COMPOSITE ASSET MANAGEMENT
KEYWORDS
Composite inspection | Composite asset management | FRP inspection | FRP pipe inspection | FRP tank inspection
Microwave FRP inspection | Microwave composite NDE | Microwave FRP NDE
MICROWAVE COMPOSITE NDE
EvisiveScan™ is the most advanced composite inspection technology currently available. Using our patented microwave NDE method, full volumetric inspection of most fiber reinforced plastic materials (FRP) is possible. It is also possible to determine absolute thickness or remaining wall for such product forms as piping and tanks with access to only a single side of the part. Such common issues as erosion, chemical attack and osmotic blistering can be quickly and inexpensively detected and characterized. Once the current condition is understood, an engineering analysis can be performed and provided to the asset owner and the current and future acceptability of condition can be tracked and managed.
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As an example, an external inspection was performed on a cooling tower riser pipe system in a commercial nuclear power plant in the US. The results established that there were osmotic blisters occurring on the pipe ID, caused by high concentrations of water treatment chemicals resulting from operation at high cycles of make-up water concentration (insufficient blow-down volume). The EvisiveScan™ inspection image can be seen below, both in gray scale and false color.
This technique permits a determination of “distance to the blister”, essentially remaining thickness of uncompromised FRP, from phase information collected from multiple microwave detectors during inspection. Once the remaining uncompromised thickness is known, acceptability can be determined through analysis, using operating pressure, temperature and detailed material properties. Through repeat inspections, degradation rates can be established which permit scheduling of timely repairs or other remediation with minimal risk of in-service failure.
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A standard EvisiveScan™ inspection report would include details of as-found condition, any condition change since the last inspection and recommended maintenance actions and schedule. In this way, your composite assets can be managed with maximum reliability and safety, minimizing the need for human entrance and visual inspection.
EvisiveScan™ inspection can be applied to FRP materials manufactured from many different resin and fiber systems and can be performed without removing the piping or tanks from service.