EASY – Electromagnetic Advanced Sensor Yoke for Safety-Critical High Temperature Plant Component Inspection

全球工业经济仍然严重依赖于高温、高压工业设备的持续安全运行，例如炼油厂、化工厂、石化厂和发电厂。为这些繁重的应用开发的专用合金钢具有抗损坏性，但随着时间的推移，合金微观结构会在称为蠕变的过程中退化。如果蠕变损坏的部件没有及时识别和修复，可能会导致开裂和潜在的灾难性故障。** EASY**（**E** electromagnetic **A** advanced **S**ensor **Y**oke）将为全球性的设备蠕变损伤检测问题提供现代化的创新解决方案。**EASY** 利用曼彻斯特 * 大学 ** 开发的新型先进电磁传感器技术，利用施加于材料的磁场与微米级蠕变空腔损伤特征之间的相互作用。**EASY** 检测系统可以真实的实时检测蠕变损伤，比“表面复制”（目前唯一可用的早期微米级损伤检测技术）更快、更全面的工厂检测范围。与复制不同，**EASY** 可以即时提供结果，以便在正在进行的工厂停机期间进行紧急工厂维修，并且可以实现数字化和自动化。它的低频磁场也可以穿透被检部件并识别有问题的 ** 亚表面蠕变损伤 **。这些发展可能会对英国和全球的工厂检查、安全和寿命延长产生广泛影响。** EASY** 得到了全球工业用户组（**IUG**）的支持，该组织代表了来自英国、日本、亚洲和南非的工厂运营商。**IUG** 将为 **EASY** 技术的实际适用性提供关键的最终用户观点。**IUG** 成员还将为 **EASY** 测试、演示和验证提供退役和在役电厂部件的宝贵访问权。该项目由 **ETD** 领导，ETD是一家创新型中小企业，在全球范围内提供电厂检测和寿命管理方面的研发和咨询服务。**EASY** 源于 **ETD** 和 **Manchester** 在过去6年中进行的一系列小型项目。这些通过对标准实验室试样和经受间断蠕变测试的大型焊接管道进行测试提供了概念证明，表明测量的电磁参数与蠕变损伤之间存在明确的相关性。该项目将在此基础上，完善 **EASY** 技术并开发现场检测设备，用于在部件的不平整表面上进行部署，包括易损坏的分支和T形件焊接件。项目完成后，**ETD** 将与 ** 曼彻斯特 ** 达成协议，为全球工厂运营商客户提供 **EASY** 以及并行检测和技术服务。目的是组建“**EASY-NDT-Co**”合资公司。

The global industrial economy remains critically dependent on the continued safe operation of high temperature, high pressure industrial plant such as refineries, chemical, petrochemical and power generation plant. The specialist alloy steels developed for these onerous applications are resistant to damage, but over time, the alloy microstructure can degrade in a process known as creep. If creep damaged components are not promptly identified and repaired, cracking and potentially catastrophic failure can ensue.**EASY** (**E**lectromagnetic **A**dvanced **S**ensor **Y**oke) will provide a modern, innovative solution to the global problem of plant creep damage detection. **EASY** utilises novel advanced electromagnetic sensor technology developed at the **University of** **Manchester**, exploiting the interaction between magnetic fields applied to the material and micron-scale creep cavity damage features. The **EASY** inspection system can potentially detect creep damage in real time with much faster and more comprehensive plant inspection coverage than "surface replication", currently the only available technique for detection of early-stage micron-scale damage. Unlike replication, **EASY** can give results instantaneously to enable urgent plant repairs during the on-going plant outage, and can potentially be digitised and automated. Its low frequency magnetic field can also penetrate the inspected component and identify problematic **sub-surface creep damage**. These developments could have wide impacts on plant inspection, safety and lifetime extension in the UK and worldwide.**EASY** is supported by a global Industrial Users Group (**IUG**), representing plant operators from the UK, Japan, Asia and South Africa. The **IUG** will provide crucial end user perspectives on the practical applicability of **EASY** technology. **IUG** members will also give valuable access to ex-service and in-service plant components for **EASY** testing, demonstration and verification.The project is led by **ETD**, an innovative SME offering R&D and consulting in plant inspection and life management worldwide. **EASY** stems from a series of smaller projects conducted over the last 6 years by **ETD** and **Manchester**. These provided proof of concept through tests on standard laboratory specimens and large welded pipes subjected to interrupted creep testing, showing clear correlations between measured electromagnetic parameters and creep damage. This project will build on this work, refining **EASY** technology and developing on-site inspection equipment for deployment on the uneven surfaces of components, including damage-prone branch and Tee-piece weldments.On project completion, **ETD** will offer **EASY** alongside its parallel inspection and technical services for worldwide plant operator clients, in agreement with **Manchester**, with the aim of forming an "**EASY-NDT-Co**" joint venture company.