Pipework and vessels on assets such as a refinery often have a protective coating or layer of insulation material. One of the many challenges that inspectors face is taking measurements from locations that are underneath material.  In these cases, the overlying material has to be removed to take a thickness measurement using conventional monitoring methods, this can be costly, inefficient and risk personnel safety.

The WAND system has been designed to help address these challenges. The sensors are low profile, meaning they can be embedded easily underneath insulation, coatings and composite repairs. Measurements can then be wirelessly acquired using either the WAND-HDC or WAND-RDC, through the overlying material, meaning it does not have to be removed. The addition of the WAND accessories helps further expand the range of locations that can be addressed.

Inductosense has developed an extension coil accessory for the WAND system, called the ECHO. The head of the ECHO coil can be installed on top of existing sensors, and then the coil itself can be threaded through the insulation, and the join in the metallic weather shielding, to enable measurements to be taken by the WAND at the other end. This means the insulation no longer has to be removed to take a thickness measurement.

Inductosense has worked with a number of coatings companies to validate the use of different types of coatings (for example thermal coatings and CUI coatings) with the WAND system. The testing has confirmed that coatings can be applied over the sensors and thickness measurements can still be wirelessly acquired using the WAND-HDC or WAND-RDC.

Applying composite repairs to a damaged area of a vessel or pipe means that the area underneath becomes inaccessible for subsequent inspection. The area underneath may be degrading, however there would be no way to assess the condition, without removing the repair.

Inductosense has been working with a number of composite wrap providers to show that the sensors can be installed on pipework underneath composite wrap repair and the thickness reading from the sensors acquired through the wrap.