Ultrasonic Testing & Enhanced Asset Inspection Techniques in Oil & Gas
Ultrasonic Testing & Enhanced Asset Inspection Techniques in Oil & Gas
OBJECTIVES
• To explain the theoretical background of the techniques
• To calibrate ultrasonic equipment
• To optimize safety and profits to mitigate challenges
• To Improve reliability, maintenance, and production performance.
• This program incorporates design, maintenance, inspection, process, operations, and management concepts
• To Impact the integrity of infrastructure and equipment.
• To Know the types of equipment, materials
• Assets and basic inspection instruments as well as inspection of static equipment
• To learn inspection techniques for non-invasive inspection of tanks, vessels and pipelines.
• The course prepares candidates to select equipment to conduct test, setup test equipment
• To Know fundamentals of ultrasonic testing methods (UT) and carry out calibration
• To locate and evaluate laminations
• To report on the location and size of defects in typical welded butt joints
• To interpret code requirements
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
Testers, inspectors, engineers, technicians, integrity engineers
COURSE OUTLINE
• Ultrasonic Principles
• Frequency
• Velocityand Wavelength , Through Transmission and Pulse Echo Testing Ultrasonic Equipment
• Modes of Travel , Snells Law, Types and make up of Transducers
• Couplants and Sound Energy Attenuation, Acoustic Impedance, Resonance , Contact Scanning, Immersion Scanning, Data Presentation , Calibration Blocks, Types of discontinuities
• Basic principles of sound
• Generation and detection of sound
• Behaviour of sound in a material
• The flaw detector
• Use of angled beam probes for weld scanning
• Welding processes and weld defects
• Practical exercises on test specimens containing simulated flaws
• Butt welds
Properties and behavior of ultrasound
• Fundamental properties – frequency, velocity, wavelength, amplitude
• Continuous and pulsed waves
• Modes
• Velocity/mode/material relationships
• Acoustic impedance, pressure, energy, intensity
• Interaction of wavefronts
• Inverse square law
• Decibel
Behavior of ultrasound at interfaces
• Principles of reflection
• Refraction of ultrasound
• Mode conversions
• Calculation of incident and refracted angles
• Critical angles
• Mechanisms for detecting defects
Characteristics of ultrasound in materials
• Near and far fields
• Focussing of ultrasound
• Secondary waves
• Attenuation
Ultrasonic Testing Equipment
• Description of basic pulse-echo instrument
• Time-base (synchroniser) circuit
• Pulser circuits
• Receiver or echo-amplifier circuit
• A-scan display circuit
Generation of ultrasound
• Types of transducers
• Properties of piezzo electric materials
• Energy losses in various media
• Determination of near and far fields, divergence and beam spread
• Basics of asset management & asset Integrity
• Modern approaches to asset integrity management
• Reliability centered maintenance (RCM)
• Reliability analysis
• Develop a successful asset integrity strategy
• Overview of risk based maintenance (RBM)
• Introduction to mechanical integrity, corrosion, metallurgy and risk analysis
• Ultrasonic inspection
• Magnetic flux leakage inspection (MFL)
• Guided wave ultrasonic testing (GWUT)
• Acoustic emission (phenomenon) inspection
• Eddy current inspection
• Magnetic particle inspection
• Liquid denaturant inspection
• Radiography & digital radiography inspection
Detection of ultrasound
• Continuous and pulsed signals
• Effect of path length
• Time/distance relationships
The flaw detector
• Function of pulse generator, transmitter, receiver/ amplifier, time base, CRT
• Function of the various controls
• Distance/amplitude effects and correction, AGC, gating, interface triggering
• Types of display
• Requirements of codes and standards.
• Linearity, effect of suppression
• Saturation & amplifier threshold
• Digital equipment
Basic test methods
• Pulse-echo and transmission methods
• Resonance methods
• A, B, C, and P scan.
• Types of coupling
• Single, dual and two-probe methods
• Equipment design, code and standards
• Types of assets and asset classification
• Equipment performance
• Static equipment
• Storage tanks, plant equipment, pipelines, reservoirs, etc
• Process and pressure equipment
• Types of gauges and calipers
• Vernier and surface probes
• Rules, inhibitors and micrometers
• XSVision systems and indicators
• Digital, endoscopes, and hand hand-held thermometers and hardness testers
• Inspection, repairs and alterations of pressure vessels
• Inspection of different types of flanges, valves, bolts and gaskets
• Inspection, failure prevention and repair of piping and tanks
• Inspection of refinery plants and their countermeasures
• Types, inspection & repair of power boilers
• Corrosion control using inhibitors
Recording and reporting
• Job records
• Routine reports
• Codes and standards
Variables affecting Test Results
• Instrument performance variables
• Transducer performance variables
• Inspected part variables
• Entry surface conditions
• Part size and geometry
• Metallurgical structure
• Discontinuity variables
• Size and geometry
• Distance location from entry surface
• Orientation to entry surface
• Ultrasonic methods
• X and gamma radiography
• Magnetic particle
• Eddy currents
• Visibly penetrating dye method
• Infra-red methods
• Acoustic emission
• Principles of ultrasonic testing equipment
• Ultrasonic testing techniques
• Calibration of testing systems
• Flaw detection and evaluation
• Acoustic impedance
• Pulser/receiver, piezoelectric transducer, and display devices
• Sensitivity to both surface and subsurface discontinuities
• Pulse-echo technique
• Refraction and reflection
Testing Methods
• Contact testing
• Straight beam
• Angle beam
• Surface waves and Lamb waves
• Immersion testing
• Straight beam
• Angle beam
• Bubbler technique
Test application
• Selection of test parameters
• Frequency
• Probe size and shape
• Scanning speed and index
• Thickness testing
• Plate testing
• Castings
• Forgings
• Welds
• Interpretation of results
• Acceptance standards
• Location of discontinuities
• Monitor displays (amplitude, sweep, etc.)
• Recorders and alarms
• Automatic and semiautomatic systems
• Electronic distance/amplitude correction
• Transducers
• Variable effects
• Transmission accuracy
• Calibration requirements
• Calibration reflectors
• Comparison with reference blocks
• Pulse-echo variables
• Straight beam examination and angle-beam examination
• Transmission factors
• Transducer and couplants