Courtesy of transneft.ru

Transneft Diascan has commissioned the pipeline inspection gadget (PIG) 40-ПРН.02-00.000. It belongs to the new generation of multichannel geometry tools with high resolution, equipped with a navigation system.

This device has much more measurement levers in comparison with the previous generations (more than twice). Besides, the sensors construction has been modified. Levers mass has been significantly reduced, polyurethane cover plates have been replaced with hard-alloy ones. It allowed prolonging the measurement system’s service life and reducing the lever’s flywheel effect upon movement of the geometry tool at great speeds characteristic of gas pipelines.

The new device has the system of hard wheel assemblies and supporting back plates, which are basically equipped with polyurethane cuffs, in contrast to the previous versions. It secures much better centering of the geometry tool during its movement and makes accuracy of its measurement of pipe bend radius and coordinates closer to the special purpose defectoscope for pipeline position determination. This technical solution also allows performing diagnostics of gas pipelines.

In comparison with the previous generations, the new geometry tool’s resolving power is 2.5 times higher and it takes interpretation of diagnostic data to the next level. Such construction characteristics as minor diameter air escape valves are now distinctly identified among the welded attachments. Due to the fact that measurement error for geometry defects width was reduced more than twice, it became easier to classify the defect’s hazard level.

The multichannel geometry tool is meant for measurement of the inner flow area and bend radius of pipes with different diameters. It allows diagnosing such defects as dents, out-of-roundness, buckles, and specifying radius and direction of bends and turning angles of pipeline. The device is based on electromechanic principle of measurement of deflection angle of levers having direct contact with the pipe’s inner wall. To specify pipelines’ attitude position, the geometry tool is equipped with high-accuracy strapdown inertial navigation system.

Now the park of PIG equipped with navigation systems operated by Transneft Diascan is represented by 29 multichannel geometry tools and defectoscopes for pipeline position determination.

Source: transneft.ru