GWT 1

Guided Wave Testing (GWT)
Use of guided wave testing for the detection

and monitoring of corrosion under insulation
Peter Philipp
Independent GWT consultant
Level 3 GUL
Level 3 PCN GWT
BINDT-ICorr. - 12/05/2013
This presentation
•Brief history of GWT
•How it works
•How good is it at identifying CUI
•Monitoring
•New build considerations
•Limitations
•Procedures and training
•Other GWT applications
•Future developments
GWT History
•Lamb waves identified in the 1930’s
•Research projects in the 1990’s “Link and
Thermie” programs
•Development of “dispersion curves”
•Required faster portable computers
•First commercial equipment available 1999
•Mid 2000’s Subsea, focussing, c-scan display,
rail, permanently installed etc.
•3 GWT systems developed Wavemaker (GUL)
Teletest (Pi), MSS (SWRI)
Guided Wave Testing Standards
• ASTM – 2011
• BSI – 9690 parts 1 & 2
• TUV certification: GUL GWT procedure certified under
EN standard 14748
• NACE TG 410 – 2012/13
• ASME Article 18 – 2012/13
Need for harmonization between the different standards.
Standards within integrated ‘system’ including legal
requirements, codes and best industrial practices..;
Guided Ultrasonics Ltd. ‐ 12/05/2013 4
This presentation
•How it works
•Monitoring
•Limitations
Principle
Transducer
Standard UT
Metal structure
Inspected Area
Transducer Ring Guided Waves
Inspected area Inspected area
Reflection from a Feature
(such as corrosion)
Transducer
Structure
When the guided wave hits a change in cross section (or

impedance), it reflects back toward the transducer
Dispersion curves
6.0 Longitudinal L(0,2)
F(1,3)
4.0 Torsional T(0,1)
Vgr (m/ms)
Black = axi -symmetric modes

2.0 F(1,2)
Red = non-axi -symmetric modes
Blue = other modes that are not
used by the system
0.0
0 20 40 60 80 100
Backward Position of Ring Forward
Iconic representation
Series of Welds of identified features
Decay Curves
Corrosion is indicated
by large red component
Guided Waves (Focusing) C-Scan
display
At every change in cross section
there is a reflection of the guided waves
• Amplitude depends on cross sectional area

change
The dark grey

Section represents the
Cross-sectional area
Distribution of Loss
• The percentage loss given by the ECL

– could be concentrated in a narrow portion of the pipe
(e.g. a critical deep defect)
– could be equally distributed around the circumference
(e.g. a shallow wall loss)
The ratio of Red to Black depends on the
circumferential extent of the feature
When the Amplitude Ratio

1 When the feature
feature does not extends
extend very far significantly
around the around the
circumference, circumference,
0
RED = BLACK 0 50 100 RED << BLACK
Circumferential Extent (percent)
Axi-Symmetry
Displayed as black and red lines
• BLACK lines represent axi-symmetric waves

– Uniform around the circumference
• RED lines represent non-axi-symmetric waves
– Varies around the circumference
A non-symmetric
A symmetric weld -F4
-F3 -F2 -F1 +F1 +F2 +F3
defect +F4
3.0
Amp (mV)
2.0
1.0
-10.0 -5.0 0.0 5.0

Distance (m)
#12403
This presentation
•How it works
•Monitoring
•Limitations
Why Guided Waves?
•100% volumetric coverage

•Rapid screening
•In Service inspection
•Permanent record
•Significantly reduced access costs
Think of costs for:
scaffolding, removing insulation,
digging, operating underwater
Rapid screening
• Very good at confirming clean pipe

• Acts as filter: point out areas where
more attention is needed
• Everyone knows about health
screening
In-service inspection
• Temperature performances
– from -40C to 180C
– the extremes of this range will require modified procedures
• Product
– low viscosity fluid does not affect torsional mode
– frequency range enables good performances in case of
viscous fluid
• Pump noise, product flow
– signal/noise can be improved using predefined software
procedures
– In some cases (isolated) testing is not feasible
Managing pipe inspection
Pipeline operators need to deal with

kilometres of pipelines (each site)
How do operators manage the
inspection now?
What capabilities are offered by
Guided Waves?
GWT and other complementary methods
• Prove up using other NDT methods

(UT,RT, Leak detection, etc…)
• Use with RBI can be very powerful
Touch point corrosion – 8” Sch 40
12
3
Clock
-16dB
12
-20 0 20 40 60
F
1.2
Support
Cat 3 Support
Weld
welded plate
Weld
Cat 1 Corrosion
Weld
-F1
1.0
Weld DAC 14%

Amp (Linear)
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
Call DAC 4%
0.0
-20 0 20
Distance (ft)
40 60
Touch point corrosion
patch with pitting
Touch point corrosion – 12” Sch 40
12
3
Pitting touch
point corrosion
Clock
6
at 6 o’clock
9
position of pipe
-18dB
12
-30.0 -20.0 -10.0 0.0 10.0
weld
-F1
Weld
welded support
Welded support
Contact support
Contact support
Welded support
Corrosion pit
1.5
Amp (Linear)
C 20%
Weld DA
1.0
0.5
Call DAC 3%
0.0
-30.0 -20.0 -10.0 0.0 10.0
Distance (m)
This presentation
•How it works
•Monitoring
•Limitations
100% Volumetric coverage
What is the probability of finding a defect

using UT spot check compared to Guided
Waves?
100% Volumetric coverage
What is the probability of finding a defect

using UT spot check compared to Guided
Waves?
Example:
10” pipe, 12m length with 2 simple supports
Per test:
Standard UT = 0.027% area coverage
Guided Wave ~ 100% area coverage
Monitoring using GWT - Advantages
• Greatly improved sensitivity Normal testing ~ 1% to

5%
• Monitoring in the order of 10 times better as you are
detecting changes
• Data from all tests can be stored for setting up same
test parameters and also for comparison
• Can use removable or permanently installed
transducers
• Data collection after base can be done by “data
collectors”
GW monitoring sensitivity
Simple visual +F1 +F2
estimate of 3.0
0.75% CSC
1% CSC
change – slow
and sometimes 2.0
0.5% CSC
difficult method Amp (Linear)
of interpreting 1.0
baseline
GWT data
differences 0.0
2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0
Distance (m)
Guided Ultrasonics Ltd. - 12/05/2013 27

Riser monitoring results
G3-163#1125 (Linear)
W eld Sea bed

W eld W eld W eld W eldW ater level W eld Caisson
Flange
+
20.0
15.0
10.0
2008 Result
5.0
0.0
-60 -40 -20 0
G3-16#3957 (Linear)
W eld Sea bed

Flange
+
20.0
15.0
10.0 2009 Result
5.0
0.0
-60 -40 -20 0
G3-116#1042 (Linear)
W eld Sea bed

Flange
+
20.0
15.0
10.0 2010 Result
5.0
0.0
-60 -40 -20 0
Distance (m)

Riser GW monitoring results: The
automatically processed comparisons
The yellow trace is the reflection coefficient calculated from the
2010 reading using the calibration curves. The black trace is the
difference between the 2010 and baseline readings.

Monitoring using GWT – Potential problems
The accuracy of comparing results must take into

account the following:
– Unique transducer identification
– Ring position (for removable rings)
– Calibration
– Pipe temperature difference
– Transducer coupling (permanent attachment)
– Test parameters must be the same
– Ideally the software should calculate the change
This presentation
•How it works
•Monitoring
•Limitations
Using GWT – New build considerations
• Design for monitoring points especially when

using permanently installed transducers
• For example sub sea and road crossings can be
installed and take base line readings
• Design coatings etc to maximise range (avoid
thick bitumastic coatings)
This presentation
•How it works
•Monitoring
•Limitations
Dead zone
• Cannot test region of pipes close to the ring

location
• Dead zone extending over 0.5m from ring
(depends on test configuration)
Range
• 5-150 meters in each direction depending on

local conditions
• Factors affecting range
– Geometry
– General pipe conditions
– Material inside pipe
– Attenuative surface coating
Difficult geometry
• Only test through one bend in each direction
• Defects at branches cannot be found

reliably
• Flanges and Ts represent the end of the test
Type of defect
• More difficult • Easier
– Single isolated pit – A cluster of pits
– Axial cracks – Circumferential cracks
– Small pits in welds – Large cracks in welds
– CORROSION I/E -
EROSION
This presentation
•How it works
•Monitoring
•Limitations
GWT Procedures
• Procedures need to be developed for:

– Different applications
– Permanent ring attachment and base test
– Data collection from permanent rings
– Comparison of monitoring data
– Data management
GWT operator training and certification
• The success of GWT is very operator

dependant so good training/certification is
crucial
• Some applications are more difficult
• The main manufacturers have different
approach to training/certification
• PCN agreed by all GWT equipment suppliers
available this year
• CSWIP only available for Teletest
Information management
• Managing information from NDT

inspection is major issue.
• With Guided Waves each result contains
in one file information on tens of meters
of pipe.
• New development will enable asset
integrity packages linking exact
positioning of pipe features and defects
(plotted on Google Earth for example)
Guided Waves (C-Scan)
Unrolled pipe view 360
270
Angle (deg)
180
90
-24dB
0
0.0 5.0 10.0
-F2
-F1
+F4
+F1
+F2
+F3
+F5
2.0
Amp (Linear)
1.5
1.0
0.5
00
Interpretation - Frequency scanning
– Time saving when collecting data

– Takes away responsibility from the inspector to
choose best frequencies on site
– More information available which was not visible
before when collecting single frequencies
– Extremely important in applications where the
feature response is frequency dependent
– Helps distinguishing different features (e.g. defects
from supports)
– POD
Typical performance on bare straight pipe (20
years old in good conditions)
• 100 meters range on each side

• Amplitude detection 1% Cross section
• Concentration of defect (approximate)
• Angle definition of defect +-22 degrees
Factors reducing range discussed below
Applications
• Rapid, full coverage screening of pipes

• Especially cost effective in difficult to access
locations
– Pipe racks
– Corrosion under insulation
– Road crossings
– Wall penetrations
– Rope access
– Road crossing
– Buried pipes
• Can reliably detect general metal loss
Effect of Pipe Contents
• Gases - no effect
• Liquids
– Almost no effect on the torsional mode
– Affects the longitudinal mode when the pipe is fully filled
• Sludge
– Heavy viscous deposits in the pipe attenuate the signal and reduce the
test range
– Can be similar effect to bitumen wrapping
This presentation
•How it works
•Monitoring
•Limitations
This presentation
•How it works
•Monitoring
•Limitations
Future developments
• Auto monitoring hardware and software

• Asset integrity packages linking exact
positioning of pipe features and defects
(plotted on Google Earth for example)
• Improved buried pipe capability
• Absolute calibration
Other GWT applications
•Tube testing boilers/heat exchangers
•Sub sea (diver and ROV deployed
•Rail
•Tubular structures
•Lampposts
Sub-Sea Pipe testing
G-Scan Rail Screening System
Conclusions
• GWT is a very versatile inspection tool

• Needs to be used with complementary NDT
methods
• Can save considerable access costs
• More accurate when used in monitoring mode
• Has data record of all tests
Questions
PQS
Peter Philipp
peterphilipp50@gmail.com

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Guided Wave Testing (GWT)

Use of guided wave testing for the detection

Transducer Ring Guided Waves

Inspected area Inspected area

When the guided wave hits a change in cross section (or

Black = axi -symmetric modes

• Amplitude depends on cross sectional area

The dark grey

• The percentage loss given by the ECL

When the Amplitude Ratio

• BLACK lines represent axi-symmetric waves

-10.0 -5.0 0.0 5.0

•100% volumetric coverage

• Very good at confirming clean pipe

Pipeline operators need to deal with

• Prove up using other NDT methods

• Use with RBI can be very powerful

Weld DAC 14%

What is the probability of finding a defect

What is the probability of finding a defect

• Greatly improved sensitivity Normal testing ~ 1% to

Simple visual +F1 +F2

Guided Ultrasonics Ltd. - 12/05/2013 27

W eld Sea bed

W eld Sea bed

W eld Sea bed

Guided Ultrasonics Ltd. - 12/05/2013 28

Guided Ultrasonics Ltd. - 12/05/2013 29

The accuracy of comparing results must take into

• Design for monitoring points especially when

• Cannot test region of pipes close to the ring

• 5-150 meters in each direction depending on

• Only test through one bend in each direction

• Defects at branches cannot be found

• Flanges and Ts represent the end of the test

• Procedures need to be developed for:

• The success of GWT is very operator

• Managing information from NDT

– Time saving when collecting data

• 100 meters range on each side

Factors reducing range discussed below

• Rapid, full coverage screening of pipes

• Auto monitoring hardware and software

•Sub sea (diver and ROV deployed

• GWT is a very versatile inspection tool

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