51313-02644-Corrosion Monitoring of a Polymer Coated Subsea Pipe with Ultrasound

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Product Number: 51313-02644-SG

ISBN: 02644 2013 CP

Author: Ingar Stian Nerbø

Publication Date: 2013

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Ultrasound is a standard method in non-destructive testing to measure the wall thickness of steel pipes. By placing a measurement probe on the outside of the pipe the wall thickness can be measured while the pipe is in operation. Permanently mounted ultrasound probes can be used for highly sensitive wall thickness monitoring being able to detect wall thickness changes down to the micrometer. The high sensitivity allows for rapid determination of corrosion rates which could give feedback on the effect of inhibitor chemicals.
For subsea applications steel pipes are often covered by an insulating coating. Such a coating makes thickness measurements with ultrasound more challenging as the coating usually is of a material that absorbs ultrasound leading to a lower signal to noise level in the measurement. The coating will also result in additional echoes in the ultrasound signal. These echoes may interfere with the echoes from the steel wall making it more difficult to derive the correct wall thickness from the ultrasound measurement. In this study we have demonstrated that ultrasound can be used for corrosion monitoring of a steel pipe coated by an insulating polymer layer without damaging or removing the coating. The sensitivity of wall thickness measurements of a coated and uncoated steel pipe is compared.