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Ultrasonic Testing (UT)
Definition
Ultrasonic Testing (UT) is a group of nondestructive examination (NDE) techniques that use short, high-frequency ultrasonic waves to identify flaws in a material. They generally work by emitting waves into a material. By measuring these waves, the properties of the material and internal flaws can be identified. Most UT devices consist of many separate units. These can include pulsers and receivers, transducers, and display monitors. The components included depend on the type of UT that the inspector is performing.
There are several different types of ultrasonic testing. These include methods such as Automated Ultrasonic Backscatter Technique (AUBT), Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing (PAUT), Long Range Ultrasonic Testing (LRUT), Internal Rotating Inspection Systems (IRIS), and Time of Flight Diffraction (TOFD).
Automated Ultrasonic Backscatter Technique (AUBT) is a UT technique developed for detecting damage from High-Temperature Hydrogen Attack (HTHA). The technique is for use in pressure vessels and piping. The technique makes use of high frequency, broadband UT probes and a digital oscilloscope. These allow it to provide both an A-Scan display and frequency analysis.
Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing (PAUT) is a UT technique that utilizes a set of UT probes made up of numerous (anywhere from 16 to over 250) small elements. Each of the elements in a PAUT system is able to pulse individually. This is done with computer calculated timing, through a process known as phasing. This allows the system to steer focused beam through various angles and focal distances.
Long Range Ultrasonic Testing (LRUT) is a UT method developed to allow for testing large volumes of material from a single test point. This method works by fixing transducer rings uniformly around a pipe. These rings then generate a series of low frequency guided waves. The waves can then propagate symmetrically along the pipe axis. This provides complete coverage of the pipe wall.
An Internal Rotating Inspection System (IRIS) is an ultrasonic technique used to detect corrosion in piping and tubing. using an internally inserted probe that generates sound waves. The system works by inserting a probe into a flooded pipe. The probe them move through the pipe, scanning as it goes.
Time of Flight Diffraction (TOFD) is a method used to look for flaws in welds. It uses the time of flight of an ultrasonic pulse to find the location of a reflector. To find the TOF, the method uses a pair of ultrasonic transducers. The transmitter emits low frequency waves that propagate at an angle. They only diffract back to the receiver if they hit a defect.
In general, UT has several advantages and disadvantages. It’s useful because it can scan for flaws both on and underneath the surface. It is also useful for it's incredible accuracy. On the other hand, not all materials are receptive to ultrasonic testing. It also has the disadvantage that it requires a good deal of skill and training to perform.
Related Topics
Acoustic Emission Testing (AET) Advanced Ultrasonic Backscatter Technique (AUBT) Eddy Current Array (ECA) Electro Magnetic Acoustic Transducers (EMAT) Guided Wave Ultrasonics (GWUT) Infrared Thermography (IT) Infrared Thermometry Liquid Penetrant Examination (LPE) Magnetic Flux Leakage (MFL) Magnetic Particle Testing (MPT) Meandering Winding Magnetometer Array (MWMA) Pulse Reflectometry Pulsed Eddy Current (PEC) Radiography ThermographySTAY INFORMED WITH RELEVANT INDUSTRY CONTENT
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Articles
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May/June 2017 Inspectioneering JournalBy Geoff Clarkson at UTComp, Inc.
Discover a new ultrasonic inspection approach that provides quantified mechanical integrity and conservative remaining service life information on fiberglass reinforced plastic equipment.
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March/April 2017 Inspectioneering JournalBy Matt Ellinger at DNV GL
The purpose of this article is to describe the various in-line inspection (ILI) technologies that are currently available to the market. The pros, cons, and applicability of each type of tool will be discussed in greater detail.
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March/April 2017 Inspectioneering JournalBy Bob Lasser at Imperium, Inc.
Ultrasonic phased array allow for a variety of structures to be inspected without radiation or taking equipment out of service. Codes are now being developed which allow phased array systems as an acceptable inspection technique for many procedures.
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July/August 2016 Inspectioneering JournalBy Gene Larson at ECHO Ultrasonics
This article details the basis for the lack of understanding about the potential for ultrasonic couplant auto-ignition and outlines an ALARP operating practice for mitigation.
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May/June 2016 Inspectioneering JournalBy Borja Lopez at Innerspec Technologies, Inc.
In the last few years, electromagnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT) has come to prominence for its ability to quickly scan exposed pipelines for corrosion, cracks, and other defects using medium-range guided waves and without the requirement for liquid couplants.
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March/April 2016 Inspectioneering JournalBy Mike Brown at Sentinel Integrity Solutions
While there are many types of advanced NDT, this article will focus on the use of acoustics and electromagnetism as the bases for conducting examinations.
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March/April 2016 Inspectioneering JournalBy Bruce A. Pellegrino at Sensor Networks, Inc., Dr. James N. Barshinger at Sensor Networks, Inc., and Michael Nugent at Equity Engineering Group
While there are many methods for measuring equipment wall thickness, a predominant method used in the O&G and power generation industries is portable ultrasonic equipment. Ultrasonic testing is non-intrusive because it is applied to the outside of a pipe or vessel. It is an accurate and relatively low cost non-destructive examination (NDE) method to deploy in most situations.
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January/February 2016 Inspectioneering JournalBy Dr. Jake Davies at Permasense Ltd.
Fixed equipment in a refinery can be susceptible to corrosion from the process side, necessitating an inspection strategy to understand the condition of that equipment. Online measurement of pipe and pressure vessel wall thickness is made possible by installing wireless, semi-permanent thickness monitoring sensors.
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November/December 2015 Inspectioneering JournalBy Borja Lopez at Innerspec Technologies, Inc.
While they is very efficient and popular, liquid couplants used for ultrasonic inspection have some inherent limitations and disadvantages. An alternative method to using liquid couplant is Dry-Coupled Ultrasonic Testing (DCUT).
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March/April 2015 Inspectioneering JournalBy Ana Benz at IRISNDT, Michael O. Nichols at Marathon Petroleum Company, and Bradley Baudier at Marathon Petroleum Company LP
This article provides a discussion of a recent inspection performed at a U.S. refinery. Industry HF lines are experiencing piping failures in increasing numbers due to the presence of residual elements (such as Cr, Ni, and Cu among others) entrained within their carbon steel components.
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Partner Content
Our proprietary furnace tube inspection system, FTIS™, is an ultrasonic inspection technology capable of rapid, automated fired heater coil inspection in refinery fired heaters. The data captured by our furnace tube inspection system is exceptionally powerful when combined with our LifeQuest™ remaining life assessment capabilities, providing an integrated solution set for refinery fired heaters in the refining and chemical industries.
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November/December 2014 Inspectioneering JournalBy Rajesh Bose at BP, and Terry M. Webb at BP
The introduction of PAUT is a challenging effort initially, but can have a very positive impact on your first TAR and become a routine inspection for future TARs. When fully implemented, radiation safety boundaries can be reduced significantly or eliminated altogether.
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November/December 2014 Inspectioneering JournalBy Kelsey Hevner at Quest Integrity Group
Steam reformers are critical assets for the successful operation of hydrogen, ammonia, and methanol plants. The steam reformer is also one of the most expensive assets in these facilities. Catalyst tubes inside the reformer are one of the most important and costly components.
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May/June 2014 Inspectioneering JournalBy Jeremiah Wooten at Inspectioneering, LLC.
The following interview with Rich Roberts provides answers to some of the questions our readers have about small, specially designed pigs carrying NDE technologies that can inspect nearly every area of a tube from the coils interior surface.
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March/April 2014 Inspectioneering JournalBy Ron Maurier at Quest Integrity Group, LLC, and Dan Revelle, Sr. at Quest Integrity Group, LLC
New inline inspections and integrity management systems allow operators to understand the complexities and economics of terminals’ and station’s complex aging pipeline infrastructure.
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January/February 2014 Inspectioneering JournalBy Bob Lasser at Imperium, Inc., and Daniel Oehl at Imperium, Inc.
Technicians inspecting oil & gas installations and petrochemical plants employ a wide variety of nondestructive testing (NDT) techniques. A new technology has recently been developed that utilizes a real-time portable imaging device which has distinct advantages in finding internal corrosion.
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Partner Content
InVista is a lightweight, hand-held ultrasonic in-line inspection tool (intelligent pig) capable of detecting pipeline wall loss and corrosion in unpiggable or difficult-to-inspect pipelines. The pipeline geometry inspection data captured by the InVista tool is exceptionally powerful when combined with the LifeQuest™ Pipeline fitness-for-service capabilities, providing an integrated solution set for the pipeline industry.
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November/December 2013 Inspectioneering JournalBy Jan Verkooijen at TUV Rheinland Sonovation
To understand the current non-destructive testing (NDT) world, it is perhaps a good idea to look back at things historically. By doing this, changes which have taken place become apparent, and very soon one can conclude that this is actually quite significant!
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September/October 2013 Inspectioneering JournalBy Sam Ternowchek at Mistras Group
Maintaining the mechanical integrity of above ground storage tanks (AST’s) is the focal point of tank inspection programs. Performing internal inspections is an integral part of a tank integrity program, however, deciding when to take a tank out of service to perform an internal inspection is not an easy determination to make.
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July/August 2013 Inspectioneering JournalBy Borja Lopez at Innerspec Technologies, Inc.
Non-contact ultrasonic testing with EMAT was formally introduced in part one of this series found in the March/April issue of Inspectioneering Journal. Readers were introduced to the practical advantages of EMAT Ultrasonic Testing.
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July/August 2013 Inspectioneering JournalBy James Widrig at Quest Integrity Group
Inspection and fitness-for-service assessments of critical in-plant piping systems are a concern for the chemical industry. This presents a potentially insurmountable task and discovery of a number of areas where the condition is at risk.
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March/April 2013 Inspectioneering JournalBy Borja Lopez at Innerspec Technologies, Inc.
This is the first in a series of three articles that will introduce Electro Magnetic Acoustic Transducer (EMAT) and its practical applications in the field of nondestructive testing (NDT). EMAT, or Electro Magnetic Acoustic Transducer, is an Ultrasonic Testing (UT) technique that generates the sound in the part inspected instead of the transducer.
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Partner Content
Facilities are facing increasing challenges, including justifying inflated budgets, managing contractor hours, ensuring regulatory compliance and qualifying the work being completed. To help facilities manage evolving inspection requirements, PinnacleART offers Fixed-Price Inspection (FPI), meaning we will develop and execute a comprehensive Risk-Based Inspection plan for one fixed-price. Yes, you read that right – one fixed-price.
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January/February 2013 Inspectioneering JournalBy A.C. Gysbers at The Equity Engineering Group, Inc.
This article is the third of a series of articles that will focus on one critical sub process within a PEIP that is key in managing the integrity of process piping: thickness monitoring programs for internal corrosion. These articles will discuss what constitutes an effective piping thickness monitoring process and will present several practices that may be new to some readers, but these practices have produced beneficial results in other major piping reliability programs.
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November/December 2012 Inspectioneering JournalBy Gary Penney at ADMA
A unique technique for inspecting and cleaning the floors of an Above Ground Storage Tank (AST) emerged in the late 90’s based on In-Service Robotic Technology. The technology has come a long way since then, with new inspection and tank cleaning capabilities, greater operational efficiency, and a much broader user base.
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September/October 2012 Inspectioneering JournalBy Richard D. Roberts at Quest Integrity Group
The refining industry has applied ultrasonic-based intelligent pigging to inspect serpentine coils in fired heaters since the 1990s. Today, thousands of serpentine coils in fired heaters are inspected annually at process facilities around the globe.
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May/June 2012 Inspectioneering JournalBy Jason Butz at SAIT Polytechnic
Over the past 100 years, Nondestructive testing has made tremendous advances. New NDT methods have been introduced, while old "tried and true" methods continue to be improved. Although some NDT methods have drastically changed or "evolved" over time, the principle behind each method has remained the same; "To ensure the safety and integrity of manufactured items or goods."
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January/February 2010 Inspectioneering JournalBy Richard D. Roberts at Quest Integrity Group
For years refinery and chemical plant operators have utilized ultrasonic-based intelligent pig technology to inspect coils in convection and radiant sections of fired heaters. This proven technology provides accurate inspection data which allows reliability engineers to make critical decisions about the operation and maintenance of fired heaters. Recent advances have increased the capabilities of these tools and extended these benefits to coker heaters containing 3" (76.2mm) nominal piping size and plug headers with radial inserts.
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January/February 2009 Inspectioneering JournalBy Dan Carnevale at Danatronics Corporation
Ultrasonic thickness gages have progressed a long way since their early development in the 1960's. The first thickness gages were large and bulky although they used the same conventional longitudinal (compressional wave) techniques still in use today. Thickness gages are used in a wide variety of industries including refineries, power plants, process control, oil and gas, transportation, automotive and manufacturing to name a few.
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July/August 2007 Inspectioneering JournalBy Paul Jackson at Plant Integrity Ltd., and Tat-Hean Gan at TWI Ltd.
The integrity of pipelines is a natural concern for pipeline operators, and so the ability to detect corrosion, erosion and mechanical damage in pipes is therefore of significant interest. Traditional methods of detection, such as pigging and crawlers, have been used for many years to inspect pipelines with great success.
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July/August 2005 Inspectioneering JournalBy Julian Speck at TWI Ltd., and Bryan Kenzie at TWI
The ultrasonic Time of Flight Diffraction (TOFD) technique was developed for the UK nuclear industry during the 1970s to provide a method for measuring the height of planar flaws. TOFD is now generally recognized as the most accurate ultrasonic technique for measuring the height of embedded planar flaws (eg. Cracks, lack of fusion, etc.) that lies perpendicular to the surface.
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September/October 2004 Inspectioneering JournalBy Julian Speck at TWI Ltd., and Peter Mudge at Pi Ltd.
The impetus for the development of LRUT is that ultrasonic thickness checks for corrosion, erosion, etc. are localised, in that they only measure the thickness of the area under the UT transducer.
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September/October 2004 Inspectioneering JournalBy Greg Alvarado at Inspectioneering Journal
Exactly two years ago, an interview with John Nyholt appeared in the “IJ”. New ground will be covered in this interchange. We at the IJ thought it might be valuable to spend some time chatting about his background, challenges he has faced recently and what he feels are some of the biggest challenges ahead for the Inspectioneering® community.
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September/October 2002 Inspectioneering JournalBy Greg Alvarado at Inspectioneering Journal
John has primary responsibility for NDE consulting and troubleshooting for BP around the world in the refining, chemical and gas processing industries. We at the IJ thought it might be valuable to spend some time chatting about his background, challenges he has faced recently and what he feels are some of the biggest challenges ahead for the Inspectioneering community.
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November/December 2000 Inspectioneering JournalBy C.P. Hsiao
The recently released API RP-579 Fitness-for-Service Recommended Practice highlights the need for a measurable degree of reliability in NDE results. In fact, the industry has been asking for a process to assure a minimum level of inspection quality for some time.
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September/October 2000 Inspectioneering JournalBy Russel T. Mack at National Association of Inspection Companies (NAIC)
In part 1 of this article we covered the importance of quality assurance of UT data, that is, understanding for each particular application, the accuracy required of the UT data, and new ways/graphical program to analyze and show the interrelationships of data by location for trending. Part 1 article areas then included: -UT Data Reporting and Evaluation -Imaging UT Data Evaluating the Quality of Static UT Data -Visual Trending of UT data -Mathematical Trending of UT Data Now, in Part 2, we will cover data quality issue statistics and possible sources of poor quality UT data.
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July/August 2000 Inspectioneering JournalBy T.C. Ridgeway & Staff at TCRI
The American Paper Institute Recovery Boiler Reference Manual Volume 1, October 1979, indicates that the two main goals of conducting ultrasonic thickness (UT) inspections are to determine (1) the current tube wall thickness and (2) the rate of tube wall metal wastage. The analysis of tens of thousands of UT readings from black liquor recovery boilers is an intimidating and time-consuming task. Problem areas in the boiler are easily identified and many engineering hours of labor are saved. The graphical prensentation permits the quality (accuracy and consistency) of the UT data to be carefully examined.
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March/April 2000 Inspectioneering JournalBy Paul Marks at NDT Training and Placement Center
Do You Know All You Need To Know About The People Who Perform Your NDT? Could the following scenario be played out in your plant, on your equipment, on your watch? The year is 1968. The time is 3 PM on Friday. Two fairly young men are traveling east-bound on I-10 from Houston, Texas to "Off-Shore", Louisiana. The trip will take about 8 hours, six by car and two by boat. The new hire's supervisor / trainer, hands him a thin booklet that provides a brief description of the nondestructive testing method known as ultrasonics. The last few pages of the book contain glossary terms relating to the test method. The supervisor tells the trainee that he should study the material, especially the glossary terms, while they make the trip to "Off-Shore".
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January/February 2000 Inspectioneering Journal
This article covers the use of permanently attached ultrasonic transducers for inspection and process plant equipment condition monitoring while in service.
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September/October 1999 Inspectioneering JournalBy Reggie Cross at ND Tech
This paper describes use of a UT fixture for detection of stress corrosion cracking in ferrous heat exchanger tube-to-tubesheet welds and external tube corrosion or pitting near the tubesheets including crevice OD corrosion of the tube in the tubesheets.
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May/June 1999 Inspectioneering JournalBy Richard L. Lopushanksy at Southwest Research Institute
Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has developed an innovative method for rapid screening of heat exchanger tubing using Guided Wave technology. This screening method can lead to an improvement in heat exchanger reliability and a reduction in the cost of operations.
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May/June 1999 Inspectioneering JournalBy Paul K. Davidson at WIS, Inc.
EMATs (Electromagnetic Acoustic Transducers) have been used for over six years for field service inspection of in-service piping. Recent advances in technology have allowed us to inspect new types of on-stream piping.
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March/April 1999 Inspectioneering JournalBy Mike Sparago at CorrSolutions
Inspection data analysis tools, like risk-based inspection, help us to focus on quantitative reliability targets. When considering thinning mechanisms, there is a certain probability that a piece of equipment will reach retirement thickness before or at the next inspection or the next turnaround. Statistical techniques can help us understand and control the probability of early retirement, allowing us to make better remaining life and re-inspection decisions.
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March/April 1999 Inspectioneering Journal
The API Subcommittee on Inspection (SCI) has determined to initiate a program covering the qualification of ultrasonic (UT) technicians conducting inspections.
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January/February 1999 Inspectioneering JournalBy Mike Sparago at CorrSolutions
Ultrasonic thickness monitoring programs represent one of the most intensive inspection activities in refining and petrochemical facilities. Despite numerous improvements in ultrasonic testing equipment and inspection techniques, however, there has been little advancement in analyzing this valuable data since the early 1980's.
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July/August 1998 Inspectioneering Journal
The debate about advantages and drawbacks of the application of the TOFD (time of flight diffraction) approach for ultrasonic weld inspection should not forget the original reasons for its introduction in the 1960s. The major advantage at that time had been the better crack detection in comparison to x-ray techniques, especially in view of an increased use of steels and welding technologies with a the presence of diverse cracking phenomena (e.g. cold cracking, transverse cracks etc.).
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May/June 1998 Inspectioneering JournalBy Mike Badeen at Phillips 66 Co.
New inspection technology, when added to the proven practice of using tell tale holes (TTHs), proves effective in reducing significant releases and or catastrophic events that are related to internal corrosion / erosion of process piping. In fact, one facility's experience indicates that this practice, when used in conjunction with current and newly advanced technology such as automated ultrasonic (AUT) and profile radiograph (PRT), is more effective than using only new technology.
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March/April 1998 Inspectioneering JournalBy Richard D. Roberts at Quest Integrity Group, and Tim Cowling
Furnace tubes in the petrochemical and refining industries lengths' can exceed 2,000 ft., often with multiple serpentine bends. This can make them extremely difficult to inspect using conventional NDE methods. The following inspection tool (FTIS) employs the combined capabilities of high-speed laser and advanced ultrasonic wall thickness measurements and is propelled through the piping via a column of clean water which provides a path for the laser beam, and the coupling for the ultrasonic signals.
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March/April 1997 Inspectioneering JournalBy John Reynolds at Intertek
This is the second in a series of articles on piping inspection. In the last article, I enumerated four inspection issues that I believe contribute to inadequate piping mechanical integrity in the hydrocarbon process industry.
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September/October 1995 Inspectioneering JournalBy Susan W. Borenstein at Structural Integrity Associates, Inc., and George J. Licina at Structural Integrity Associates, Inc.
Low-energy piping system failures in power-generating facilities are often the result of fouling and corrosion. These degradation mechanisms can affect the capacity of piping for fluid-carrying, the heat transfer rates of heat exchangers, and the structural integrity of piping systems. Steels are not immune to pitting, underdeposit corrosion, and microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC). Once advanced inspection technique, using an enhanced ultrasonic inspection system coupled with special imaging software, has demonstrated the capability to accurately image and size closed tunneling pits that often form in austenitic stainless steel weldments due to MIC.
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July/August 1995 Inspectioneering JournalBy Greg Alvarado at Inspectioneering Journal
With miles of piping and tons of equipment to consider for on-stream inspection or monitoring you probably have:
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May/June 1995 Inspectioneering JournalBy Bob Browne at ERA Technology
For reason of economy, the hot reheat pipework in many US power plants is fabricated from seam-welded low chrome-moly carbon steel spools. Unlike girth butt welds, where the critical weldment microstructures can off-load stress to the stronger parent material, seam welds are subject to the full pressure hoop stress. A number of failures have occurred, some of which have been evidenced by fast fracture over extended lengths of the seam weld with a massive and violent steam release.
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March/April 1995 Inspectioneering JournalBy Charles L. Foster at Pacific Gas & Electric
High energy piping (HEP) systems, main steam lines and hot reheat lines (typically low chrome molydbdenum steels), are susceptible to creep damage. Such damage can lead to leaks, and in extreme cases, catastrophic failure.
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