[6A1] Digitalisation and NDE 4.0 for in-service inspection, monitoring and integrity management in the energy sector (including HOIS initiatives)
M Wall
ESR Technology Ltd, UK
Digitalisation is all around us and forms an increasing part of our daily lives. In the Energy sector this transformation is affecting all areas of activity including financial management, exploration, design, build and installation, processes, monitoring and control, inspection and maintenance, data analytics and the supply chain. For inspection and monitoring, the emerging technologies behind this revolution in automation and use of data (including AI/machine learning, digital twins, cyber-physical systems (CPS), autonomous and decentralized decisions, cloud computing, information flow and transparency, big data processes, the internet of things (IIoT)) and augmented reality) are referred to as NDE 4.0. This is a subset of Industry 4.0; the wider practice of automating industrial processes using the same emerging technologies.
Energy industry moves towards digitalisation (including NDE 4.0) are growing rapidly with significant opportunities for improvements in efficiency and effectiveness of integrity and inspection activity across the value chain from NDE providers to technology providers to end-users. NDE and monitoring data is increasingly acquired using robotic or automated systems and sensor networks that gather large amounts of data in a digital framework; from advanced NDE methods used in Aerospace to more routine automated inspections like MFL floor scanning of oil storage tanks. Data acquired in this way is amenable to NDE 4.0 solutions and display in digital twins.
The paper will give an overview of the use of NDE 4.0 technologies in the Energy sector for in-service inspection, monitoring and integrity management including initiatives within the HOIS JIP (www.hois.co.uk). Examples include cloud data storage for acquisition, storage, processing and reporting of NDE inspections; use of photogrammetry and optical methods and bespoke software to build plant level digital twins (DTs) offshore and subsea; mini-DTs for storage tanks and process vessels, use of drones and AUVs for remote visual inspection, and robot crawlers for RII inspection inside pressure vessels.
HOIS initiatives and achievements on digitalisation include:
Energy industry moves towards digitalisation (including NDE 4.0) are growing rapidly with significant opportunities for improvements in efficiency and effectiveness of integrity and inspection activity across the value chain from NDE providers to technology providers to end-users. NDE and monitoring data is increasingly acquired using robotic or automated systems and sensor networks that gather large amounts of data in a digital framework; from advanced NDE methods used in Aerospace to more routine automated inspections like MFL floor scanning of oil storage tanks. Data acquired in this way is amenable to NDE 4.0 solutions and display in digital twins.
The paper will give an overview of the use of NDE 4.0 technologies in the Energy sector for in-service inspection, monitoring and integrity management including initiatives within the HOIS JIP (www.hois.co.uk). Examples include cloud data storage for acquisition, storage, processing and reporting of NDE inspections; use of photogrammetry and optical methods and bespoke software to build plant level digital twins (DTs) offshore and subsea; mini-DTs for storage tanks and process vessels, use of drones and AUVs for remote visual inspection, and robot crawlers for RII inspection inside pressure vessels.
HOIS initiatives and achievements on digitalisation include:
- HOIS project on digitalisation in inspection, NDE and integrity management in the Energy sector (including NDE 4.0).
- New 2021 digitalisation project including end-to-end information flow and AI/ML.
- Landscaping study and forward roadmap.
- A cross sector worldwide forum initiated ‘The HOIS digitalisation forum (HDF)’ with 8 online seminars hosted in 2020/21;
- NDE 4.0 relevant HOIS projects include: guidance for mini-DTs and information flow, guidance for use of drones and AUVs for remote visual inspection (RVI, CVI); remote internal inspection (RII) of pressure vessels, digitalisation of NII of pressure vessels, effective pipework inspection, guidance and tools for statistical analysis of NDE data
