Surface Inspecting Pipes
Surface Inspecting Pipes
(OP)
I've got a project that requires us to do full penetration welds and surface inspect welds on the inside of stainless steel pipes. The material going through the pipe is an explosive. I figured that dye penetrant inpsecting is out because a person can see back inside of the pipe. Will X-ray inpsection detect surface flaws? And is it as good as dye penetrant inspection?
Thanks
Thanks





RE: Surface Inspecting Pipes
RE: Surface Inspecting Pipes
For you situation, RT should be supplemented with a surface examination technique, like liquid PT to assure a complete examination.
RE: Surface Inspecting Pipes
RE: Surface Inspecting Pipes
RE: Surface Inspecting Pipes
RE: Surface Inspecting Pipes
RE: Surface Inspecting Pipes
You UT pipe welds? In what type of application? UT is a pretty rare on pipe.
JTMcC.
RE: Surface Inspecting Pipes
UT on pipe welds in the UK power gen industry is pretty common, but is limited to certain sizes and requires the caps to be ground flush for full coverage.
Andy
RE: Surface Inspecting Pipes
We have on occasion used manual and semi-automatic UT for both butt welds and seam welds in low and high energy piping systems for Fossil or Nuclear Power Plants. The reason I had mentioned it earlier is that it can be an option, in lieu of RT. However, you need to know what type of defects you are looking for to decide on the optimum NDT method.
For example - seam welds and girth welds that have been in service, certain advanced automated UT systems are the better choice in lieu of RT to detect creep damage. For Nuclear piping that can contain IGSCC, UT is required to detect and monitor these types of flaws.
RE: Surface Inspecting Pipes
you routinely grind welds flush in power piping in the UK?
My understanding is that 5/16" is the max WT you can UT on pipe???
Also that you have to custom grind your blocks for each dia. pipe???
True? No?
JTMcC.
RE: Surface Inspecting Pipes
I picked up on the thread late and have just realised that you're talking predominatly about stainless, but we have stainless pipes up to about 50 mm thick which we inspect by UT.
It can be done but requires special probes. I'm not an NDT expert so I'm not sure about the blocks you're talking of (calibration blocks?) but UT of stainless is frequent both manual and Auto. I have to say also that we're more interested in surface or near surface cracking in our high temp plant. PWR - same as metengr.