Abstract
Pipe structures play a pivotal role in various industrial sectors, necessitating the assurance of their structural stability to ensure safe and reliable operations. Non-destructive Testing (NDT) methods are commonly employed to assess the integrity of these systems. Among the array of NDT techniques, Ultrasonic Guided Wave (UGW) inspection has emerged as a reliable method for assessing large mechanical structures, particularly addressing challenges associated with accessibility. This study focuses on investigating the impact of water immersion on UGW attenuation in steel pipes. To investigate the behaviour of guided waves in water-immersed scenarios, a comprehensive experimental setup was designed and implemented. The study involved testing four distinct cases: (a) an empty bare pipe as a reference case, (b) a bare pipe filled with stagnant water, (c) an empty pipe fully submerged in plain water, and (d) a pipe with combined loads (i.e., filled with stagnant water and submerged). The amplitude variation and Time of Flight (ToF) were analysed to assess wave propagation characteristics. The experimental results revealed notable differences in amplitude and ToF among all the four tested cases. Introduction of stagnant water inside the bare pipe resulted in decreased wave amplitudes, indicating increased wave attenuation compared to the empty pipe scenario. This research provides valuable insights for applications involving steel pipes submerged in water, offering guidance for accurate and reliable inspection and monitoring of pipe integrity. Future investigations may focus on understanding the underlying mechanisms behind wave attenuation in water-immersed scenarios and developing techniques to mitigate or compensate for these effects, thereby advancing inspection and monitoring capabilities in real-world applications.
Published Version
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