Ultrasonic guided wave nondestructive testing systems for corrosion detection

腐蚀是加拿大工业中广泛使用的管道和地上储罐的一个重要问题，这些管道和储罐需要加热/冷却以及石化产品的运输/储存。该项目的重点是开发最先进的导波超声无损检测（NDT）系统，用于检测管道和地面储罐地板的腐蚀。这种系统将提供管道和储罐地板完整性不足的早期预警，并防止工业过程的广泛延误。该项目开发的超声波导波（NDT）方法将使用电磁声换能器（EMAT）在钢管和钢板内产生剪切水平波。这些方法被设想为快速和低成本的筛选技术，补充了更传统的无损检测方法，如通过厚度超声检测。该项目将集中于耦合的数值/实验研究的因素，影响波浪的产生和传播的测试样品中含有腐蚀类型的缺陷。这将包括确定洛伦兹力和磁致伸缩转导机制的潜在贡献。通过这些研究开发的理解将应用于项目中，设计基于EMAT的无损检测系统原型，具有高可重复性和低信噪比。该项目的成功完成将使我们的行业合作伙伴Labratoire d’essai Mequaltech公司能够将研究结果转化为完全可操作的基于EMAT的超声导波无损检测仪器，并在国际市场上更成功地竞争无损检测合同。额外的好处包括培训工程学生使用技术无损检测设备和软件包。

Corrosion is a significant issue in pipelines and aboveground storage tanks used in a wide range of Canadian industry settings requiring heating/cooling and the transportation/storage of petrochemical products. This project is centered on the development of state-of-the-art guided wave ultrasound nondestructive testing (NDT) systems for detection of corrosion in pipes and above ground storage tank floors. Such systems will provide early warning of a lack of integrity in pipes and tank floors and prevent extensive delays in industrial processes.The ultrasonic guided wave (NDT) methods developed in the project will use electromagnetic acoustic transducers (EMAT) to generate shear horizontal waves within steel pipes and plates. The methods are envisioned to be rapid and low cost screening techniques which complement more traditional NDT approaches such as through thickness ultrasonic testing. The project will focus on coupled numerical/experimental studies of factors that affect wave generation and propagation within test specimens containing corrosion type defects. This will include identifying the underlying contributions from both Lorentz force and magnetostrictive transduction mechanisms. The understanding developed through these studies will be applied within the project to design EMAT based NDT system prototypes with high reproducibility and low signal-to-noise. A successful conclusion to the project will enable our industry partner, Labratoire d'essai Mequaltech Inc., to translate the findings into fully operational EMAT based ultrasonic guided wave NDT instruments and compete more successfully in the international market for non-destructive testing contracts. Additional benefits include the training of engineering students on the use of technical NDT equipment and software packages.