Rugged tablet improves corrosion detection, reduces costs for process industries worldwide

Introduction

Each year, process industries – such as oil refineries, chemical plants, topsides of oil rigs, and power plants – spend millions of dollars on corrosion detection. Steel equipment such as pipes, pressure vessels and storage tanks are often operated at extreme temperatures and so are insulated to protect them and save energy. A drawback of insulating equipment in this way is that water can get trapped underneath, causing the steel to corrode. Corrosion spots remain hidden underneath the insulation, and, if left unchecked, can become dangerous.

Maxwell NDT provides electromagnetic inspection technology and manufactures a tool called Pulsed Eddy Current Tool (PECT). PECT detects corrosion of steel equipment, even if it is hidden under insulation

Challenge

To detect corrosion, Maxwell PECT tool has to operate reliably outdoors in any weather or climate conditions from rain and snow to bright sunshine, in locations from Alaska to the Sahara. The tool would have to withstand challenging industrial environments and their often extreme temperatures such as on offshore oil rigs and in refineries, and be resilient against rough handling and vibrations for example in helicopter transport. Equipment failure would be very costly, since the worksites are often remote, which makes shipment of repairs expensive and time consuming.

Solution

To ensure the Maxwell PECT can be used reliably and safely in varied and challenging environments, Maxwell incorporated a sensor, data acquisition electronics, and a Durabook U11I tablet. Maxwell uses exclusively Durabook U11I because of the robustness, connectivity and excellent screen.