Stress effects and magnetic flux leakage induced by defects in pipelines

Abstract

The operating pressure in oil and gas pipelines can produce hoop stress as high as 70% of yield stress. Superimposed on this are bending stresses and residual stresses from pipe forming operations. Furthermore defects cause local changes in both the magnitude and direction of pipe wall flux density and stress. The combined stresses affect magnetic properties, such as anisotropy, and hence alter magnetic flux leakage signals from magnetic flux leakage (MFL) inspection tools used to detect and size defects. These factors need to be mitigated and taken into consideration when interpreting MFL signals to size defects. This paper describes research undertaken to elucidate the effects of these complex interactions. Results from magnetic Barkhausen noise, neutron diffraction and flux leakage monitoring of local, bulk surface and “at depth” stresses are presented. Tensor measurements of magnetic properties and stress-induced variations are described and discussed.