Nondestructive evaluation of adhesion of pipeline coatings - Phase II

该项目建立在之前与ShawCor有限公司合作进行的NSERC Engage Grant的基础上，目标是开发一种快速、可靠、无损的技术，用于测量石油或天然气管道与其周围的保护性聚合物涂层之间的粘合质量。具有足够聚合物涂层保护的管道容易受到腐蚀，最终可能导致管道故障-这可能在环境破坏、公司收入损失、能源运输瓶颈和人身伤害方面构成重大风险。 该项目的第一阶段导致确定了两种评估管道与涂层之间界面结合强度的潜在技术。一种方法是基于机器学习算法，通过这种算法，软件程序被“训练”来评估关键的超声波信号，这些信号表明涂层管道的减振特性。第二种技术是在管道上施加振动剪应力，达到的程度是薄弱的钢/聚合物界面将经历显著变形。一对快速的超声波测量，在应力漂移前后进行，然后将确定界面结合较弱的位置。 对这两种技术的初步测试表明，它们最有可能导致一种可行的现场检查系统。在这个Engage Plus项目中，这两个测试选项都将进行深入的评估，并最终形成ShawCor为工业应用推荐的系统。

This project is built upon a previously-awarded NSERC Engage Grant conducted in collaboration with ShawCor Ltd. The objective is to develop a fast, reliable, nondestructive technique for measuring the quality of adhesion between an oil or gas pipeline and the protective polymer coating that surrounds it. Pipelines with adequate protection from a polymer coating are susceptible to corrosion that could ultimately lead to pipe failure - this could pose a significant risk in terms of environmental damage, loss of revenue to the company, energy transportation bottlenecks, and personal injury. The first phase of this project led to the identification of two potential techniques for estimating interfacial bond strength between pipe and coating. One method was based on a machine-learning algorithm, by which a software program is "trained" to ass key ultrasonic signatures that indicate damping characteristics of the coated pipe. The second technique is based on applying a vibrational shearing stress on the pipe, to the extent that a weak steel/polymer interface would experience significant deformation. A quick pair of ultrasonic measurements, taken before and after the stress excursion would then identify locations with weak interfacial bonding. Preliminary tests with both of these techniques indicate that they hold the best promise for leading to a viable in-field 9inspection system. In this Engage Plus project, both of these testing options will be evaluated in depth, and result in a final recommended system for industrial application by ShawCor.