http://www.materialsperformance.

com/articles/material-selection-design/2016/06/drones-help-detect-corrosion-under-insulation

Drones Help Detect Corrosion under Insulation

By Kathy Riggs Larsen on 6/7/2016 12:55 PM

The thermal IR and multispectral imaging sensors are attached below the body of a multi-rotor

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orrosion under insulation (CUI) is one of the most common forms of corrosion found in

the oil and gas industry. Many components such as piping systems, pressure vessels, tanks, and
other equipment are insulated for personnel protection and/or to keep fluids at appropriate
temperatures for process efficiency. The underlying metal substrate, however, is vulnerable to
accelerated localized corrosion when moisture gets trapped in the insulating material. Although there
may be visible signs of rust on the protective cladding that can indicate CUI, the corrosion isnt
observable until the insulation is removed and the substrate is exposed. Often the insulated
components, such as process piping, are not easily accessible for visual inspection. To address the
challenges of detecting CUI, ALS Oil & GasPipeline & Asset Integrity Monitoring (Houston, Texas)
and Unmanned Ad-Hoc Industries (UAI) (Spring, Texas) have partnered to provide remote imaging
technology with unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) surveillance to inspect insulated piping and
components for indications of CUI. The methodology is part of an overall Intelligent Data Collection
program employed by the two companies to efficiently gather corrosion-related inspection data with
multiple state-of-the-art, highly advanced sensor technologies using various manned and unmanned
platforms, and then process and analyze the data using interpretive software.

http://www.materialsperformance.com/articles/material-selection-design/2016/06/drones-help-detect-corrosion-under-insulation

Ryan Pullen with UAI readies a drone for takeoff. Photo courtesy of UAI.

According to NACE International member Dean Lioliou, director of sales with ALS Oil & Gas
Pipeline & Asset Integrity Monitoring, corrosion costs the oil and gas midstream market ~$600 million
annually. Of that, ~60% of the corrosion costs can be attributed to CUI. When we look at the cost of
CUI to the pipeline industry, it is staggering, says Lioliou. If we were able to simply tackle CUI and
minimize it by a small amount, say 20%, the costs that could be saved by organizations, including
savings due to other issues such as environmental costs, loss of product, and loss of access, are
incredible.
CUI often goes undetected because it is hidden from sight, and it is not always obvious where CUI
may be occurring. Although protective cladding over insulation may appear intact, it could have leaks
because of mechanical damage, degradation of joint sealants, and loose or missing inspection port
sealing caps, which enable water or moisture to enter the insulation. Because migrating water tends
to flow to low points in the insulation system, it can be difficult to predict where water will contact the
metal surface. Unless you open up the insulation and visually inspect the structure, you wont know
that you have CUI, says Lioliou.
Because removing all insulation material and examining the substrate underneath is cost prohibitive,
a common way to inspect for CUI has been to remove small portions of the insulation at select
locations that may be at risk for CUI, and use nondestructive testing techniques on the surface of the
structure to determine if there is metal loss. This method, however, creates a potential entry point for
moisture ingress where the cladding is opened. Additionally, since CUI is generally localized, active
corrosion may not be found if a particular piece of insulation removed is not covering the specific area
where corrosion is occurring.
By using a combination of remote thermal infrared (IR) and multispectral imaging sensors to capture
images of insulated components, anomalies that may be indicative of CUI can be detected on piping
and other equipment, says Paul Ramirez, president and COO of UAI. He explains that multispectral
images can capture image data at specific frequencies across the electromagnetic spectrum and can
detect very small differences in the way light is reflected from the surface of an object. Thermal IR

http://www.materialsperformance.com/articles/material-selection-design/2016/06/drones-help-detect-corrosion-under-insulation

provides images that illustrate temperature differencesfrom a components lowest temperature to

its highestand indicate if the thermal signature on a portion of a pipeline or component is different
from the rest of the component.
Mounting these sensors on a UAV allows inspection of areas that are inaccessible from the ground
and typically require scaffolding or some type of manlift for access. Typically, a small ~20-lb (9-kg)
multi-rotor UAV vehicle that can stay airborne for ~30 min at a time is used to inspect piping and
equipment in the confined spaces of an oil and gas processing facility. The two sensors are colocated
on the UAV and calibrated with each other so that corresponding visual and thermal images are
captured of the same area of the structure. During an inspection, Ramirez comments, a groundbased UAV pilot flies the vehicle around the structures to be assessed. For a 12-in (205-mm)
diameter pipe, the UAV is typically 25 to 50 ft (7.6 to 15 m) away from the structure. To scan the
underside, the pilot changes the angle of the sensors while flying the drone overhead so images can
be captured of almost the entire pipe circumference, depending on its availability (i.e., if it isnt
blocked by another structure). In most cases, the best approach is to capture data from a more
oblique angle to assess the pipes condition on both the top and bottom, he says.
Images in the form of video from the sensors on the UAV are sent to the ground station computer.
The multispectral images show how the surface of the component appears visually, including any
potential trouble spots such as degradation, damage, or rust stains on the cladding. The thermal IR
images show visual temperature variances. As an example, the IR images may be predominantly red,
indicating warmer temperatures because of the hot fluid inside the pipe. If there is an area where
water or moisture has infiltrated the insulation, which can lead to CUI, the temperature there will be
cooler and depicted as a different color and that area will have a different thermal signature than the
rest of the pipeline. By looking at the pipe from a different perspective the IR wave lengthsyou
can detect possible indications of corrosion before its apparent in ordinary light, says Ramirez. The
ability to do that is a potential game changer.
To note when and where potential problem areas are seen, the operator presses a button when an
anomaly is sighted and the associated software program captures the images geographical
coordinates, time stamps it, and saves it in a corresponding data folder. A baseline can be
established with the first inspection, and subsequent inspections several months later can identify
and compare any changes in the visual images as well as the thermal signatures, and determine if
the anomaly appears stable or a trend suggests that potential problem areas are intensifying. This
provides the asset owner with specific locations to inspect for CUI based on actual sensor data.
Instead of playing a guessing game and undoing cladding over the entire facility, this gives them a
prioritized view of where to look first, Ramirez says.
For a recent project in a midstream oil and gas facility, a drone equipped with thermal IR and
multispectral imaging sensors was able to inspect ~5 miles (8 km) of insulated pipeline for indications
of CUI in about four and a half days. For this facility, says Lioliou, opening up the insulation and
inspecting the pipes for CUI once or twice a year would be a very daunting taskone that more than
likely would not get done. By using the sensors with the drone technology, the company was able to
pinpoint areas where CUI was most likely to be present and open the insulation for inspection only in
those locations. At the very least, Lioliou says, the owner may simply need to replace insulation that
is wet. Alternatively, he notes, the asset owner may find corrosion and have the opportunity to
proactively repair the damage before a failure occurs.
Contact Dean Lioliou, ALS Oil & Gas e-mail: Dean.Lioliou@alsglobal.com; or Paul Ramirez, UAI
e-mail: paul.ramirez@ globaluai.com.