UNDERWATER INSPECTION
INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR CHALLENGING SPLASH ZONE & SUBSEA INSPECTION BY ANDREAS BOENISCH
While corrosion poses a substantial threat to the integrity of ageing subsea assets, the inspection and integrity assessment of the subsea assets is often challenging and costly due to accessibility issues and difficult inspection conditions such as water depth, visibility and temperature.
Despite that, there is an increasing requirement for splash zone and subsea inspection in order to determine the fitness-for-service for lifetime extension and condition monitoring of the assets such as risers, caissons, conductors, flexible risers, subsea pipelines and structures, etc.
In respond to market demands for the inspection and lifetime assessment support of splash zone and subsea assets, Innospection has developed over the past few years cost effective technology solutions combined with smart, multi-function MEC-Combi inspection tools that have been designed and built to target inspection, deployment and subsea accessibility challenges.
Based on the next generation MEC (Magnetic Eddy Current) technique, the multi-function MEC-Combi inspection tools have been designed to provide comprehensive inspection data within a single deployment. Supporting add-on inspection techniques such as high resolution Ultrasonic mapping, Pulsed Eddy Current for average wall thickness measurement, laser triangulation system for geometry scan and camera system for visual inspection can easily be incorporated into the versatile MEC-Combi tools to provide high density inspection data.
MEC (Magnetic Eddy Current) Technique The next generation MEC technique is used by Innospection as a key tool for integrity assessment support.
Operating on high frequency magnetic field controlled Eddy Current in combination with specially developed Eddy Current sensors, the MEC technique is capable of inspecting through higher wall and coating thicknesses to detect internal and external defects including isolated pits of very small diameter and volume caused by bacterial corrosion.
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www.sosmagazine.biz | August 2017
Left: Splash zone inspection of riser with MEC-MPS200+ Scanner and guidance ring. Right: Simultaneous splash zone cleaning and inspection with MEC-MPS200+ Scanner.
The MEC technique is also capable of direct sizing the defects during scanning without the need for Ultrasonic verification.
As MEC is an electromagnetic technique, the asset needs not be cleaned down to the bare metal for the inspection to take place and for good quality inspection data to be produced. This is a major advantage over Ultrasonic capabilities for splash zone and subsea inspection.
MEC-MPS Scanners for Splash Zone Inspection
The fleet of marinised MEC-MPS Scanners has been designed and built to support the non- intrusive splash zone condition assessment of rigid risers, caissons, conductors and subsea structures including through the neoprene coating and Monel cladding.
Deployed from the topside by rope access personnel or by divers, the MEC-MPS Scanners are capable of a smooth transition from topside directly into the splash zone and subsea area without a break in the continuity of the remotely controlled scanning.
The incorporation of an advanced cleaning system to the MEC-MPS Scanners enables a cost effective simultaneous marine growth removal and inspection operation.
MEC-Combi Crawlers for Subsea Inspection While large amount of the subsea pipelines are non-piggable and the internal inspection with the installation of subsea launcher and receiver involving huge costs, Innospection has developed the fleet MEC-Combi Crawlers for the external inspection of non-piggable subsea pipelines, subsea flowlines and manifold pipes.
Deployed from support vessels by divers or work-class / inspection-class ROV systems, the MEC-Combi Crawlers are capable of self- crawling along the inspection surface to perform the scanning while maintaining its stable contact despite the turbulences due to its integral buoyancy, hydraulic wheels and magnetic system.
For the inspection of concrete-coated subsea pipelines, Innospection offers the latest generation of PECT (Pulsed Eddy Current Testing) technology in a diver or ROV deployed inspection system. The PECT technique is capable of inspecting through 250mm coating. A semi- automatic scanning ring has also been developed to improve the inspection performance, particularly the timing and result reproducibility.
MEC-Hug Crawlers for Flexible Riser & Pipe Inspection
The patented MEC-FIT™ technique has been developed to deliver a reliable and technically advanced solution for the inspection of flexible
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