Phased Array Ultrasonic Techniques for

Detection, Characterization and Sizing of

High Temperature Hydrogen Attack
BP Products North America
Mark Lozev
Research Advisor - NDE
 Phased Array Ultrasonic Techniques for
Detection, Characterization and Sizing of High
Temperature Hydrogen Attack
• Motivation • Objectives
 API RP 941 recommended manual ultrasonic  This study assesses the capabilities of
backscattering, frequency analysis, velocity ratio and
high frequency shear wave techniques have their commercially available portable and
limitations, including operator error, and they are often battery powered Phased Array
unreliable in the field for detecting High Temperature
Hydrogen Attack (HTHA) micro damage at stage 2
Ultrasonic Testing (PAUT) equipment
(fissuring). with parallel architecture and
 API RP 941 recommended Time-of-Flight Diffraction
integrated Beam Forming (BF), Full
(TOFD) technique is typically detecting macro cracking Matrix Capture (FMC), Total Focusing
in stage 3 if the height is larger than 10% wall thickness
because of the internal diameter dead zone.
Method (TFM), Adaptive Total
Focusing Method (ATFM) algorithms
 There is a need for more reliable Nondestructive
Evaluation (NDE) techniques for detection,
for detection, sizing and
characterization and sizing of stage 2 (fissuring) HTHA characterization of HTHA.
micro damage smaller than 1mm (0.040”).
 Phased Array Ultrasonic Techniques for
Detection, Characterization and Sizing of High
Temperature Hydrogen Attack
• Beam Forming PAUT • Non-beam Forming PAUT
Data Collection: FMC

Courtesy of IMASONIC Courtesy of M2M

 Phased Array Ultrasonic Techniques for
Detection, Characterization and Sizing of High
Temperature Hydrogen Attack
• Non-BF: TFM/ATFM • TFM vs. BF Sectorial Scan
• Zone Specification
• Point selection in the zone
• TOF measurement to focus at that point
• Amplitude extraction of each FMC

Σ signal
• Summation of all amplitudes
• Iteration on all points of the considered
zone

Courtesy of M2M Courtesy of M2M

 Phased Array Ultrasonic Techniques for
Detection, Characterization and Sizing of High
Temperature Hydrogen Attack
• Laboratory Setup • Field Setup
• Carbon - 0.5 Mo
• Carbon - 0.5 Mo
• 14 mm WT
• 34 mm WT
• 53 years in service
• 20 years in service
• PAUT Probes: 5-15 MHz, 32-64
elements, linear and matrix
• Wedges: Solid and flexible
• Couplant: Water
• Calibration: Navships/ASTM
• Scanners:2 and 3 axis, fully and • Carbon Steel
semi-automated with magnetic • 19 mm WT
wheels or magnetic attachment • 14 years in service
• Carbon Steel
Calibration - PAUT probe, Calibration - PAUT probe, • 9 mm WT
flexible wedge Normal Beam flexible wedge Shear Wave • 12 years in service

© BP Products North America

 Phased Array Ultrasonic Techniques for
Detection, Characterization and Sizing of High
Temperature Hydrogen Attack
• Scanning and Imaging • C-scan Indications

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 Phased Array Ultrasonic Techniques for
Detection, Characterization and Sizing of High
Temperature Hydrogen Attack
• Base Material B/D scans • Metallographic Verification

ATFM BF
Vs
Metallographic 10.1a. 10.1a.
Images 1 2

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 Phased Array Ultrasonic Techniques for
Detection, Characterization and Sizing of High
Temperature Hydrogen Attack
• Base Material – Stage 2 • Base Material – Stage 3
D-Scan

B-Scan A-Scan

© BP Products North America

 Phased Array Ultrasonic Techniques for
Detection, Characterization and Sizing of High
Temperature Hydrogen Attack
• TFM Normal Beam, 7.5 MHz • TFM Shear Wave, 7.5 MHz

© BP Products North America

 Phased Array Ultrasonic Techniques for
Detection, Characterization and Sizing of High
Temperature Hydrogen Attack
• Weld - 2D Multi-views • Metallographic Verification

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 Phased Array Ultrasonic Techniques for
Detection, Characterization and Sizing of High
Temperature Hydrogen Attack
• Summary • Acknowledgements

• PAUT techniques can detect  Co-authors: L. Yu, P. Mammen, T.

HTHA damage at stage two. Eason, J. Chew, G. Neau (M2M
• PAUT TFM and ATFM resolution is North America)
in the range of 0.3 mm (300 μm),
a significant improvement over the  BP Management
techniques recommended in API
RP 941.

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