Ultrasonic guided wave nondestructive testing systems for corrosion detection

腐蚀是加拿大各种需要加热/冷却和运输/储存石化产品的工业环境中使用的管道和地上储罐的一个重要问题。该项目的核心是开发最先进的导波超声无损检测（NDT）系统，用于检测管道和地上储罐地板的腐蚀。该系统将对管道和储罐底板的完整性缺陷提供早期预警，并防止工业过程中的长时间延迟。该项目开发的超声导波（NDT）方法将使用电磁超声换能器（EMAT）在钢管和钢板内产生剪切水平波。该方法被设想为快速且低成本的筛选技术，其补充更传统的NDT方法，例如穿透厚度的超声波检测。该项目将侧重于耦合数值/实验研究的因素，影响波的产生和传播的试样内含有腐蚀型缺陷。这将包括确定从洛伦兹力和磁致伸缩转换机制的基本贡献。通过这些研究开发的理解将应用于该项目中，以设计具有高再现性和低信噪比的基于电磁超声的无损检测系统原型。 该项目的成功完成将使我们的行业合作伙伴Labratoire d 'essai Mequaltech Inc.将研究结果转化为全面运行的基于电磁超声导波无损检测仪器，并在无损检测合同的国际市场上更成功地竞争。其他好处包括培训工程专业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.