AUT High Temperature Applications

Corrosion Mapping (C-Scan)

Ring Groove Cracking (MUT)
Phased Array Exams (PA)

Presented by: David Bajula

Director – Advanced NDT Services
ASNT/ACCP Level III
API-510, QUTE
AWS-CWI
NDT, Inspection and Materials Engineering a Rockwood Company
 Agenda
• High Temperature AUT
– Corrosion Mapping
• Examples
• Preparation, Operation, Safety & other Details
– Ring Groove Cracking
• Examples & Details
– Phased Array Exams (if time allows)
• Latest in Phased Array development!

NDT, Inspection and Materials Engineering a Rockwood Company

High Temp. Corrosion Mapping

• Corrosion Mapping is one of the most

widely used forms of AUT.

NDT, Inspection and Materials Engineering a Rockwood Company

HOT AUT Corrosion Mapping

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NDT, Inspection and Materials Engineering a Rockwood Company
 Hot AUT Corrosion Mapping
Why do Corrosion Mapping (C-Scan)?
1000’ – 2000’ of piping with corrosion?
1) The major issue is down time
2) Impractical to replace all of the piping
or run a parallel line
3) GUI not practical…too HOT & holes!
4) Monitoring and prediction of
corrosion rates with AUT is easy.
5) Ability to scan the line WITHOUT
impacting process.
6) Plan strategically sleeving and
sectional replacement with minimal
down time.

NDT, Inspection and Materials Engineering a Rockwood Company

 AUT Pulse-Echo Exams

• Tower at 550° F…suspected corrosion

and then more importantly, able to
monitor ONSTREAM.

600°F +

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NDT, Inspection and Materials Engineering a Rockwood Company
 High Temperature C-Scan

400°F

NDT, Inspection and Materials Engineering a Rockwood Company

 High Temperature C-Scan

NDT, Inspection and Materials Engineering a Rockwood Company

 High Temperature C-Scan

Lowest ‘T’ Location

NDT, Inspection and Materials Engineering a Rockwood Company

 Special High Temp AUT Equipment

Exchanger is 600°F

NDT, Inspection and Materials Engineering a Rockwood Company

 Safety
• Personnel Safety Concerns
– Physical burns (component, hot oil couplant)
– Heat Exhaustion (exposure to ambient temperatures)
– Additional high-temperature gear sometimes needed.
• Equipment Safety
– Scanner electronics (duty cycles, tracks, etc.)
– Umbilical Cables (high temperature materials, tygon)
– Transducers (special wedge materials, duty cycle)
– Couplant (special, costly, recovery?)
• Permitting
– Generally HOT work permit required
– Live equipment considerations for severely damaged
equipment, etc,; rigorous JSA program.
NDT, Inspection and Materials Engineering a Rockwood Company
Technician Skill & Training Requirements
• Senior AUT Specialist
– Generally the most experienced Level II specialists
– Efficient system operation is a must - QUICKNESS
– Ability to adapt to hazardous environments
• Additional Training Requirements
– Physical Fitness of technician may be considered
– Training in temperature compensations; although less
of an issue now with enhanced software.
– Additional level of skill for equipment troubleshooting,
maintenance and repair.

NDT, Inspection and Materials Engineering a Rockwood Company

Planning a typical High-Temp AUT job

• Client Requirements
– What is the material; Carbon Steel, Stainless, etc.
– What is the upper temperature (skin temperature)
– Access conditions; typically not a problem due to
insulation removal requirements. What about a cool
down area?
– Insulation removal – sometimes strategic insulation
removal can save equipment, etc.
– Surface preparations is PARAMOUNT to collection of
good data.
– Is night time support available?
– About a 2x in cost compared to ambient – In-service!
NDT, Inspection and Materials Engineering a Rockwood Company
Planning a typical High-Temp AUT job

AUT Team Preparedness & project planning

– Do we need a 3 man team (normal), 2 man team (rarely)
or 4 man team (occasionally)
– Is access & surface conditioning adequate.
– Temperature – the right probe & couplant selection!
– Equipment readiness & thermal protection; will we need
backup equipment; probes, etc?
– Previous data, is it a repeat exam, previous reports?
– Reporting needs, are excel outputs required, data
merges, etc.
– Is night time support available?

NDT, Inspection and Materials Engineering a Rockwood Company

High Temp C-Scan Summary
A very reliable method for;
• Assessing & Monitoring corrosion on-stream,
• Minimizing down time and/or forced temperature drops that
were previously required for inspection.

Temperatures Limitations (F);

• Ambient to 350° No Limitations
• 351°F to 600° Practical
• 601°F to 750° Manageable
• Above 750° Requires additional equipment
engineering considerations.

Reliable, repeatable and provides REAL Data!

NDT, Inspection and Materials Engineering a Rockwood Company

 Ring Groove (RTJ) Flanges

NDT, Inspection and Materials Engineering a Rockwood Company

 Ring Groove (RTJ) Flanges

NDT, Inspection and Materials Engineering a Rockwood Company

 Ring Groove (RTJ) Flanges

NDT, Inspection and Materials Engineering a Rockwood Company

Ring Grove (RTJ) Summary
• Standard High Temp. 0 Degree techniques have
proven to be reliable up to 1000F….
• Tremendous cost savings coupled with
enhanced safety and operation of equipment
can be realized with a Flange Inspection
program.
• Although the technique is fairly simple, like most
UT, operator skill levels should be considered.
• Phased Array could be used to perform this
inspection…!

NDT, Inspection and Materials Engineering a Rockwood Company

PAUT Data overlaid on Nozzle weld

T-Waves

Fillet weld toe crack. Direction of propagation is perpendicular, towards head.

NDT, Inspection and Materials Engineering a Rockwood Company
Phased Array…what you see is what you get!
Flange Inspection (Corrosion)

Corrosion

Flange face

Depth: 0.050”

Length from I.D.: 0.250”

NDT, Inspection and Materials Engineering a Rockwood Company

 High Temp Phased Array
A 321 Spun Cast Stainless Mixing Tee with
cracking issues!
•MUT and TOFD ineffective
•Elevated temperature to 600F Crack Tip
.100”

Crack Tip
.250” I.D.

Crack Tip
.500”
Successful at 600F with PA
using special HT probes,
wedges and equipment

NDT, Inspection and Materials Engineering a Rockwood Company

 The High-Temp Challenge
•Very difficult material
•Very critical component
•Onstream exam a must!
•Special PA technique

NDT, Inspection and Materials Engineering a Rockwood Company

 347H Stainless Pump 400°to 900°F

NDT, Inspection and Materials Engineering a Rockwood Company