviour

at defects and features

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Imperial College NDT Group

Outline

 I t d ti to
Introduction t guided
id d waves
 Concept of guided waves for NDT
 Development of guided wave modelling tools
 Properties of guided waves
 Development of GWT for pipelines
 GWT of pipelines in practice
 Future directions

Imperial College NDT Group

UK Research Centre in Non Destructive Evaluation

(
(RCNDE))

 Founded in 2003
 Research collaboration between UK universities and industry
 6 Universities, including Imperial
 17 major industrial companies
 Director: Professor Keith Newton

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Imperial College NDT Group

Guided Ultrasonics Ltd (GUL)

Guided Ultrasonics Ltd

 Founded in 1999
 Spin out company from the NDT group at Imperial College
Spin-out
 The world leader for exploitation of guided waves
 Develop and manufacture equipment
 Training and support in use of guided waves for NDT
 Chairman: Malcolm Russell

Imperial College NDT Group

Guided wave Testing (GWT) of pipelines

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Imperial College NDT Group

Imperial College NDT Group

Need to find corrosion…..

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Imperial College NDT Group

Concept of long range guided wave inspection:

Transducer

Pipe

Imperial College NDT Group

Need to do a lot of R&D, including:

Transducer

Pipe

Need to understand Need to understand how they

the waves reflect from defects

...then develop transducers, instrumentation, controlling software, signal

processing, interpretation, operator training, formal procedures.....etc

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Imperial College NDT Group

Brief history of the development of GWT for pipes

 St t d att Imperial
Started I i l College:
C ll 1987
 Understanding of guided wave properties: 1992
 Understanding of guided wave reflections from simple defects:
1995
 Development of transducers and signal processing: 1997
 Commercialisation (licensed by Imperial College): 1997
 Procedures formalised in published standards: 2009

Imperial College NDT Group

Strategy for development of

Guided Wave Testingg

 Find a guided wave mode which is sensitive to defects at

any location in the pipe wall
 Select frequency and signal shape to minimise dispersion
 Excite and receive ONE mode in ONE direction

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Imperial College NDT Group

Dispersion Curves for 6 Inch (150mm) Pipe

L(0,2)

F(1,3)
F(2,3)

T(0,1)

F(1 2)
F(1,2)

Imperial College NDT Group

Mode shapes: torsional modes family

T(0,1) F(1,2)

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Imperial College NDT Group

Need to understand the sensitivity of

the modes to defects

Imperial College NDT Group

Finite Element simulation of reflections from defects

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Imperial College NDT Group

Reflection coefficient versus

circumferential length of defect
Frequency 50 kHz
50
Reflection coefficient
of T(0,1)
40
torsional waves
30 F(1,2)

20
F(2 2)
F(2,2)
10

0
0 10 20 30 40 50
Defect extent (% of circumference)
Alleyne, Lowe, Cawley. ASME J Appl Mech, 65, 1998.
Lowe, Alleyne, Cawley. ASME J Appl Mech, 65, 1998.
Demma, Cawley, Lowe. J Acoust Soc Am, 114, 2003. Similar study done for extensional modes

Imperial College NDT Group

Reflection coefficient versus

depth of defect
6 inch pipe
100
Reflection coefficient Frequency (kHz) 220
of 80 190
torsional waves 160

60 130
100
40 70

20 40

0
0 20 40 60 80 100
Defect depth (% of thickness)
Alleyne, Pavlakovic, Lowe, Cawley. Insight, 43, 2001.
Demma, Cawley, Lowe, Roosenbrand, Pavlakovic. NDT & E Int, 37, 2004. Similar study done for extensional modes

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Imperial College NDT Group

Sensitivity experiments using machined “defects”

Photograph: Imperial College 1994

Imperial College NDT Group

Need to develop transducers:

- One mode
- One direction

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Imperial College NDT Group

Development of a non-resonant low

frequency transducer

P Cawley, DN Alleyne, CW Chan. Patent WO 96/12951, 1994.

DN Alleyne, P Cawley. J NDE, 15, p11-20, 1996.

Imperial College NDT Group

Early Research Transducers

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Imperial College NDT Group

Transducers in commercial use (Guided Ultrasonics Ltd)

Guided Ultrasonics Ltd

Imperial College NDT Group

Flexible transducer band used for large diameter pipes

Guided Ultrasonics Ltd

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Summary of GWT research topics

 Guided wave theory

– MJS Lowe. IEEE Trans. UFFC, 42, p525-
p525-542, 1995.
– B N Pavlakovic, M J S Lowe, D N Alleyne, P Cawley. QNDE, Plenum Press, 16, p185
p185--192, 1997.

 Transduction
– P Cawley, DN Alleyne, CW Chan. Patent WO 96/12951, 1994.
– DN Alleyne, P Cawley. J NDE, 15, p11
p11--20, 1996.

 Reflection sensitivity
– DN Alleyne, MJS Lowe, P cawley. ASME J Appl Mech, 65, p635
p635--641, 1998.
– MJS Lowe, DN Alleyne, P cawley. ASME J Appl Mech, 65, p649-
p649-656, 1998.
– A Demma, P Cawley, MJS Lowe. J Acoust Soc Am, 114, p611-
p611-625, 2003.
– DN Alleyne, BN Pavlakovic, MJS Lowe, P Cawley. Insight, 43, p93-
p93-96, 2001.
– A Demma, P Cawley, MJS Lowe, AG Roosenbrand, BN Pavlakovic. NDT & E Int, 37, p167-
p167-180, 2004.

 Butt welds
– MJS Lowe, DN Alleyne, P cawley. ASME J Appl Mech, 65, p649-
p649-656, 1998.

Imperial College NDT Group

 Bends
– A Demma, P Cawley, MJS Lowe, B Pavlakovic. ASME J Press Vess Technol, 127, p328-
p328-335, 2005
– F Simonetti, P Cawley. Proc Roy Soc, 460, p2197-
p2197-2221, 2004.

 Supports
– DN Alleyne, P Cawley. Proc I Mech E, J Proc Mech Eng, 210, p217
p217--226, 1996.

 Flanges, tees, valves

– DN Alleyne, P Cawley. Proc I Mech E, J Proc Mech Eng, 210, p217
p217--226, 1996.

 Coatings
– F Simonetti, P Cawley. Proc Roy Soc, 460, p2197-
p2197-2221, 2004.

 Surrounding materials when buried

– R. Long, M J S Lowe, P Cawley. Ultrasonics, 41, p509
p509--519, 2003.

 Improved interpretation
– J Davies, F Simonetti, MJS Lowe, P Cawley. QNDE, AIP, 25, p142-
p142-149, 2006.
– J. Davies, P. Cawley. IEEE Trans UFFC, 56, p759-
p759-771, 2009.

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Imperial College NDT Group

Outline

 I t d ti to
Introduction t guided
id d waves
 Concept of guided waves for NDT
 Development of guided wave modelling tools
 Properties of guided waves
 Development of GWT for pipelines
 GWT of pipelines in practice
 Future directions

Imperial College NDT Group

Example of practical use of the guided wave inspection

method: testing of refinery pipeline at road crossing

Guided Ultrasonics Ltd

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Imperial College NDT Group

Measured signals shown in the form of an "A-Scan"

Amplittude

1.0 -F4
F4 -F3
F3 -F2
F2 -F1
F1 +F1
F1 +F2
F2 +F3
F3+F4
F4
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0.0
-30.0 -20.0 -10.0 0.0 10.0
Distance (m)

corrosion
Results show corrosion at entrance to road crossing

Symmetric (black) and flexural (red) signals are

used for interpretation

Guided Ultrasonics Ltd

Imperial College NDT Group

Measured signals shown in the form of a "C-Scan"

(Unrolled pipe view)
360

270
Angle (deg)

180

90
-24dB

0
0.0 5.0 10.0
-F2

-F1

+F4
+F1

+F2

+F3

+F5

2.0
Amp (Linear)

1.5

1.0

0.5
(Note: this is different example
than previous slide)
00

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Imperial College NDT Group

Examples of GWT in practice

Imperial College NDT Group

Here's an easy location for testing.....

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Imperial College NDT Group

But it can be much less comfortable! (testing in Alaska)

Guided Ultrasonics Ltd

Imperial College NDT Group

Testing offshore

Guided Ultrasonics Ltd

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Imperial College NDT Group

Testing sub-sea

Guided Ultrasonics Ltd

Imperial College NDT Group

What is the role of GWT in NDT?

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Imperial College NDT Group

The role of GWT of pipelines:

SCREENING

 GWT is used to identify (call) indications at locations of

possible concern.
 Conventional methods of NDT are used locally at the
locations of concern to evaluate indications.

Imperial College NDT Group

Sequence 1:
Perform the GWT

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Imperial College NDT Group

Sequence 2:
Analyse the signals to identify indications

Imperial College NDT Group

Sequence 3:
Follow up using conventional NDT methods
Longitudinal
-0.8 position (m) 0.6
6.00
Circumferential
weld
Circumferential
position
(clock)

12.00

Longitudinal
weld

6.00

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Imperial College NDT Group

Recommendation:

Presentation at 12.30, in room Xcaret 1

"Guided Wave Testing of an Immersed Gas Pipeline"

Victor Nuñez

Imperial College NDT Group

Outline

 I t d ti to
Introduction t guided
id d waves
 Concept of guided waves for NDT
 Development of guided wave modelling tools
 Properties of guided waves
 Development of GWT for pipelines
 GWT of pipelines in practice
 Future directions

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Imperial College NDT Group

Future directions A:
Characterisation of defects in inaccessible places

Buried pipes Under saddle supports

Imperial College NDT Group

Extended interpretation
p of
GWT signals to find more
information about indications

Transducer ring Defect End wall

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Imperial College NDT Group

Tomographic imaging using transmission signals

Imperial College NDT Group

Future directions B:
Permanently Installed Monitoring System (PIMS)

Guided Ultrasonics Ltd

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Imperial College NDT Group

Conclusions
 Guided waves can pprovide a lot of information but
they are very complicated
 Exploitation has been made possible through careful
research of the fundamental physics, and
development of specific instrumentation
 GWT has been commercialised and is now well
established in industrial use
 GWT procedures and certification of GWT personnel
are now implemented in published standards

Imperial College NDT Group

Guided Wave Mini-Course

14:30 – 18:00 XCARET 1

 Introduction to Guided Wave basics

 Target applications and limitation
 Case studies
 Training

 Course for engineers and managers

 Final users and service companies

 You can book at registration desk, limited space available

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Imperial College NDT Group

Thank you!

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