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、高压工业装置的持续安全运行，如炼油厂、化工厂、石化厂和发电厂。为这些繁重的应用而开发的专业合金钢具有抗损伤性，但随着时间的推移，合金微观结构会在蠕变过程中退化。如果蠕变损坏的部件没有及时识别和修复，开裂和潜在的灾难性故障可能随之而来。**EASY** （**E**电磁**A**先进**S**传感器**Y**oke）将为全球植物蠕变损伤检测问题提供现代化、创新的解决方案。**EASY**利用**曼彻斯特大学** ** **开发的新型先进电磁传感器技术，利用施加在材料上的磁场与微米尺度蠕变腔损伤特征之间的相互作用。EASY检测系统可以实时检测蠕变损伤，其检测范围比“表面复制”更快、更全面，而“表面复制”是目前唯一可用于检测早期微米级损伤的技术。与复制不同，**EASY**可以立即给出结果，以便在正在进行的工厂停机期间进行紧急工厂维修，并且可能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表面下蠕变损伤。这些发展可能对英国和全世界的工厂检查、安全和寿命延长产生广泛影响。**EASY**由全球工业用户组织（**IUG**）提供支持，该组织代表来自英国、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终端用户视角。**IUG**成员还将提供宝贵的访问前服务和在役工厂组件的**EASY**测试，演示和验证。该项目由**ETD**牵头，这是一家在全球范围内提供工厂检验和生命管理研发和咨询服务的创新型中小企业。**EASY**源于**ETD**和**Manchester**在过去6年中进行的一系列较小的项目。通过对标准实验室样品和大型焊接管进行中断蠕变测试，这些概念得到了验证，显示了测量的电磁参数与蠕变损伤之间的明确相关性。本项目将在此工作的基础上，改进**EASY**技术，并开发用于部件不平整表面的现场检测设备，包括易损坏的分支和三字件焊接件。在项目完成后，**ETD**将与**Manchester**达成协议，为全球工厂运营商客户提供**EASY**以及平行检验和技术服务，目的是组建一家“**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.