Inductosense Ltd, a leading provider of ultrasonic sensing solutionsfor monitoring internal corrosion and erosion, proudly announces it has been awarded a project by Deepstar to develop a UAV (Unmanned AerialVehicle) version of their WAND (Wireless and Non-Destructive) system. The project is funded by major oil and energy operators Shell, Chevron, and Petrobras.
The Inductosense WAND technology is relied upon by operators and service providers across a range of industries, upgrading their UT inspection to fully digitalised corrosion monitoring. The system enables wide scale cost-effective monitoring of pipework and vessels. The underlying technology is a wireless, battery-free permanently installed ultrasonic sensor. The thin profile, embeddable sensor is activated by inductive coupling when a WAND data collector is brought nearby. The data is acquired quickly, without alignment or coupling gel, and an accurate, repeatable wall thickness measurement is obtained, enabling accurate corrosion monitoring.
Inductosense has previously demonstrated that the WAND system can be integrated with unmanned-aerial platforms in a lab-based environment. Repeatable, accurate thickness measurements from sensors installed on a vessel underneath insulation were taken quickly (as shown in the image). Under this project the system will be commercialised, configured to different UAVs, and trialled in both offshore and onshore environments.
"We are excited to collaborate with Deepstar and our partners to commercialise the UAV version of our WAND system," said Dr. Matt Butcher, CEO of Inductosense. “The project is a significant advancement to UAV based inspection techniques – the same location can be measured accurately each time, very quickly, and even through insulation. Drones have become critical for digital transformation in the oil and gas industry, automating the biggest inspection and maintenance challenges. The WAND UAV solution should help our clients improve safety by responding to data-led insights, and reduce the costs associated with monitoring structures at height or in confined spaces”
