System And Method For Non-Destructive, In Situ, Positive Material Identification Of A Pipe

摘要

A system and method for non-destructive, in situ, positive material identification of a pipe selects three test areas that are separated axially and circumferentially from one another and then polishes a portion of each test area. Within each polished area, a non-destructive test device is used to collect mechanical property data and another non-destructive test device is used to collect chemical property data. An overall mean for the mechanical property data, and for the chemical property data, is calculated using at least two data collection runs. The means are compared to a known material standard to determine, at a high level of confidence, ultimate yield strength and ultimate tensile strength within +/−10%, a carbon percentage within +/−25%, and a manganese percentage within +/−20% of a known material standard.

主权项

1. A method for non-destructive, in situ, positive material identification of a pipe, the method comprising the steps of:
selecting at least three test areas on a surface of the pipe, the pipe being part of a pipeline, each test area being separated axially and circumferentially from the other test areas; polishing the surface of the pipe within at least a portion of each test area; selecting a mechanical properties test location within the polished portion of each test area; collecting a predetermined number of mechanical property data readings at each mechanical properties test location using a tensile property tester having a ball indenter, the predetermined number of mechanical property data readings representing a mechanical property data collection run and being used to calculate a mean of the mechanical property data collection run; selecting a chemical properties test location within the polished area of each test area, each chemical properties test location being adjacent to a respective mechanical properties test location; collecting a predetermined number of chemical property data readings at each chemical properties test location using an optical emissions spectrometer, the predetermined number of chemical property data readings representing a chemical property data collection run and being used to calculate a mean of the chemical property data collection run; calculating an overall mean of the mechanical property data collection runs and of the chemical property data collection runs, each overall mean being calculated using at least two of its respective data collection runs; comparing each overall mean to a known material standard.