Current ultrasonic acoustic NDE methods for long distance inspection in cylindrical structures are primarily focused on axisymmetric guided waves excitation. However, there are many occasions where the physical limitations imposed by the system to be inspected restrain the ability to utilize equipment capable of exciting those waves. This study explores the excitation of the flexural guided wave modes by a limited number of piezoelectric transducers for damage detection in hollow cylinders with limited surface access and large diameter. In addition, the use of distributed optical fiber system as the guided wave receptor is investigated as an alternative to piezoelectric transducers (PZT), as their capability to acquire spatial-temporal data synergizes with the complexity in a signal containing several flexural GW modes. More specifically, the study is conducted based on a numerical analysis of the guided waves excited by a 2 PZT configuration in a pipe available for experimental testing. The resulting flexural modes and its interaction with welds and local loss of material are analyzed in terms of the time series data of a local sensor in the surface, and the angular profile differences from a healthy case. A method based on the analytical solution of an infinite cylinder is introduced in preliminary stage to extract the behavior of the dominant modes from simulation and experimental results and used as a simulation-experiment similarity comparison. Finally, a simplified convolutional neural network (CNN) is trained to demonstrate feasibility of using flexural modes excited by limited actuators for damage detection. Overall, this study contributes to the development of a damage detection method applicable to cylindrical structures with dimensional and access limitations, by enhancing the understanding of how simultaneous several flexural modes interact with mechanical features, presenting an early-stage interpretable method to compare simulation and experimental fiber optic sensor data, and demonstrating the feasibility of using DAS like data for analyzing the structure.
This paper examines the efficacy of quasi-distributed acoustic sensors (q-DAS) in identifying damage within pipeline structures, placing a substantial emphasis on generating synthetic q-DAS measurements in active ultrasonic testing setting and bridging the gap between synthetic and real q-DAS measurements. Our research utilizes simulation software to model the ultrasonic guided wave propagation and its interaction with pipeline defects. The pipeline structural health monitoring setup is based on the pulse-echo method utilizing a torsional symmetric mode T(0,1) at 32kHz, with an aim to identify corrosion and weld irregularities over extensive pipeline lengths. We have prioritized the calibration of simulation models against experimental data, fine-tuning the simulation processes to reflect actual conditions with higher fidelity. The study specifically highlights the simulation’s accuracy in capturing the distinct signatures of critical pipeline features and the subsequent detection capabilities within an operational context. By focusing on the experimental validation, we have advanced the understanding and application of structural health monitoring for essential infrastructure, ensuring the simulations' predictive strength aligns closely with real-world sensor data and observed phenomena.
Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) of pipelines using nondestructive testing/evaluation (NDT/E) techniques is important particularly for the energy industries and for the oil/gas distribution which helps reduction in maintenance costs as well as increased service lifespan. Among various NDE techniques, ultrasonic guidedwaves (GWs) technique is popular for inspection and monitoring of pipes due to its advantages e.g., long-distance monitoring using a fixed sensor probe, full volumetric coverage, and inspection for invisible or inaccessible structure. Recently, performance and scope of the GWs method is explored using optical fiber sensing technology such as fiber Bragg gratings are demonstrated for many ultrasonic sensing applications. The optical fiber sensors bring the advantage of remote sensing, large acoustic bandwidth, and multiplexing capability of the sensors to extend the range of GWs based NDE method. This work describes the health monitoring of damaged pipeline structure in a nondestructive manner using alternative No-core fiber (NCF) based quasi-distributed fiber-optic acoustic sensor combined with ultrasonic GWs excitation. We set up two similar 6-inch carbon-steel pipes (16-ft long), one consists of various defects and the other is healthy without any defect for reference. The pipes are actively excited by employing different ultrasonic sources; (1) magnetostrictive collar (MR) to generate the axisymmetric (torsion) GWs and (2) conventional piezoelectric patches to generate the antisymmetric flexural waves on the exterior surface, and the characteristics of acoustic-ultrasonic signals are studied using NCF based multiplexed fiber-optic sensor. Fiber optic sensor is an inline multimode interferometer made by sandwiching a piece of NCF (~5cm) between the single mode fibers. The NCF sensor is remotely bonded at 45° w.r.t pipe axis on one end and has an ultrasonic sensing range of >600kHz. Finally, the measured acousto-ultrasonic signals for different ultrasonic sources are compared to those obtained by the numerical simulation or electrical-based sensor for the healthy and damaged test pipes. The proposed work presents useful insight for damage detection in pipes using an NCF-based quasi-distributed fiber-optic acoustic sensor combined with ultrasonic GWs excitation.
Absence of a final repository for nuclear waste has increased attention on dry cask storage systems (DCSSs) which were originally intended for temporary storage, increasing the need for new structural health monitoring paradigms considering safety and environmental impacts. Current integrity inspection requirements consist of periodic manned inspections due in part to the difficulties with real-time monitoring of internal canister conditions without penetrating the canister surface. Here we overview a new approach to nuclear canister integrity structural health monitoring which combines both quasi-distributed fiber optic acoustic (and other) sensing modalities deployed external to the canister as well as physics-based modeling to enable real-time inference of internal canister conditions, including the identification, localization, and classification of various active or incipient failure conditions. More specifically, we overview the vision for the proposed monitoring approach and describe results to date in theoretical physics-based modeling and artificial intelligence-based analytics to accelerate the development of classification frameworks for rapid interpretation of quasi-distributed acoustic and other complementary fiber optic sensing responses. In addition, we describe early results obtained for a quasi-distributed fiber optic sensor network based upon multimode interferometer sensors using an experimental test bed established for dry-cask storage canister sensing experiments. Future work will be overviewed and discussed in the context of expanded scope of the proposed real-time monitoring system and planned field validations.
The fiber-optic distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) technique has increasingly become more attractive for structural health monitoring (SHM) and non-destructive evaluation (NDE) purposes. When it comes to traditional acoustic NDE methods, the presence of weldings can present a significant challenge as it can heavily scatter waves resulting in complex data analysis and interpretation. The present work aims to develop an improved understanding and interpretation framework in cases where welds play an important role in the signal with an emphasis on the steel shell of a canister, typically used for Dry Cask Storage Systems (DCSSs) that house spent nuclear waste fuel rods. We also introduce a promising approach in the use of guided ultrasonic waves along with fiber optic sensors that seeks to overcome the challenges that emerge when using traditional acoustic sensing based NDE techniques in welded structures. The study is conducted in a simulation theoretical manner, using a canister model constructed from a representative stainless-steel plate, with different configurations of weldings typically present for DCSS structure. Progressively increasing complexity of the weld physical representation is considered to fully incorporate in physics-based analysis. Furthermore, the acoustic response of these models is obtained from the simulations as a response of an assumed DAS or quasi-distributed acoustic sensing Q-DAS system network. The features originated from the welds are extracted and analyzed, and additional features associated with structure integrity associated with corrosion defects, etc. will also be explored for NDE inspection as in a traditional acoustic NDE approach.
Distributed acoustic fiber optic sensors (DAS) enable spatially distributed monitoring of perturbations and contain rich multidimensional information that can be used in structural health monitoring. Machine learning based on physics-based simulations can make a breakthrough in traditional data analysis methods to improve their efficiency and performance, solving a series of problems such as huge data volume, low data processing speed, data signal-to-noise ratio, etc. Here, the relationship of DAS response and corrosion type are studied. First, we present a systematic theoretical study of the potential of direct coupling of quasi-distributed acoustic sensing (q-DAS) with guided ultrasound typically used for real-time pipeline health monitoring. To investigate properties of scattered acoustic waves and the performance of DAS and q-DAS in identifying defects, we use finite element analysis to simulate the response in a variety of pipeline structures including welds, clamps, defect types, and sensor installations representing various corrosion patterns expected in practice. A specific emphasis will be placed upon simulating and modeling pitting corrosion defects and contrasting with other types of corrosion observed in practice. We also aim to compare and analyze signal characteristics due to different kinds of corrosion types and structures, and to enhance machine learning algorithms for detection and size prediction of major pipeline structural changes and corrosion types. Ultimately, results of simulated DAS and q-DAS sensor networks are analyzed by a neural network-based machine learning algorithm for defect identification through supervised learning. To evaluate and improve effectiveness, we estimate model uncertainty and identify features of simulated results that contribute most to the model performance and efficacy.
Fiber-optic distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) is becoming an increasingly important tool for real-time monitoring of energy and civil infrastructure structural health such as pipelines. We present a systematic theoretical study of the potential for DAS to be directly coupled with guided ultrasonic waves typically used in conventional acoustic non-destructive evaluation (NDE) methods for real-time pipeline health monitoring. We are referring to this innovative new NDE technique as ultrasonic guided wave and optical fiber sensor fusion. In the practical application of DAS coupled with guided ultrasonic waves, the structural design of (1) the specific guided waves excited, (2) the physical installation of the acoustic transducers and the fiber optic sensors, and (3) the functional performance specifications (gauge length, sensitivity, Etc.) of fiber optic DAS have an important influence on overall capabilities of the monitoring system. Meanwhile, physics-based analysis of acoustic waves is still a challenge due to the complex nature of the Lamb wave when it propagates, scatters, and disperses in the presence of structural defects. In this work, we simulate carbon steel pipes relevant for oil and gas pipeline applications with diameters of approximately 6-12” and wall thickness of 0.5” as the objects to be monitored. By establishing and implementing these capabilities, we seek to pursue an in-depth study on structural parameter optimization of DAS network, measurement range, and signal processing with an ultimate goal of increasing the sensitivity and efficacy of DAS to defect identification for various modes of corrosion expected in practice. To study the characteristics of scattered acoustic waves and performance of DAS for defect identification, we simulated the response of DAS for multiple pipe structures, defect types, and DAS sensor network configuration using finite element software Ansys, then the properties of signal response are extracted to construct defect-sensitive features. The raw data simulated, and the associated features extracted can ultimately be utilized as annotated training data to benchmark various designs for DAS applications, guided acoustic excitation sources, and learning model parameters to enhance early detection of potentially problematic defects.
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