Page 360 - Pipeline Pigging Technology

Corrosion surveys with, the 'UltraScan' pig

Fig. 5. Trace from a typical external defect.
demonstrated during these projects. Some of the pipelines had severe
corrosion, something that was already known before the survey, and contin-
ued operation was questionable. With the high accuracy of the UltraScan
method, it was possible to isolate the really dangerous spots. After repair work
had been carried out on the sections with severe corrosion, it was possible to
resume safe operation of the pipeline even though minor, but harmless, spots
of corrosion remained.

Up-to-date technology

The successful development of the UltraScan corrosion pig is closely tied
to the progress made in the field of microprocessor electronics during recent
years. Only with this technology was it possible to process the data flow of
400kByte/sec in the pig itself with the aid of high-performance 16-bit proces-
sors such as the 80-186 series.

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