New scanner will boost resolution of long-range pipe inspection
06/12/2007
A new motorised scanner for the long-range inspection of pipes has been developed by Phoenix Inspection Systems for the University of Bristol.Phoenix designed and manufactured two identical scanners for the university's NDT Group for use as part of a research project into long-range pipe inspection. Each scanner carries one EMAT transducer, one of which acts as a transmitter and the other as a receiver, and can inspect pipes of up to 12" nominal diameter.
The pair are designed for use at adjacent axial positions along the pipe. A PC is used to control the scanner positions via a four-axis controller and record the time-domain signals from different pairs of transmitter-receiver positions. These signals are combined in post-processing to produce a high-resolution image of defects in the surrounding pipe.
The University of Bristol NDT Group is one of the leading NDT research laboratories in the UK and is part of the national Research Centre in Non-Destructive Evaluation (RCNDE), a collaboration between industry and academia to collaborate research into NDE technologies.
Dr Paul Wilcox from the NDT Group said: "We are looking at ways to detect and size defects in sections of pipe which cannot be directly accessed, for example where pipework runs through walls and therefore has to inspected by a scanner several metres away. We chose to use EMATs because they are uniformly sensitive to S0 guided waves in all directions and asked Phoenix to produce a scanner to suit the requirements of the project."
Bryan Forth, Project Engineer at Phoenix, said: "Phoenix is accustomed to meeting the needs of academics and researchers. We regularly produce specialist equipment for universities and other organisations and also take part in research projects ourselves."
For further information see http://www.phoenixisl.co.uk or contact Paul Ryan on +44 (0)1925 826000.
