System to Screen for Longitudinal-Seam Anomalies
First Claim
1. A system to detect longitudinal-seam anomalies in a low frequency pipeline weld of a pipeline, the system comprising:
- a computer in communication with a pipeline inspection survey tool, the computer having a computer readable non-transitory medium comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by the computer, causes the computer to perform the operation of;
receiving magnetic flux leakage data related to one or more anomaly air gaps within a longitudinal pipeline weld;
displaying the magnetic flux leakage data on a display as one or more selected patterns of data representing selected signal characteristics of the pipeline weld; and
analyzing the magnetic flux leakage data responsive to the selected signal characteristic and selected critical flaw dimensions of the pipeline weld, the selected signal characteristics being indicators of potential longitudinal-seam anomalies in the pipeline weld and the selected critical flaw dimensions being at least a maximum length of the potential longitudinal-seam anomalies along a pattern of magnetic flux leakage data.
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Abstract
Embodiments of the present invention provide systems to detect crack-like features in pipeline welds using magnetic flux leakage data and pattern recognition. A screening process, for example, does not affect or change how survey data is recorded in survey tools; only how it is analyzed after the survey data is completed. Embodiments of the present invention can be used to screen for very narrow axial anomalies in the pipeline welds, and may also be used to predict the length of such anomalies. Embodiments of the present invention also produce a listing of the anomalies based on their relative signal characteristics.
34 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A system to detect longitudinal-seam anomalies in a low frequency pipeline weld of a pipeline, the system comprising:
a computer in communication with a pipeline inspection survey tool, the computer having a computer readable non-transitory medium comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by the computer, causes the computer to perform the operation of; receiving magnetic flux leakage data related to one or more anomaly air gaps within a longitudinal pipeline weld; displaying the magnetic flux leakage data on a display as one or more selected patterns of data representing selected signal characteristics of the pipeline weld; and analyzing the magnetic flux leakage data responsive to the selected signal characteristic and selected critical flaw dimensions of the pipeline weld, the selected signal characteristics being indicators of potential longitudinal-seam anomalies in the pipeline weld and the selected critical flaw dimensions being at least a maximum length of the potential longitudinal-seam anomalies along a pattern of magnetic flux leakage data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A system to detect longitudinal-seam anomalies in a low frequency pipeline weld of a pipeline, the system comprising:
a computer in communication with a pipeline inspection survey tool, the computer having a computer readable non-transitory medium comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by the computer, causes the computer to perform the operation of receiving magnetic flux leakage data related to one or more anomaly air gaps within a longitudinal pipeline weld; displaying the magnetic flux leakage data on a display as one or more selected patterns of data representing selected signal characteristics of the pipeline weld; and analyzing the magnetic flux leakage data responsive to the selected signal characteristic and selected critical flaw dimensions of the pipeline weld, the selected signal characteristics being indicators of potential longitudinal-seam anomalies in the pipeline weld and the selected critical flaw dimensions being at least a maximum length of the potential longitudinal-seam anomalies along a pattern of magnetic flux leakage data, the analyzing including determining optimal display settings on the display, the optimal display settings being responsive to different magnetic flux leakage characteristics, the determining optimal display settings including changing a gain and offset of the pattern of data in order to achieve a high contrast display so that the presence of the one or more longitudinal-seam anomalies may be perceived on the display. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
Specification