MAGNETIC FLUX LEAKAGE

The magnetizer section of the tool is built around individually suspended magnetizer bars. This system provides the high degree of magnetic saturation levels required in the pipe wall to achieve reliable metal loss results. This magnetic bar design places the magnetic source only fractions of an inch from the pipe wall no matter the wall thickness, providing consistent magnetization that doesn't rely on wire brushes to transfer the magnetic field. This improves magnetization throughout longer inspections where brush wear would reduce saturation levels within the pipe. Designed to easily collapse for varying wall thicknesses or when a restriction is encountered in the pipeline, the magnetizer system easily traverses through varying internal diameters and can pass, at minimum, a 20% restriction in the pipeline.

An array of Precision Linear Hall Effect sensors are utilized to record magnetic flux leakage caused by the tool passing areas of metal loss. Sensor spacing at 0.3” (7.6mm) or less provide high resolution data for accurately evaluating metal loss. The use of Hall Effect sensors allows the tool to record high quality data down to near zero speed conditions (less than 0.25 km/hr). When coupled with the tool's superior battery life (80 hours standard), this makes the system a perfect candidate for inspecting low or intermittent flowing liquids pipelines. The output of highly sensitive magnetic induction sensors is introduced into an advanced algorithm that considers tool speed, recorded metal loss signal and pipeline operating variables to determine the pipe wall location of defects (internal vs. external).