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Introducing The Lixi Profiler

Santhosh Lukose
Advanced inspection Specialist

Metalcare Technologies Inc. www.metalcare.com


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WELCOME TO LIXI PROFILER PRESENTATION

PRESENTATION BY
NAME: SANTHOSH LUKOSE METALCARE INSPECTION SERVICES Inc. TEL: (780) 715 1889 EMAIL: slukose@metalcare.com

Introduction

Lixi profiler uses Gd153 radioisotope source on one end of C-arm and detector on the other end of the arm. When detector assembly is placed around pipe, small amount of focused radiation beam penetrates the diameter of the pipe. The amount of radiation received by detector is converted to an equivalent steel thickness measurement by computer. Variation in density (thickness) are plotted on a computer screen in real time image, which is used for identification of welds, corrosion, blockage, fouling, or variety of other indications commonly found in piping systems.

The LIXI Profiler - Applications


Pipe wall thinning Corrosion under Insulation (CUI) Pipe Blockages such as Bitumen, Ice, or any another foreign material Wet Insulation Cluster of Internal and external pittings Wall thickness measurement on insulated or bare pipes w/ or w/o product Wall thickness measurement on very hot pipes while in-service Weld Identification on Insulated Piping Systems

The LIXI Profiler - Specification

The Profiler utilizes a Gadolinium 153 isotope specifically manufactured to our high quality requirements.

The Profiler utilises proprietary software to convert gamma rays to visible light in the form of photons. The detection system measures the transmitted photons and compares the results against a calibration scale to determine actual wall thickness A high level of accuracy is achievable As the thickness of the material increases the radiation transmission reduces and is therefore this has an effect on the sensitivity of the system. Above a combined thickness of 30mm wall it becomes difficult to detect smaller defects and due to excess noise.

The LIXI Profiler - System

The LIXI Profiler - Advantages


Corrosion 90% of all corrosion including CUI - on the bottom of Pipe.


90% of all Insulated pipe not Examined. Usually point locations, very rarely is insulation removed totally Lixi Profiler provides a larger area inspected.

Productivity is high compared to Profile Radiography or Ultrasonic Thickness Measurement


Provides more assurance Easy to use, but extensive training & experience is required for interpretation and evaluation. Immediate results. Real Time Hand carried, easily move from location to location.

The LIXI Profiler - Advantages


Ability to scan large volumes of piping for internal and external thinning without the need to:
A) Remove Insulation B) Shutdown Production C) Remove Product (although this may affect sensitivity and for diameter of pipe above 8 ) D) Restrict access to establish Safe Working Areas

The LIXI Profiler - Limitations


A) Not recommended for detection of cracks and pin-holes B) Can be used only for piping that has both side access C) Less sensitive over 30mm equivalent steel penetration thickness

The LIXI Profiler Requirement

Work on rechargeable battery and no requirement for local power supaply Work Under hot work permit.

The LIXI Profiler Effect of Scale

Sample of pipe section with external corrosion scale detected by the Profiler

Why use the Profiler?

Why use the Profiler?

How does the Lixi Profiler Work?


6.50 mm Wall Thickness = Profiler Reading of ~ 13.00mm

Add 4 Insulation = Profiler Reading of ~ 16.00mm

Add Product = Profiler Reading of ~ 21.50mm

However, if a corroded area is scanned over with the Lixi Profiler, then the scan will reflect a loss of density equivalent to the loss of steel. For example, if a pit of 2.50mm is scanned over, the Profiler will show a reduction in the graph from 21.50 mm to 19.00mm Assuming that the insulation and product density have not changed over a short distance, the only cause for a reduction in the graph would be loss from the metal pipe.

Add Product = Profiler Reading of ~ 21.50mm

Nominal Thickness

Left: Profiler oriented perpendicularly over weld. Response is single, high-amplitude peak. Right: Profiler oriented at an angle while scanning over weld. Result baseline thickness increases and two loweramplitude peaks result: one when the detector crosses the top of the weld and one when the source crosses the bottom of the weld.

This slide denotes what a corroded area might look like during an initial scan.
The next slide shows a technique to determine which side of the pipe has the corrosion by orienting the Profiler 90 degrees to the initial scan direction and taking a slice from the bottom to the top of the pipe.

Bottom Chord Density (Less Dense)

Center of Pipe

Top Chord Density (More Dense)

Heat Affected Zone (HAZ) Corrosion

Weld

Welds Thick-wall pipe Reducer Thin-wall pipe

Pipe Schedule Change: Sch. 40 on left; Sch. 80 on right Weld in middle

Normal Insulated Pipe

Water in Insulation Ice in Insulation

Slice scan on the left is through the section of pipe devoid of debris. The slice scan on the right is through a section of pipe having debris in it. Which direction was this scan taken (top to bottom or bottom to top)?

Radiographic Profiling
Upper images are digital radiographs of piping (20 30 locations per day) Middle images are histograms (density charts) representing the thickness of the pipe along the yellow lines

Session # 119 - T111 : 0.552


1.000 0.900 0.800 0.700 0.600 0.500 0.400 0.300 0.200 0.100 0.000 1 5 9 13 17 21 25 29 T 111 37 41 45 49 53 57 61 65 69 73 77 81 85 89 93 97 101 105 109 113 117

The lower image is of a portable system that acquires histograms in real-time (150 250 locations per day)

Weld A Weld A Corrosion on backside of Tee

Welds

Elbow

Horizontal Pipe

Vertical Pipe

What could this be?

Typical Extradose Erosion

Sample Report

Sample Axial Scan Graph


Axial Scan Result for 4 Pipe with 8.56mm single wall thickness (~17.12mm double wall) The total thickness reads as 21.5mm, indicates that the pipe is not empty.

P ass 3 - Line # 17 S ection 3


30

25

20

15

10

5 1 4 10 16 22 28 34 40 46 52 58 64 70 76 82 88 94 100 106 112 118 124 130 136 142 148 154 160 T7 T8 178 184 190 196 202 208 214 220 226 232 7 13 19 25 31 37 43 49 55 61 67 73 79 85 91 97 103 109 115 121 127 133 139 145 151 157 163 T8 175 181 187 193 199 205 211 217 223 229 235

Assembly
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Computer Module UniConnect Module Detector Module HUD C-Arm Source Holder Battery Brick

THANK YOU
CORPORATE OFFICE (CANADA)

Metalcare Inspection Services Inc


PO Box 6549, Fort McMurray, AB T9H 5N4 Tel > +1 (780) 715 1889 Fax> +1 (780) 715 1898 Email> info@metalcare.com

REGIONAL OFFICE (SINGAPORE)

Metalcare Solutions Asia Pte. Ltd.


21 Toh Guan Road East #06-12 Toh Guan Centre SINGAPORE 608 609 Tel > +65 65152680 Fax> +65 65155490 Email> infosg@metalcare.com

References and Useful Links

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