MEASURE CORROSION

RATES IN WEEKS
In-service wall thickness monitoring using
pulsed eddy current (PEC) technology

IN-SERVICE MONITORING:
CORROSION AND EROSION RATES
PEC technology: A cost-effective alternative
to other monitoring methods
Dangerous levels of pipe wall loss have been detected, but

Shell Global Solutions PEC monitoring technology offers

how fast is your pipework corroding? Pulsed eddy current

an attractive alternative to existing monitoring methods. The

(PEC) monitoring from Shell Global Solutions can help to give

technique has excellent reproducibility, typically 0.2% of

you prompt answers, without interrupting your operations.

wall thickness, and enables wall loss rates to be determined

Changing process temperatures and crude diets may lead to

over short periods. For example, a corrosion rate change of

temporarily high rates of corrosion, which if undetected

0.5 mm/yr can be detected over a five-week period. The

can result in expensive failures. Unexpected erosion or the

unit is portable, which means that repeat measurements can

change from dry- to wet-gas operation in pipelines can also

be rapidly taken using a single tool across different sites

lead to dangerously rapid rates of wall loss. To help reduce

where positioning frames or centre pop-mark indents identify

the risks of failure and enable you to plan maintenance, the

precise locations.

rates of wall loss need to be measured in the shortest possible

period of time.
Accessibility and safety issues often limit the use of
radiography, and conventional ultrasonic methods cannot
identify small rate changes over relatively short periods
of time. Furthermore, fixed electrical conductivity systems
require tag welding, which may interfere with operations
and makes these systems inherently inflexible.

Rapid results using mobile PEC units

A PEC probe is placed by the wall being inspected, and a
pulsed magnetic field is emitted that penetrates coatings to
induce eddy currents in the steel. Receiver coils in the PEC
probe sense these eddy currents, which can then be related
to the average wall thickness over the probes footprint.

PEC monitoring allowed operations to continue right up to a planned

shutdown and helped to minimise the length of this shutdown, which
saved millions of dollars in lost revenue
Andr Landman, plant inspector, Pernis refinery

The PEC tool has been a powerful help in obtaining

corrosion trends at 300C
Head of materials and corrosion, a large chemical complex

In-service monitoring prevents

disruption to operations

How PEC technology works

PEC technology can be installed and applied while the

measuring the wall thickness of steel objects without

pipe or vessel is in service, even when operating at high

direct contact with the steel. Measurements can be

temperatures, so there is no loss of production. Welding

recorded with air, soil, water or corrosion product

is not required, which eliminates the associated costs and

between the steel and the sensor. The PEC sensor

safety issues, and surface preparation is unnecessary, as

emits powerful electromagnetic pulses that induce

measurements can be made through paint or coating layers

eddy currents in the steel. The diffusion rate of the eddy

and corrosion products up to 20mm thick.

currents is measured to determine the steels thickness.

PEC technology is an inspection technique for

At hazardous or inaccessible locations, fixed, relatively

low-cost PEC units can be used with connection cables
over 50 m long to allow remote measurement; for example,
in monitoring subsea steel items or high-temperature units
(tested to 420C), or at those locations where scaffolding
would otherwise be needed.

Benefits of PEC technology for

wall thickness monitoring

Enables wall thickness monitoring of in-service equipment

Portable PEC unit can be used by any lone worker

PEC probe held
in position by a
positioning frame.

throughout the plant

Leaves coatings and paint intact

Works on high-temperature surfaces (tested to 420C)

Developed to enable prompt remedial action to be taken

PEC technology a successful track record

by providing rapid results, typically 10 times faster than

Serious wall loss had become apparent in a clients high-

with ultrasonic techniques

temperature equipment, and it was impossible to isolate

Designed to increase confidence in lifetime estimates,

which may lead to extension of run times

the equipment and undertake the remedial work. Could

operations safely continue until the next planned shutdown?
The customer needed to know the remaining equipment

10.0

lifetime and the effects of the corrective measures. PEC

In another case, the effectiveness of corrosion inhibition

9.9
0.15 mm/yr

was monitored by fast and accurate wall thickness

measurements. Accurate in-service monitoring was provided
by PEC technology. Measurements recorded over 500 days

9.8

9.7
0

100

showed a five-month period with a corrosion rate of

1 June

1 January

PEC wall thickness (mm)

corrosion monitoring provided that information.

200

300
Days

approximately 0.15 mm/yr. Such detailed data helped the

client to handle the corrosion of the equipment better.
400

500

600

Figure 1: PEC corrosion monitoring has detected corrosion from

January through to June, but not before or after. The corrosion was
attributed to changes in operating conditions. Note the expanded
wall thickness scale.

Please contact Shell Global Solutions for further information

Shell Global Solutions International BV
Tel: +31 70 377 2470
Shell Global Solutions (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd
Tel: +60 3 2170 3888
Shell Global Solutions (US) Inc.
Tel: +1 281 544 8844
Email us at shellglobalsolutions@shell.com
Or visit our website at www.shellglobalsolutions.com

Shell Global Solutions is a network of independent technology companies in

the Royal Dutch/Shell Group. In this brochure, the expression Shell Global
Solutions is sometimes used for convenience where reference is made to these
companies in general, or where no useful purpose is served by identifying a
particular company.
This document is intended for general information purposes only and does not
in any way constitute an offer to provide specific services. Some services may
not be available in certain countries or political subdivisions thereof.
All the quotations in this document have been reproduced with the kind
permission of our customers.
OG0121910704-En(A)