[10A5] Low-power corrosion monitoring for hazardous environments
C B Thring, D L Lunardi, C Mackenzie, A Rabell-Montiel, D Irving and D A Hughes
Novosound, UK
There is an industrial requirement for the monitoring of assets in remote, difficult and hazardous environments, especially in the power generation and energy industries. This paper presents a method of remotely monitoring erosion in pipes in a safe manner. By combining permanently installed sensors with proprietary electronics, low-power asset inspection and monitoring is achieved. In this paper, the broadband nature of the Novosound Belenus sensor is demonstrated with coded excitation for improving the signal-to-noise ratio of the measurement at low drive voltage, removing the need for potentially hazardous ultrasonic instrumentation in dangerous environments. In addition, we demonstrate the sensors tamper proof design, with a conformable transducer and frangible encapsulation, ensuring the integrity and security of measurement. The Belenus system is capable of full, long-term submersion in environments beyond 400°C. Combining this durable, high-integrity sensor with the drive electronics demonstrated here presents an ideal solution for asset monitoring in harsh hazardous environments.
