A New Generation of Predictive NDE Sensor Technologies

Introduction

The rapid growth of networked devices is changing society and industry in ways we have only begun to feel. Networked sensors are showing up in our cars, pockets, houses, hospitals, offices, and are projected to find widespread application in industry. Think of the iPhone, Nest thermostat, iWatch, OnStar, fitness bands, and medical devices; sensor devices are literally showing up everywhere, and most are connected to the Internet (directly or through other devices). The total number of Internet connected devices is growing rapidly. From 2014 to 2015, 30% growth is projected (from 3.7 billion to 4.9 billion). By 2020, over 25 billion connected devices will be used globally (about 3 for every person on Earth). Many of those will be used in industrial applications; therefore it is critical that new technologies are available to monitor personnel and equipment and provide useful data. Similarly, the future of inspection will be based on predictive and proactive technologies that effectively monitor material properties of structures and systems over their entire service life.

This is part 1 of a 4-part series that will evaluate next-generation NDE inspection technologies. We start the series with an overview of how integrity management capabilities will be improved as networks of connected smart sensors become more mainstream. Parts 2-4 will explore various next generation inspection technologies in more detail.

The Next Generation of Inspection

The 1900’s saw the rise of the first NDE technologies and implementation of reactive maintenance plans in many industries. Reactive maintenance is when industry reacts to failures or flaws when they occur; it is the simplest, but least efficient or effective way to run a facility. Operators quickly realized that the ability to predict failures could make their lives much easier and reduce downtime dramatically, and that led to predictive inspection technologies and processes.