The WAND system
Our internal corrosion and erosion monitoring technology is helping operators with their varied asset integrity needs. We offer operators a non-intrusive, semi-automated corrosion monitoring solution, that is cost-effective, simplified and digitised.
Background
Ultrasonic testing (UT) is an inspection method for determining if there is internal corrosion or erosion in pipework and vessels. It is a manual method requiring skilled inspectors who travel to the assets to take the measurements. Issues can arise with access to the measurement locations (e.g. they can be underneath layers of insulation) and human error can lead to misrepresentative readings.
Fully automated, wireless, permanently installed monitoring systems offer an alternative to UT. These systems can be very cost-intensive, which makes them unfeasible for high volumes of monitoring locations. They may not be suited to a range of locations due to their size and requirement for a network.
Our solution
The WAND system provides an alternative approach to internal corrosion and erosion monitoring.
TMS Sensors
Ultrasonic thickness sensors
Ultrasonic thickness sensors that are permanently installed to the surface of pipework and vessels using adhesive.
• Battery-free - wirelessly activated
• Ultrathin: easily embeddable & lightweight
• RFID tagged
• ATEX/IECEx certified[
WAND
Handheld measurement tool
Handheld tool that wirelessly collects thickness measurements from the TMS sensors
• User interface displays ultrasonic A-scan, thickness and location information
• Easy to use – anyone can take a measurement, which reduces demand for specialist personnel
• Acquire a measurement in seconds
IDM Software
Data management software
Software for remote management of the data collected from the sensors
• Manage all sensor measurements remotely
• Analyse ultrasonic A-scans and determine corrosion/erosion rates
• Export reports
Battery-free, ultrasonic thickness sensors that are permanently installed to the surface of pipework or vessels. These specially designed sensors are wirelessly powered-up by our handheld data collection tool, and a thickness measurement is simultaneously collected. These measurements can be uploaded to our software for remote data management, allowing operators to effectively monitor their internal corrosion & erosion.
How it works:
An electromagnetic signal is transmitted by the WAND, which activates the sensor
When activated, the sensor generates an ultrasonic pulse, which then gets reflected off the back wall of the structure being examined (often more than once)
An electromagnetic signal is returned by the sensor, which gets received by the WAND
The WAND calculates the material thickness using either: the delay between the first and second ultrasonic echoes (peak to peak), or the delay between the initial ultrasonic pulse (time=0) and the first received ultrasonic echo (first arrival).
In addition to this, each sensor comes with an associated RFID to enable location tracking. The WAND is equipped with an RFID reader which scans for the sensor RFID when a measurement is taken; the WAND then automatically assigns the thickness value to the sensor RFID number. This means the user can know exactly where each thickness measurement comes from.
Accessories
We also provide accessories to complement our system. These have been designed specifically to help overcome access issues:
Advantages
