Detection and sizing of corrosion under pipe support (CUPS) using guided waves - NACE EAP 2021

Dr Chien An Chua presented at the NACE International East Asia Pacific Area (EAPA) 2021 Virtual Conference on 13th October 2021 - 11.30 am (GMT+8).
This talk covered how guided wave technology can be used to detect and size corrosion under pipe supports (CUPS) or contact point corrosion (CPC).
More specifically, how GUL Screening can be used to rapidly detect CUPS and how GUL Scanning can be used to size it accurately.
Every 2 years, AMPP: Association for Materials Protection and Performance and EAPA section organizes one of the largest corrosion conferences in the region.
This year, they have partnered with the The Australasian Corrosion Association to take this popular conference virtual for the first time ever!
Abstract:
1. Corrosion under pipe support (CUPS) is part of the billion-dollar corrosion problem that steel pipe owners in the oil and gas sectors face. If left unchecked, CUPS can lead to loss of product containment and potentially hazardous consequences.
2. Detecting CUPS cost-effectively is challenging when there are hundreds of pipes supports in the facility and if they are located in inaccessible areas such as tunnels. Sizing is also a major challenge due to the inability to directly access the damage, unless the pipe is lifted.
3. Guided wave can be used to cost-effectively detect and accurately size CUPS in steel pipes. In a Screening configuration, it can be used to rapidly inspect tens-to-hundreds of meters of pipe from a single test location to detect the location of CUPS.
4. Once the CUPS have been located, a Scanning configuration can be used to accurately size the corrosion in order to successfully facilitate fitness-for-service assessment.