A pulsed eddy current sensor for UAV deployed pipe thickness measurement

Taiyi Zhao*, Robert Watson, Dayi Zhang, Ross McMillan, Walter Galbraith, Charles MacLeod, Ehsan Mohseni, Gordon Dobie

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

13 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

The necessity to inspect essential infrastructure such as oil and gas pipelines for wear, and deterioration highlights the critical role of enhancing Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) methods. Routine inspection for wall thinning is essential for monitoring the structural integrity of these assets and preventing serious accidents. Given the challenges of manned access to these assets, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) equipped with high-resolution cameras are increasingly being adopted as a safer and more efficient alternative for remote inspections. However, their inability to detect sub-surface defects or assess thickness under coatings restricts their applicability. Pulsed Eddy Current (PEC) technology provides a promising solution, capable of assessing thickness beneath coatings and addressing the shortcomings of camera-based inspections. Traditional PEC systems are effective but bulky and difficult to incorporate within mobile platforms, limiting their versatility and ease of deplorability. This paper presents a novel, compact PEC sensor system to address these challenges, enhancing PEC inspections for mobile platforms. The system can be effectively mounted on a crawler-hybrid UAV, facilitating detailed 360-degree inspections of pipe surfaces. Findings detail the autonomous deployment of this PEC system via a UAV for the non-intrusive assessment of wall thickness. Finite element analysis was used for the design and performance evaluation of the PEC system. Integrated with a multirotor-crawler UAV engineered for navigating through complex pipeline environments, this mobile PEC system can conduct thorough evaluations of steel pipeline wall thinning. The system delivers a sensing method that achieves accurate thickness measurements, with errors under 4.8%, facilitating reliable and comprehensive asset inspections.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)33326-33335
Number of pages10
JournalIEEE Sensors Journal
Volume24
Issue number20
Early online date2 Sept 2024
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 15 Oct 2024

Keywords

  • pulsed eddy current
  • unmanned aerial vehicles
  • wall thinning
  • non-destructive testing
  • corrosion detection
  • automated inspection

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'A pulsed eddy current sensor for UAV deployed pipe thickness measurement'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this