Damage detection of pipeline multiple cracks using piezoceramic transducers

Abstract

To study the feasibility of detecting pipeline multi-cracks damage using piezoceramic transducers, the electromechanical impedance method and the stress wave based active sensing method were used respectively to perform the damage detection of pipeline with multi-cracks. In this research, the lead zirconate titanate (PZT) type transducers were used due to its strong piezoelectric effect and low cost. During the experiments, two artificial cracks on the pipeline specimen were created, ranging from 0 mm to 9 mm, and seven different operating conditions were generated for each artificial crack. In the monitoring test, for the electromechanical impedance method, the damage index based on Root Mean Square Deviation (RMSD) was used, and for the active sensing method, the damage index based on Wavelet Packet Energy Loss (WPEL) was used. In addition, the relationship between the crack depth and RMSD as well as the relationship between the crack depth and location and WPEL were analyzed. The results show that RMSD and WPEL indices increase with the increase of the depth of pipeline cracks. In addition, the WPEL index increases with the appearance of new cracks. Quantitative analysis of pipeline crack damage can be realized by electromechanical impedance method, and localization analysis on the pipeline multi-cracks damage can be achieved by stress wave method based on sensor arrays.