18th World Conference on Nondestructive Testing, 16-20 April 2012, Durban, South Africa

Advanced NDT techniques:

A New NDT Method for LPG Storage Tanks Inspection in Tunisia Author:
Mr. Kais BOUAZIZ Head of mechanical laboratories and welding workshop International Welding Engineer CETIME Tunisia Email: k.bouaziz@cetime.com.tn Tel: 00 216 70 146 000/075/076 Fax: 00 216 70 146 071

Acoustic Emission (AE) refers to the generation of transient elastic waves produced by a sudden redistribution of stress in a material. When a structure is subjected to an external stimulus (change in pressure, load, or temperature), localized sources trigger the release of energy, in the form of stress waves, which propagate to the surface and are recorded by sensors. With the right equipment and setup, motions on the order of picometers can be identified. Detection and analysis of AE signals can supply valuable information regarding the origin and importance of a discontinuity in a material. Because of the versatility of Acoustic Emission Testing (AET), it has many industrial applications (e.g. assessing structural integrity, detecting flaws, testing for leaks, or monitoring weld quality) and is used extensively as a research tool. Unfortunately, AE systems can only qualitatively gauge how much damage is contained in a structure. In order to obtain quantitative results about size, depth, and overall acceptability of a part, other NDT methods (often ultrasonic testing) or advanced methods (TOFD) are necessary. The periodic inspection of in-service pressure vessel normally adopts the 4 basic methods of NDT (MT, PT, UT or RT) or 100% to test the welding seam. But the acoustic emission testing method is used just make up the last disadvantages of normal nondestructive methods. The acoustic emission tests of pressure vessels can be classified into preservice proof testing, in-service testing and on-line monitoring. Since 2007, CETIME-Tunisia in collaboration with CETIM- France introduced AE method in Tunisia and realizes 3 pilot projects: 1 - Designing, simulating and implementation of an acoustic emission system for monitoring of hydraulic test of 04 spheres for storage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) having a total capacity of 16 000m3 (SNDP-Tunisia). These spheres are made under embankment (concrete sarcophagus + sand). This system will allow the periodic requalification spheres without hydraulic test, only by applying a pressure by nitrogen (+10%). This will track the progress of the installation (defects, ...) (On-line Monitoring and Safety Evaluation of Pressure Vessels) and especially minimize downtime of the sphere since the classical hydraulic test requires emptying of the sphere, cleaning, sanding, filling with water (in this case 4000m3 = 4000 tons of water) ... This usually lasts 1 month without accounting for the cost of these

operations. Against by using the method of control by acoustic emission, this operation takes about 10 days. Also, the replacement of the hydraulic test, will apply for months in the sphere of hydraulic tests less tired of the whole structure. 2- Evaluation of the integrity of LPG spheres and petroleum storage equipments in the Tunisian refinery and conducting of fitness for service study to evaluate the residual life of these equipments. Some defect was founded by using AE, MT, TOFD and UT methods with metallographic analysis to characterize the defects and their origins. A typical study of the reparability, qualifying of welding procedure, qualifying of welders and supervising the repairs operations according to the international standards and codes was achieved.

A large view of LPG sphere

Simulating of the AE in the laboratory

Installation of the instrumentation

Instrumentation and Monitoring

Using the TOFD method to characterize the defect

Repairing the defects