24-25 April, 2013 Scanning Microwave Inspection of ...The miniature blue tooth connected EvisiveScan...

8867 Highland Road, #378, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70808 phone (225)769-2780 fax (225)769-2751 www.evisive.com

Nondestructive Testing of Dielectric Materials

24-25 April, 2013

Evisive, Inc.Karl SchmidtDefense Applications Program Manager

Scanning Microwave Inspection of Nonmetallic Components

07th Middle East NDT Conference & Exhibition

16 September 2015

Zool Ihsan Bin Abd Aziz

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Copyright Evisive, Inc. Do not duplicate. All rights reserved

The Authors

Karl Schmidt1, Robert Stakenborghs1, Mahmoud Qreis2, Ali Al-Beed3

1Evisive, Inc.

7353 Highland Road, Suite B-378

Baton Rouge, LA 70808

[email protected]

[email protected]

2Abu Dhabi Polymers Co. Ltd. (Borouge)

P.O. Box 11764 Ruwais, Abu Dhabi

United Arab Emirates

[email protected]

3Saudi K-KEM

Business Executive Center

Dhahran Jubail Expy

Al Jubail 35522

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]



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Introduction

Non-metallic components are important to energy and process industry infrastructure.

However, FRP/GRE, HDPE and reinforced rubber components do not lend themselves

well to conventional nondestructive testing (NDT) methods.

The physics of the scanning microwave NDT method make it possible to accurately

image the volume of these materials, and measure properties, such as thickness or

density.

This presentation will summarize several of recent field applications of the technology in

applications relevant to the energy and process industries.

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FRP CHARACTERISTICS

1. Fiber reinforced polymer composites are made of • Fiber reinforcements

• Resin

• Fillers and additives

2. The fibers provide increased stiffness and tensile

capacity

3. The resin offers high compressive strength and binds

the fibers into a firm matrix

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ADVANTAGES

1. Strong

2. Lightweight

3. Corrosion resistant

4. Less expensive than carbon fiber

5. Non conducting (dielectric)

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USAGE

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FAILURE MODES GRP

1. GRP Similar to concrete

• Plastic matrix OK in compression, weak in tension

• Glass fiber adds tensile strength

2. Some failure modes similar to metals

• Overload

• Too much load results in tearing of glass fiber

• Usually a crushing or moment load

• Often results in delamination

3. Environmental stress corrosion cracking

• Chemical attack weakens glass fibers resulting in

failure at loads well below what would be expected.

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OTHER GRP FAILURE MODES

4. Erosion

• Not unique to GRP

• Leaves the glass fiber

• Not necessarily in original orientation

5. Manufacturing issues

• Resin poor regions

• Weak area due to lack of binder, reacts differently to

load

• Resin rich area

• Weak region to low glass content

• Poor layup practice

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OTHER GRP FAILURE MODES

6. Assembly problems

• Joint adhesive

• Lack of adhesive

• Incomplete adhesive

These are internal defects that are difficult to detect

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The part is bathed in very

low power microwave

energy.

It is below all regulatory

levels presenting no man

hazard, or safety limits.

Energy is reflected at every

change in dielectric

properties, including

geometry, molecular

variations, density, etc.

The combined transmitted

and received energy is

captured to create an

image.

Features in the material,

thickness, density, chemical

differences are all

detectable.

Basic operating principle

Theoretical interference

pattern from point-like

reflector

The interference pattern

from a point-like reflector

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MICROWAVE NDE INSPECTION METHOD

• Current State of the art

Monochromatic, phase coherent electromagnetic

radiation in 5-50 gigahertz frequency range

Sample material is bathed in lower power (milliwatt)

microwave field

Microwave energy reflected and transmitted from

regions of differing dielectric constant

Detectors sense returning microwave energy

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BENEFITS OF A MICROWAVE SYSTEM

1. Microwave energy has good penetrating power

• Effective volumetric inspection at several inches of GRP

2. Easy to operate

• Small portable system

• No couplant required (i.e.- air coupled to part)

3. Unlike ultrasound there is no acoustic impedance mismatch

at the air to material interface so a large percentage of the

microwave energy enters the material

4. Microwave energy is not attenuated to the extent of

ultrasound in composite materials

5. Microwave energy likes air, that is, it is not adversely

impacted by the presence of air in a sample, such as air

bubbles or foam cores.

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Pseudo color is evenly

scaled over voltage range

(+/- 1- V)

1. Gouges on pipe ID

(not visible in photo)

2. Coupling sleeve

edges

3. Fiber alignment in

pipe

4. Adhesive is uneven

5. Joint was rotated

when inserted,

spreading adhesive

1 1

5

5

4

43

22

4

EVISIVE SCAN IMAGE OF A COMPLEX PART

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The phase vector

comparing the signal from

two receiver channels

which are separated by a

known distance contains a

great deal of information

about the part.

Thickness, feature depth

and density, can be directly

measured using appropriate

calibrations.

The theoretical null shifted

phase plane image of a

wedge shape is shown at

right, with a sample wedge

and the actual inspection

data in 3-D view. The

inspection view display

value is actual thickness.

Thickness, depth and density measurement

Thickness presentation of

a fiberglass wedge

Fiberglass wedge sample

Theoretical phase vector pattern for a wedge sample

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Many inspection programs

benefit from a screening

strategy using line scan

inspections to confirm

acceptable locations, and

identify regions for further

investigation.

The miniature blue tooth

connected EvisiveScan

system is designed to

efficiently support these

applications.

The equipment is shown at

the top right, and in use on

a nuclear power plant

expansion joint at the lower

right.

Line Scan Inspection and Screening Equipment

Line scan performance on an expansion joint

EvisiveScan Blue tooth system

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Expansion joint inspection applies a stepped strategy:

Calibrated free-hand Line Scan imaging confirms sound material and detects

features exceeding reporting threshold.

Features exceeding the reference response are investigated by a combination of

visual inspection and local imaging.

This rapidly confirms the acceptability of good joints, and screens possible

defective joints for further attention.

Expansion Joint inspection

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Features exceeding the reference response are investigated by a combination of visual

inspection and local imaging using the Infrared Tracking System.

The tracking camera photo shows the data positions as the yellow trail.

The image’s irregular shape shows the extent of the freehand scan.

The vertical blue and yellow features are the overlap in the expansion joint construction.

This is a required maintenance procedure for US nuclear power plant expansion joints.

Expansion Joint inspection

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FRP piping applications

EvisiveScan is used to efficiently monitor

condition of FRP piping in firewater,

seawater, grey water and other systems.

The instrument is calibrated to directly

measure and display thickness, and

recorded as an electronic strip chart.

Productivity of 50 locations in 30 inch

pipe in 7 days, including two full image

scans is typical.

The line scan screening approach cost

effectively confirms acceptable

locations, and identifies locations

requiring further investigation.

For FRP pipe applications, imaging with

the pipe scanner is the most frequently

applied investigation technique.

Line scan patterns

Line scan data (90-180 quadrant)

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Pipe Scanning equipment

For large diameter pipe, such as in typical seawater systems, the

EvisiveScan Pipe Scanner Systems are used. These include the large

diameter system shown above, and a companion system for small

diameter piping.

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FRP pipe joint inspection

EvisiveScan was used to inspect field

overwrap joints in 20 inch FRP piping

in a seawater system.

A typical joint is shown at upper right.

The scan image of an acceptable

overwrap joint is shown at lower right.

The variations in background gray are

surface irregularities in the hand

layup. The circumferential (horizontal

in the image) light and dark features

are artifacts of the overwrap layup

over the joint.

Inspection of 20 joints (each 20 inches

wide and 20 inches in diameter,

including 32 separate scanner

positions was accomplished in 10

working days. Circumference

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FRP pipe joint inspection

This type of inspection requires verifying system performance on a reference standard

with known defects of varying dimension and depth in the material. This demonstrates

detection and resolution of the marginal and sub-marginal defects, confirming the

integrity of the inspection.

.

Circumference

A scan image of an overwrap with suspected degradation is presented below.

The defects, which include delamination and possible internal liquid intrusion,

appear as large light regions in this image.

Calibration scan image

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Phase (θ) image of FRP

sodium hypochlorite

tank wall directly

presents thickness.

Magnitude (R) image of

the same scan shows

detail of the osmotic

blistering and repairs

Thickness measurement in sodium hypochlorite tank

The scan information is used to characterize

defects and precisely measure wall thickness.

in FRP components.

The phase image can be directly presented in

thickness, with high precision.

The Magnitude image defines feature attributes.

A scanner is shown mounted on the vessel .

Internal photograph of

the tank wall showing

blisters and repairs. (Not

at the scan location.)

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Feature imaging in an FRP tank

Scan positions were

correlated to the inside

diameter and defects

visually corroborated, or

confirmed to be mid-wall.

Internal photograph

The tank was examined from the outside surface, using the Infrared

Tracking Camera system for free-hand position data. The two channel

images are shown below with the position information. The camera image

shows the surface markings for the scan location.

External photograph

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.

Clockspring / overwrap repair inspection

A failed clockspring repair was destructively

examined to validate the NDT data and strategy.

The photos at left show the clockspring orientation

and failure location.

Sections at good, poorly bonded, and failed

locations in the clock spring overwrap illustrate

the ability to detect initial quality and deterioration

of an overwrap repair.

This repair failed

because the

overwrap was not

bonded well to the

pipe.

Early detection

bond quality is

essential to

assuring repair

integrity.

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HDPE piping applications

Inspection of HDPE pipe thermal fusion joints is

accomplished with the pipe scanning system, at very efficient

rates. The joints are imaged, and proprietary software

calculates an acceptance profile of the joint, all in near real

time.

This process has been validated through destructive

examination of many joint samples, providing a unique basis

for joint integrity determination. Failed tensile samples for the

imaged joint are shown at right.

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HDPE piping applications

Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) has recommended EvisiveScan inspection of

HDPE pipe base material in certain critical applications for detection of “windowing”,

(uneven distribution of carbon black, and uneven melt of pellets). This condition makes

it impossible to achieve desired thermal fusion weld parameters, and joint quality.

The scan image (above) of a sample provided by EPRI, includes examples of both

localized absence of carbon black and uneven melt of pellets.

Application of initial quality inspection for windowing has commenced in US commercial

applications.

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Conclusion

The microwave testing method has been dramatically advanced since

last reported to the Middle East NDT Conference and Exhibition. Today,

the method is recognized by ASNT, and the method committee is actively

developing training, certification and reference materials.

Field applications now include thousands of field applications in rubber

expansion joints; fiber reinforced plastic, high density polyethylene

vessels and pipes.

The method provides a new solution to NDT challenges in inspection of

nonmetallic components.

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Publication

Since this work was last reported at Middle East NDT Conference and

Exhibition:

ASNT has formed the Microwave Test Method Committee,

Microwave requirements have been input to SNT-TC-1A and CP-

105.

the Microwave Method Compendium is a work in progress,

input to CP-189 will conform with publication of the next edition,

Microwave Testing has been included in the ASNT Industry

Handbook Aerospace NDT, and a Microwave Testing Handbook is

anticipated in the not too distant future.

EPRI has required use of the method in certain critical

applications,

ASME has incorporated use of the method in a mandatory

appendix for certain critical applications.

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Next Steps

Thank you for your interest and your time. We welcome your questions.

Together we can use EvisiveScan™ microwave NDT to assess the condition of

dielectric material systems and achieve asset integrity management for those

systems and components.

We look forward to addressing your application challenges.

Contact: Mr. Ali Al Beed, [email protected], +966-13-3448522

Contact: Mr. Karl Schmidt, [email protected], +1 215 962 0658

www.saudikkem.com www.evisive.com







http://www.saudikkem.com/

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24-25 April, 2013 Scanning Microwave Inspection of ...The miniature blue tooth connected EvisiveScan...

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