Scheduled inspections must be closely prepared as power plants perform overhauls and ad hoc repairs to ensure that downtime is held to a minimum and operations can resume at full capacity as soon as possible. Forward-thinking power plant repair teams are rapidly integrating conventional ultrasonic monitoring methods with 3D scanning solutions to inspect pipe corrosion more easily and reliably during overhauls and speed up inspection procedures.
Mumberg Engineering GmbH, a German firm that provides engineering and construction services to power plants and clean energy installations, has taken a two-pronged approach. The HandySCAN 3D BLACK Series, a metrology-grade NDT 3D scanner, and Pipecheck, an innovative pipeline integrity evaluation program, were acquired in early 2021. This turnkey approach is used by inspection teams to assess the deterioration of pipes and pipe wall thicknesses.
How does 3D scanning help with pipeline measurements?
The sizes of the pipe surfaces and lines to be scanned vary depending on the power plant redesign or repair project. Mumberg Engineering had to calculate an area of about 28 m2 so far, with a scan resolution of 1 mm.
The Mumberg team usually performs 3D scanning in this manner.
- To avoid any dust or dirt from interfering with the inspection, the surface to be scanned must be swept.
- The goals have been implemented.
- Pipe check is used to access the parameters for the scanned area, such as the pipe diameter and real wall thickness.
- An operator must scan the desired area.
- Inspection teams will assess the deterioration and degradation of each individual pipe after the scanning work is done, and provide consumers with important details about each pipe, including the residual wall thickness and which ones have reached the point of emaciation.
Mumberg Engineering has also used ultrasonic scanning tools in combination with the HandySCAN 3D scanner. When testing a boiler tube, for example, ultrasonic scans are performed on vast areas to determine weak points. The HandySCAN 3D BLACK Series is then used to speed up the inspection process for both found weak points and smaller areas.
For power stations, the advantages of the HandySCAN 3D and Pipecheck are the following
Using the HandySCAN 3D BLACK Series and Pipecheck applications is a reliable option for NDT teams to easily view and analyze a highly precise 3D simulation of a pipe’s internal and external surfaces, which is critical for reducing inspection times and increasing operating capability.
HandySCAN 3D and Pipecheck have evaluation capabilities—with fewer targets—for various forms of pipeline injury (corrosion, mechanical damage, radius, wrinkle, ovality, etc.), in-line inspection (ILI) correlations, and ultrasonic monitoring (UT) data import for a mixed study, with up to 1,500,000 measurements per second and up to 0.025 mm (0.0009 in) precision. Furthermore, since the combination can be used by operators of any experience level in any harsh environment, field deployments can be completed even more easily.
The inspection team at Mumberg Engineering appreciates the benefits of the Creaform solution: “With this device, we will take samples along the whole pipe length and process them in the shortest time possible.” Our findings will then be used to make well-informed decisions. Projects of this magnitude would not have been feasible without the Creaform system. You can calculate selectively using an ultrasonic measurement unit, but you wouldn’t be able to get as much data with as little time as you can with the HandySCAN 3D BLACK Series and Pipecheck. We also expanded our capacity to take on more jobs, win over more clients, and deliver a broader variety of services by using these 3D measuring technologies.”
Mumberg Engineering GmbH is a company based in Germany, founded in November 2016.
The company works in the area of traditional power plants in Germany and the German-speaking countries around it. During the redesign of power plants, they provide scientific reports, inspection reporting, and inspection assistance, as well as wall thickness measurements using this modern 3D scanner technique and traditional ultrasound. EEW Energy from Waste, IWB Industrielle Werke Basel, MVV Enamic Korbach GmbH, and B + T Horn Energie GmbH are among the company’s clients.
