Application Note

Inspecting Lead-Clad
Pipes with PEC
The most effective way to minimize the risk of unnecessary shut- Lyft is capable of scanning wall
The Challenge
downs and accidents caused by corrosion under insulation (CUI) thicknesses up to 64mm Reliably detecting CUI in
is to periodically inspect the condition of insulated equipment and (2.5in) through insulation up the presence of lead
piping. to 203mm (8in) thick, over sheathing without
aluminum, stainless steel, and
stripping pipes.
The Challenge galvanized steel weather jack-
ets.
Industrial installations sometimes generate noise loud enough to
be considered hazardous for worker health and safety. Turbulence Lyft features real-time C-scan The Solution
caused by fluids and vibrations in pipes are two major sources of imaging and A-scan analysis,
Using an inspection
industrial noise. Where noise control is important, it is not grid mapping and dynamic
scanning (unique to the solu- technique unaffected by
uncommon to find pipes wrapped in noise-dampening layers
between the conventional insulation layer and the weather jacket. tion), and it can acquire data at the presence of lead
up to 15readings per second. pulsed eddy current.
Noise-dampening layers typically include an acoustical barrier
made of dense, soft material muffling sound and lessening vibra- Probe shoes enable operation
tion. Up to end of 20 th century, lead sheets were the go-to method on surfaces as hot as 120C
(248F). They also attenuate
The Benefits
of performing this task because they are flexible, easy to wrap
around pipes, and offer excellent noise attenuation properties. the vibrations induced by Faster, more accurate,
Despite concerns over lead exposure and regulatory restrictions, pulsed eddy currents in galva- less user dependent
it is still quite common to find lead-clad pipes in installations over nized steel weather jackets. solution that does not
15 years old. Through SmartPULSE tech- require stripping to
Common techniques used to look for CUI (visual inspection, nology, the Lyft software fea- detect CUI over lead
phased-array UT, etc.) involve time-consuming and costly strip- tures automation and sheathing.
ping. One common alternative to avoid stripping the insulation advanced algorithms that
over pipes is radiography. However, due to its high density, lead is remove operator-specif ic
particularly effective in blocking X-rays, seriously hampering the dependence. SmartPULSE automatically optimizes pulser and
use of the technique. receiver parameters (gain, duration, time gates, filters, etc.). It
also optimizes wall thickness (WT) measurements, which ensures
The Solution the best performance and repeatability, while limiting the need for
advanced knowledge of PEC.
Lead is weakly diamagnetic and poorly conductive, so it does not
interfere with pulsed eddy currents (PEC), making the Lyft PEC The impact of lead cladding was assessed experimentally on a
solution an excellent option to inspect lead-wrapped pipes for reference pipe featuring two square defects with a remaining wall
CUI without strip- thickness of 60% 5%, 6.5cm2 (1in2) and 26cm2 (4in2) in area. The
ping the cladding first C-scan shows results from a pipe covered with 51mm (2in)
and weather jacket.
Lyft is a high-perfor-
mance system rein-
venting PEC. This
complete solution
comes with a state-
of-the-art portable
instrument and
comprehensive set
of probes.
 thick insulation and an aluminum weather jacket. The second
C-scan shows results from the same pipe covered with a 0.8mm
The Benefits
(0.03in) lead sheet under the aluminum jacket. The Lyft solution offers a number of benefits:
The two C-scans are essentially identical. So, it is safe to assume No strippingUnlike other inspection techniques, PEC
that the lead sheet does not decrease the measurements signal does not require stripping the insulation, fireproofing, or
to-noise ratio. coatings from the surface under test, making it faster and
more cost effective.
In addition, yellow values on the C-scans show that the com-
pensated wall thickness tool successfully finds the reference High-quality dataDespite the presence of lead, where
wall thickness value within 5% even if both defects are smaller radiography is ineffective, acquired data shows no
than the probes footprint. significant signs of attenuation or deterioration compared
to data acquired without lead.
Lesser operator dependenceLyft
automatically optimizes parameters
and measurements, ensuring
repeatability and performance.
No H&S issuesUnlike
radiography, PEC does not pose any
hazard to the health of its users or
the environment it is used in.
Easy deploymentThe entire
solution is portable, light, compact
and fast to deploy for improved
productivity.

This is just a fraction of what we do. Chal-

lenge us with your project specifications.

51mm (2in) insulation and

aluminum weather jacket

51mm (2in) insulation, 1mm (0.04in)

lead sheet, aluminum weather jacket

Eddyfi NDT, Inc. Eddyfi and its associated logo are registered trademarks of Eddyfi NDT, Inc.
Lyft, SmartPULSE, and their associated logos are trademarks or registered trademarks or Eddyfi
International LLC. Eddyfi reserves the right to change product offerings and specifications without
notice.
info@eddyfi.com www.eddyfi.com 2016-10-31