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MATERIAL MATTERS Continued from page 19
the system moves on to the next pipe segment until the entire length of the pipeline is sampled. Each driver and receiver coil can be
equipped with a low-level radio transmit- ter that communicates wirelessly. The averaged magnetic signals are sent wire- lessly to a central control system and stored in a computerized database. The signals are then analyzed by a software
program developed by 4D Imaging to determine the level of corrosion for each pipeline segment. According to Singer, the system completely measures both the internal and external pipe surface of each pipeline segment for corrosion, which is reported as a percentage of the pipe's original wall thickness that is gone. He adds that the system can detect metal loss as low as 0.05% of the original wall thick-
ness. Output information, which can be viewed on any computer screen by ac- cessing a secure Internet site, is plotted on a graph positioned alongside a sche- matic image of the pipeline to illustrate the location and degree of pipeline dete- rioration, as well as indicate any changes in the mechanical health of the pipeline. The system can provide continuous monitoring and allows the operator to schedule the activation of pipe segment sampling and frequency of output up- dates, as well as set up an alarm system that immediately communicates when detected metal loss reaches a certain percentage.
The monitoring technology can provide a real-time
visual representation of a pipeline's percentage of
metal loss, giving pipeline operators the ability to immediately assess the health of a pipeline.
The magnetic response imaging sys-
tem is designed to be used on bare, coated, or insulated steel pipelines, buried or aboveground, with diameters ranging from 2 to 42 in (51 to 1,067 mm) and at temperatures ranging from –73 to 482 °C. The system has been tested on 2-in to 12-in (305-mm) diameter pipes encased in 2-in thick insulation with an aluminum jacket in temperatures ranging from 4 to 343 °C, but has not yet been installed on a commercial pipeline. Cur- rently, 4D Imaging is responding to re- quests for proposals. Contact Jerome Singer, 4D Imaging—e-mail: jsinger@4dimaging.com.
Bibliography Singer, J.R., G. Stevick, D. Rondinone, D. King, and J. Zalabak. "Insulated Pipeline Health Monitoring Using the MRI Sys- tem." Pipelines International Digest 9 (2011): pp. 8-9.
—K.R. Larsen 20 MATERIALS PERFORMANCE April 2012 NACE International, Vol. 51, No. 4