New Developments in Pipe-Wall

Assessment Technologies
Peter O Paulson
C.E.O., C.T.O.
Pure Technologies Ltd.
FREE-SWIMMING TOOLS

FOR PIPES 12 TO 120

-CAN TRAVERSE VALVES IN LINES 16 DIA. AND

LARGER OR OPEN PIPES 12 DIA. AND LARGER

- LINED CYLINDER PIPE

- PRE-STRESSED PIPE
- METALLIC PIPE
- WASTEWATER PIPE

CAN OPERATE OVER LONG DISTANCES FROM A

SINGLE INSERTION

New Developments for in-line Pipe

Wall Assessment Technologies
 Electromagnetic Sensing
EM Enhanced EM
Broken wires / bars Broken wires / bars
Area of cylinder Area of cylinder
corrosion, especially corrosion, anywhere
crown and bottom around circumference
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image may have been corrupted. Restart your computer, and then open the file again. If the red x still
appears, you may have to delete the image and then insert it again.
PipeDiver Tool Typical Layout

New Developments for in-line

Pipe Wall Assessment Technologies
Free-Swimming Tools

8 Tee
Robotic Tools
PureRobotics - 24 Bar-Wrapped Pipe
 36 Bar-Wrapped Pipe

18X12 60% 7X7 100% 12X12 50% 7X10 40% 14X12 60%

5 Broken bars
48 Steel Pipe

10x1 7x7 4x4 1x1

0, , 50% , 50% , 50%
50%
36 Ductile Iron Pipe
Mini-PipeDiver - 20 Steel Pipe

8 Tee
PipeDiver - 30 Bar-Wrapped Pipe

Localized Cylinder Anomaly

 Extra High Resolution
Magnetic Flux Leakage Tools
Can operate through mortar lining
Exquisite pipe detail pipe wall spacing
Assesses size and depth of flaws
Finds flaws on inside and outside of pipe wall
Large full bore tools can be passed in through
manholes and assembled

New Developments for in-line Pipe

Wall Assessment Technologies
 XHR MFL Inline Tools

8 Tool Shown
Others to 78 Diameter

New Developments for in-line Pipe

Wall Assessment Technologies
 XHR MFL
54 Towed
tool shown
Uses over 600
sensors
Produces the
best data in the
industry

New Developments for in-line Pipe

Wall Assessment Technologies
 Extra High ResolutionMagnetic
Flux Leakage Tools
New to the water industry
Can operate through mortar lining
Exquisite pipe detail pipe wall spacing
Assesses position, size and depth of flaws
Finds flaws on inside and outside wall
Large full bore tools can be passed in
through manholes and assembled
New Developments for in-line Pipe
Wall Assessment Technologies
 Extra High Resolution MFL Plot
Showing (Left to Right) a 6 ft section of a 24 Dia. Steel
Pipe with a wall thickness
Length(inch) Width(inch) Depth(% of wall thickness)

A 1 1 74%
B 1 1 60%
C 1.4 2.6 40%
D 1.5 2.5 42%
E 2.1 5.9 18%

New Developments for in-line Pipe

Wall Assessment Technologies
 Acoustic Pipe Wall Assessment
Will work in all pipe types
not all tested yet
Averages data over distance between
emitter and receiver
Recent work highlights High Resolution
(Called High Resolution Acoustic PWA)
that uses shorter sensor-emitter separations.

New Developments for in-line Pipe

Wall Assessment Technologies
 Acoustic PWA uses
The change in velocity of an acoustic wave
produced by changes in the pipe wall

New Developments for in-line Pipe

Wall Assessment Technologies
300mm D.I. Pipe
 Sahara
High
Resolution
PWA Probe

New Developments for in-line Pipe

Wall Assessment Technologies
 High ResoluMon AcousMc PWA Response to
Eight Thrust Anchors Outside the pipe
Using Sahara Tethered PWA Tool
(30 PCCP)
1350

1300
Pulse Travel Interval (sec)

1250

1200

1150

1100

1050

1000
100 110 120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200
PosiMon (m)
 Summary of New Developments for
in-line Pipe Wall Assessment
High Resolution E.M. Tools (metallic and prestressed pipes)
Free Floating E.M. Tools (metallic and prestressed pipes)
Robotic EM Tools (metallic and pre-stressed pipes)
Extra High Resolution MFL Tools (metallic pipes and mortar-
lined metallic pipes)
High Resolution Acoustic PWA Tools (all pipes)

New Developments for in-line Pipe

Wall Assessment Technologies