Pipeline operators have an immense responsibility to ensure the safety and integrity of their mains. In order to prevent hazardous leaks and spills, they must take careful measures to clean and inspect their pipelines, processes which are independently costly and time-consuming.
To help maintain the security of crude oil, refined petroleum, and biofuel pipelines, ULC Robotics is entering the second phase of a project funded by the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR). The project aims to develop a dual-purpose in-line inspection and cleaning tool, which will be used to streamline inspection and maintenance operations into a single process and produce live, actionable data for immediate remediation efforts.
During Phase I of the project, ULC Robotics evaluated the feasibility of developing such a tool using guided wave Electromagnetic Acoustic Transducer (EMAT) technology to integrate with existing internal cleaning systems. EMAT technology uses a magnet and electric coil to generate ultrasonic waves used to measure wall thickness and detect, assess, and characterize defects. Over the past several years ULC Robotics has made significant advancements in the research, development, and commercialization of guided wave EMAT for the inspection of steel and cast iron pipelines.
In Phase II of the project, ULC Robotics will further enhance these capabilities through the development, testing, and analysis of a fully functional prototype. Once built, the prototype will be trialed in a field test environment to collect data for further improvements to the reliability and accuracy of the tool.
