Developpement and Use of Nde Methods on Pressure Equipement : Industrial Experience in Applying Acoustic Emission (original) (raw)
Related papers
Non-Destructive Examination of Underground Pressure Vessels Using Acoustic Emission (AE) Techniques
European Mechanical Science, 2017
The methodology of Acoustic Emission (AE) for detecting and monitoring damages, cracks and leaks in different structures is widely used and has earned a reputation recently as one of the most reliable and wellestablished technique in Non-Destructive Testing (NDT). Besides evaluation of fracture behavior, crack propagation and fatigue detection in metals, composites, wood, fiberglass, ceramics and plastics; it can also be used for detecting faults and pressure leaks in pressure vessels, tanks and pipes. As a relatively "clean" form of energy, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) is widely used for industrial applications and domestic heating. Periodic inspection of buried tanks used for LPG storage is complicated and limited because of their underground location. This situation prevents "conventional" NDT techniques from being used. So, AE testing which fulfills all safety requirements, is the most appropriate and cost-effective technique that can be used for periodic inspection and proof testing. In addition of a general presentation on the AE technology and its applications, this study provides comprehensive evaluation of AE testing techniques of underground LPG tanks during service in accordance with TS EN standards. Some representative results and data obtained from a performed AE test are also provided.
2017
The capability of Acoustic Emission (AE) Testing to detect and locate emission sources caused by surface and internal discontinuities in the vessel walls, welds, and attached components, makes it an effective tool in assessing volumetric integrity during the pressure test of a vessel. It acts as an excellent supporting technique for other nondestructive testing methods when employed as a primary examination method during hydrostatic or pneumatic testing. ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code section VIII Division 2 calls for acoustic emission testing during hydrostatic test or pneumatic test, as per Article 12 of Section V, if specified in the Users Design Specification. Acoustic emission monitoring is preferred during pneumatic testing, primarily to ensure safety by providing early warnings of any significant defect gro wth which might occur during the pressure test. Apart from addressing safety concerns, it also helps in detecting and locating any areas of AE activity that require ...
2010
Several regulatory rules, such as the Best Practices Guideline (GBP) [1], exist for acoustic emission (AE) testing of pressure vessels in France and the rest of the world and allow AE testing based on two techniques (zonal location and planar source location methods). However, the analysis criteria of data recorded during the testing lack adequate basis. This work highlights inconsistencies in analysis methods defined in these guides or codes based on modelling calculations in Part 1 of this study [2], while this paper shows, from a real case (AE testing of a 2000 m 3 spherical storage tank), that the results of an AE test cannot be reproducible due to a lack of strictness in the application rules of AE. Thus, depending on the testing configuration used, some emissive defects can be detected or missed. This study may also be used as a basis for defining a new AE testing standard specifically and quantitatively defining a methodology of analysis based on a different approach from those used currently. Today, the CETIM may apply this new testing methodology based on significant feedback enabling a greater reproducibility and sensitivity of AE testing.
QUANTITATIVE ACOUSTIC EMISSION NDI FOR ANALYSING DYNAMIC FRACTURE
2010
Quantitative Acoustic Emission (QAE) technology, physical and mathematical models were created for the reliable identification and evaluation of the danger level (the J-integral value) of a developing main crack in a system of interacting micro-cracks. They also enabled the reliable assessment of the remaining lifetime of low density polyethylene (LDPE) reactor tubes that contain cracks. These innovations made it possible to carry out pioneer investigations and establish previously unknown dependences, phenomena and criteria, such as:
A review of the application of acoustic emission technique in engineering
The use of acoustic emission (AE) technique for detecting and monitoring damages and the progress on damages in different structures is widely used and has earned a reputation as one of the most reliable and well-established technique in non-destructive testing (NDT). Acoustic Emission is a very efficient and effective technology used for fracture behavior and fatigue detection in metals, fiberglass, wood, composites, ceramics, concrete and plastics. It can also be used for detecting faults and pressure leaks in vessels, tanks, pipes, as well as for monitoring the progression of corrosion in welding. This paper reviews major research developments over the past few years in application of acoustic emission in numerous engineering fields, including manufacturing, civil, aerospace and material engineering.
Acoustic emission tests are highly relevant among nondestructive tests applied in equipment for the petroleum industry. This paper presents methodologies for the classification of acoustic emission patterns obtained in tests to identify propagation of defects in pressurized tubes. This work is a continuation of previous research. However, to estimate the accuracy of the classification and give greater reliability to previous results use is made of new signals with a greater number of parameters, and some new methodologies not used in the previous paper are presented. The new results show the efficiency of the pattern classification methods implemented and encourage the present publication.
2009
For decades now, acoustic emission (AE) testing of pressure vessels has been used in France, Europe and the rest of the world. There are several regulatory rules, codes and standards worldwide, which define the application rules of this method. Since 2004, France has officially adopted a Best Practices Guideline [1] used as a reference for customers and service providers to apply this technology to various pressure vessels. According to the Guideline, like several other European (European standards) or American (ASME) codes, AE testing can be applied based on two techniques (zonal location method and planar source location by triangulation method). However, no comparative study of their performance, thus enabling their assessment, has been carried out. By means of simple simulation calculations, this study highlights the significant differences in performance between these two techniques. The effects of other fundamental parameters, for example, acquisition threshold, are also quant...
Pipeline Health Integrity Monitoring (PHIM) Based on Acoustic Emission Technique
Volume 5: High-Pressure Technology; ASME NDE Division, 2012
The Acoustic Emission (AE) technique allows taking under control the damage as superficial flaws (S-Flaws) occurred during service operation of remarkable zones of steel components, monitoring the initiation and the propagation of critical defects, submitted to static or variable stresses and aggressive environment exposure. In the framework of the eni gas&power research project oriented to the development of a "AE methodology" for monitoring critical sections of gas transmission pipelines, a study has been carried out jointly with Centro Sviluppo Materiali (CSM), aimed to investigate reliability and applicability of the AE technique to steels used in the Oil&Gas industry. Steel grades API 5L X65, X80 and X100, representative of traditional and new gas pipelines, have been selected. The project was scheduled investigating the potential of these steels to release elastic waves generated by sources of damage related to ductile or brittle fracture mechanisms. Hydraulic tests until failure were carried out on single pipes using steel grade API 5L X65 for monitoring the growing of the damage on the tip of artificial surface notches (S-flaw), machined on the wall thickness [1]. Water was used as internal fluid and temperature effect was considered as well. The capability of the AE technique to discriminate ductile and brittle fractures, the essential information to approach an integrity assessment procedure, was achieved. This paper, respect to the previous ones [1], extends the AE methodology for monitoring pipelines supplying both oil and gas. In fact a third burst test was carried out filling the pipe by air and the results on this item are presented.
ENG.Ahmed Hatem Yaseen, 2020
Acoustic Emission Testing (AET) is a non-destructive testing that uses stress waves emitted from materials undergoing stress and loads to evaluate and test the damaged areas around structures, big areas, and volumes. This research explains the whole theory behind this non-destructive testing method theoretically and experimentally
An Innovative Ae Technique for the Verification of Underground and Buried Pressure Equipment
LPG is a relatively "clean" form of energy, widely used for industrial applications, domestic heating and transport. Periodic inspection of tanks used for LPG storage is complicated by their underground location preventing "conventional" NDT techniques from being used unless a lengthy and expensive unearthing operation is carried out. An innovative experimental technique based on the Acoustic Emission method has been developed to check the structural integrity and the relative stability of underground and buried LPG storage tanks during service, avoiding digging out. This solution is very cost-effective and fulfills all safety requirements for the customer. A new risk-based procedure has been set up for the evaluation of the integrity of underground tanks, based on a pair of quality indices which take into account several variables. The new procedure is currently being validated via experimental tests on a large number of LPG tanks by comparing the results with t...