Energy Areas
Quantitative NDE originated in the nuclear industry and many challenges remain, both in existing and new plant. We have a variety of projects on bulk and guided wave ultrasound and electromagnetic techniques with Rolls-Royce, British Nuclear Group, SERCO Assurance, BNFL/Nexia and British Energy. We are also members of the EPSRC funded PROMINENT programme and the Imperial College Nuclear Group.
Nuclear Projects
Guided Wave Permanently Installed Monitoring Systems on Complex Nuclear Components
Development of Methods for Monitoring of Fatigue Degradation in Steel Components
Super Resolution Array Imaging of Small Embedded Defects within Safety-Critical Components
Improvements in ultrasonic inspection techniques for high-density polyethylene pipe joints
Ultrasonic Inspection of Highly Scattering Materials
Development of FE techniques for the ultrasonic inspection of surface-breaking defects
Integrated Ultrasonic Imaging for Inspection of Near-Surface Defects in Safety-Critical Components
The group’s work on long range guided wave inspection has been particularly applied in the oil and gas sector via the spin-out company Guided Ultrasonics Ltd. We have several projects on potential advances in this technology and also on electromagnetic methods in collaboration with the oil industry. Recent work on wireless corrosion/erosion monitoring is being commercialised by the group's most recent spin-out company, Permasense Ltd.
Oil and Gas Projects
Full-Waveform Inversion of Guided-Wave Measurements
Guided Waves Interaction with Cracks of Complex Morphology
Ultrasonic Characterisation of Heavy Fuel Oil
The long range inspection of pipework
Radiography of Sub-sea Pipelines
Improved Guided wave inspection of buried and coated structures
Area Monitoring using Ultrasonic Guided Wave
Electromagnetic NDE Techniques for Pipeline Inspection and Monitoring
Improvements in EMAT Sensitivity
Guided wave tomography for thickness mapping
Long range guided wave inspection has a variety of potential applications in the power industry, for example the detection of longitudinal cracks in pipes, that require advances over the techniques previously developed for the oil and gas sector. We are involved in this area, and also in the inspection and monitoring of structures at high temperatures (>500oC).
Power Industry Projects
ADVISE – Advanced Inspection of Complex Structures
The long range inspection of pipework
Radiography of Sub-sea Pipelines
Improvements in ultrasonic inspection techniques for high-density polyethylene pipe joints
Ultrasonic Inspection of Highly Scattering Materials
Area Monitoring using Ultrasonic Guided Wave