MEASURE CORROSION
RATES IN WEEKS
In-service wall thickness monitoring using
pulsed eddy current (PEC) technology
IN-SERVICE MONITORING:
CORROSION AND EROSION RATES
PEC technology: A cost-effective alternative
to other monitoring methods
Dangerous levels of pipe wall loss have been detected, but
Shell Global Solutions PEC monitoring technology offers
how fast is your pipework corroding? Pulsed eddy current
an attractive alternative to existing monitoring methods. The
(PEC) monitoring from Shell Global Solutions can help to give
technique has excellent reproducibility, typically 0.2% of
you prompt answers, without interrupting your operations.
wall thickness, and enables wall loss rates to be determined
Changing process temperatures and crude diets may lead to
over short periods. For example, a corrosion rate change of
temporarily high rates of corrosion, which if undetected
0.5 mm/yr can be detected over a five-week period. The
can result in expensive failures. Unexpected erosion or the
unit is portable, which means that repeat measurements can
change from dry- to wet-gas operation in pipelines can also
be rapidly taken using a single tool across different sites
lead to dangerously rapid rates of wall loss. To help reduce
where positioning frames or centre pop-mark indents identify
the risks of failure and enable you to plan maintenance, the
precise locations.
rates of wall loss need to be measured in the shortest possible
period of time.
Accessibility and safety issues often limit the use of
radiography, and conventional ultrasonic methods cannot
identify small rate changes over relatively short periods
of time. Furthermore, fixed electrical conductivity systems
require tag welding, which may interfere with operations
and makes these systems inherently inflexible.
Rapid results using mobile PEC units
A PEC probe is placed by the wall being inspected, and a
pulsed magnetic field is emitted that penetrates coatings to
induce eddy currents in the steel. Receiver coils in the PEC
probe sense these eddy currents, which can then be related
to the average wall thickness over the probes footprint.
PEC monitoring allowed operations to continue right up to a planned
shutdown and helped to minimise the length of this shutdown, which
saved millions of dollars in lost revenue
Andr Landman, plant inspector, Pernis refinery
The PEC tool has been a powerful help in obtaining
corrosion trends at 300C
Head of materials and corrosion, a large chemical complex
In-service monitoring prevents
disruption to operations
How PEC technology works
PEC technology can be installed and applied while the
measuring the wall thickness of steel objects without
pipe or vessel is in service, even when operating at high
direct contact with the steel. Measurements can be
temperatures, so there is no loss of production. Welding
recorded with air, soil, water or corrosion product
is not required, which eliminates the associated costs and
between the steel and the sensor. The PEC sensor
safety issues, and surface preparation is unnecessary, as
emits powerful electromagnetic pulses that induce
measurements can be made through paint or coating layers
eddy currents in the steel. The diffusion rate of the eddy
and corrosion products up to 20mm thick.
currents is measured to determine the steels thickness.
PEC technology is an inspection technique for
At hazardous or inaccessible locations, fixed, relatively
low-cost PEC units can be used with connection cables
over 50 m long to allow remote measurement; for example,
in monitoring subsea steel items or high-temperature units
(tested to 420C), or at those locations where scaffolding
would otherwise be needed.
Benefits of PEC technology for
wall thickness monitoring
Enables wall thickness monitoring of in-service equipment
Portable PEC unit can be used by any lone worker
PEC probe held
in position by a
positioning frame.
throughout the plant
Leaves coatings and paint intact
Works on high-temperature surfaces (tested to 420C)
Developed to enable prompt remedial action to be taken
PEC technology a successful track record
by providing rapid results, typically 10 times faster than
Serious wall loss had become apparent in a clients high-
with ultrasonic techniques
temperature equipment, and it was impossible to isolate
Designed to increase confidence in lifetime estimates,
which may lead to extension of run times
the equipment and undertake the remedial work. Could
operations safely continue until the next planned shutdown?
The customer needed to know the remaining equipment
10.0
lifetime and the effects of the corrective measures. PEC
In another case, the effectiveness of corrosion inhibition
9.9
0.15 mm/yr
was monitored by fast and accurate wall thickness
measurements. Accurate in-service monitoring was provided
by PEC technology. Measurements recorded over 500 days
9.8
9.7
0
100
showed a five-month period with a corrosion rate of
1 June
1 January
PEC wall thickness (mm)
corrosion monitoring provided that information.
200
300
Days
approximately 0.15 mm/yr. Such detailed data helped the
client to handle the corrosion of the equipment better.
400
500
600
Figure 1: PEC corrosion monitoring has detected corrosion from
January through to June, but not before or after. The corrosion was
attributed to changes in operating conditions. Note the expanded
wall thickness scale.
Please contact Shell Global Solutions for further information
Shell Global Solutions International BV
Tel: +31 70 377 2470
Shell Global Solutions (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd
Tel: +60 3 2170 3888
Shell Global Solutions (US) Inc.
Tel: +1 281 544 8844
Email us at
[email protected]Or visit our website at www.shellglobalsolutions.com
Shell Global Solutions is a network of independent technology companies in
the Royal Dutch/Shell Group. In this brochure, the expression Shell Global
Solutions is sometimes used for convenience where reference is made to these
companies in general, or where no useful purpose is served by identifying a
particular company.
This document is intended for general information purposes only and does not
in any way constitute an offer to provide specific services. Some services may
not be available in certain countries or political subdivisions thereof.
All the quotations in this document have been reproduced with the kind
permission of our customers.
OG0121910704-En(A)
