IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MAONRTICS.

VOL 15, NO 5 , SEPTEMBER 1999

3907

Deperming Technology in Large Ferromagnetic Pipes

Alexander V. Kildishev and John A. Nyenhuis
Purdue University, School of ECE, West Lafayette, IN 47907-1285, U S A .
Pave1 N. Dobrodeyev and Serge A. Volokhov
Magnetism Division, IED, NASU, Kharkov, Ukraine

Abstract This report describes a deperming techniqne for

reducing of the arc blow effect in DC welding of ferromagnetic
pipelines. The technique is based on cornpensation of the axial
fleld in the welding gap by a re-magnetization of the pipe near
the joint. The remagnetization is produced with a coil set driven
with a bipolar impulse. We examined an axisymmetrical model
of the pipes with commercial finite element software (ANSYS).
The model has plane symmetry in the middle of the welding gap.
InitiaI magnetization levels in the model were determined from a
preliminary experimental investigation of an oil pipeline in
Ukraine. A prototype of the deperming device was fabricated,
including a coil set, an impulse power supply and n magnetometer. A magnetic measuring procedure was also developed to optimize the transient current in the coils. Our experimental re.
sults have coaflrmed the efficacy of this deperming technique,
which provides an acceptable level of the magnetic field in the
welding gap.

11. PRELIMINARY
EXPERIMENTAL
INVESTIGATIONS

Magnetic flux density in the weld gap was measured with a

KRM-C-M magnetometer manufactured by the special Scientific Developments, Ltd. of Kharkov, Ukraine. This simple
hand-held instrument has a one-axis Hall sensor at the end of
a 100-mm rod.
We measured the magnetic flux density of new pipes
ranging in diameter from 0.7 m to 1.4 m. We also examined
pipe pieces cnt from an actual oil pipeline. The 1.22-m diameter pipes, with wall thickness of 16 mm, were manufactured from 17G1S steel. Each pipeline piece was no shorter
than 8 m.
Fig. 2 shows measuring points at a pipe circumference. We
used those points for axial field measurements at the free ends
of stand-alone pipes and in the welding gap of a pipe pair.
Results
have been normalized in ,accordance with
Index Term - arc blow, arc welding, deperming, ferromagEx,,= B,,,/max(B,,,), where Bgrpis the axial field in the
netic pipe, oil pipeline.

gap between two pipes. By adjustment of the reference $o for

defining the polar angle @,we have obtained nearly the same
It is recognized that pipe magnetism makes it difficult to Bgnpvs. $I relationship for all pipes.
both build and repair pipelines using DC arc welding [1]-[31.
The upper acceptable levels of the magnetic field in the
welding gap ranges from 1 - 3 mT, depending on the type of
welding to be performed. One of the most well known technologies now available for eliminating residual magnetism in
massive ferromagnetic parts is to use an alternating magnetic
field whose amplitude gradually decreases with time. This
method often is not effective in demagnetizing large pipes to
acceptable levels. Thus, a technique based on the compensation of the residual magnetic field with an external magnetic
field was developed by Blakeley [4]. The external field is
generated by a pair of coils, which is wound around the pipe.
One of coils is connected to an independent DC power supply, and another one carries the welding current, so compensation is made during the welding process, as shown in Fig. 1. Pig. I Degaussing technology for reduction of mngnouc field in the weld
This procedure is somewhat difficult and requires significant
WPP.
operator expertise and care. Furthermore, this technique
sometimes fails to provide good deperming due to the inhomogeneous distribution of the magnetization around the wall
of the pipe. Our research was aimed at the development and
experimental verification of the magnetic pipe treatment in
order to compensate the arc blow effect in welding of oil
pipelines. The technique is based on re-magnetization of pipe
parts near the joint and compensation of the axial field in the
welding gap.
I.

INTRODUCTION

Manuscript received March 5, 1999.

A. V. Kildsihev, fax 765-494-3358,a.v.kildishevCieee.arg: J. A. Nyenliuis.
765-494-3524,fun 765-494-2706,nyenhuisCecn.purdue.edu:
P. N. Dobrodeyev and S . A. Volakhov, 380-572-991175.fax 380.572992162, itl34~oniine.khnrkav.ua,310106. PO box 72, Kiinrkav, Ukraine

0018-9464/99$10.000

Fig. 2. Measuring points at a pipe circumference.

1999 IEEE

3908

1.0

0.5

0.5~

1SZ

4, rad

Fig. 3. Avoraged and normalized distribution of the axial flux density at a

circumference of different pipes.

Fig. 5. Averaged and normalized distributian of the radial flux density on the
surface of a pipe.

Fig. 4 shows that when moving away from the edge to the
Maxima of the axial flux density at the ends of isolated external region the radial field decreases dramatically: by a
pipes were found to vary from pipe to pipe. New pipes have factor of 10 at a distance of 0.1 m and is inconsequential at a
maxima at 0.5 - 3 mT level, while old pieces from a pipeline distance of 0.2 m since the flux density is less than 0.1 mT.
have maximal values
- at 4-10 mT. Fig. 3 shows the resulting Scanning to the opposite direction to the center of a pipe
averaged curve B,,, = f(@) for all tested pipes. The axial piece gives a much smaller decrease: a factor of 2 at 0.1 m
field at various measuring points differs by a factor of two. It and about 3-4 at 0.5 m. Both field distributions (shown in Fig.
is found in the measurements, a E,,, value of a pipe pair is 4 and Fig. 5 ) confirm the fact that (I) a magnetic flux circuit
greater by a factor of 5-10 to the initial value of each stand- effective.for the axial edge field is concentrated at part of a
alone pipe. As a result at some places of the circumference pipe end, (2) the exact value of the effective pipe length can
Ego, can he above the threshold for safe top-quality welding. be determined by the radial field measurement.
Considering the threshold to be 10% of the axial edge
The peak axial magnetic field along the circumference and its
value,
the active length for a stand-alone pipe can be deterlocation is unpredictable, making also unpredictable variamined from Fig. 4 as 2-3 m. Similarly, the active length for a
tions of welding quality in that case.
Magnetic fields for pipeline sections in service are even pipe pair is 0.5 - 0.8 m, as it can be evaluated from Fig. 5.
greater; one source of additional magnetization is from mag- Hence, the active pipe part may be considered no longer than
netic non-destructive scanners, which are used for inspection 2 m for a long pipe piece.
[ 5 ] .For scanned pipes the axial field at all measuring points is
111. MODELING
GEOMETRY
AND RESULTS
far above the acceptable thresholds, making welding quality
uncertain at any place of the joint.
Fig. 6 illustrates a simplified geometry of the problem. An
We have also examined the radial component of magnetic axisymmetrical FEM model (ANSYS) with plane symmetry
flux density on the external pipe surface. An averaged nor- in the middle of the welding gap is used. There are two pipes
malized distribution of the radial component of the magnetic with diameter 1.22 m, wall thickness 0.016 m and length 8 m.
flux density is shown in Fig. 4 for a stand-alone pipe and in The gap has a width of 2.5 mm and is centered at x = 0.
Fig. 5 for a pipe pair with a welding air gap. Radial field
maxima in stand-alone pipes are located at the corner of the
pipe edge and have nearly the same values as the axial field at
the open edge.

Fig. 4. Averaged radial field on the external surface of a stand-alane pipe.

" ...

nmetry

Fig. 6. Axysimetrical FEM model of two pipes.

I
I

1909

The pipe material is assumed to be Ukrainian steel type

17GlS with saturation magnetization 1.6 T. Both axisymmetrical (flux-parallel) and plane-symmetrical (flux-normal)
boundary conditions are applied. The outer region is bounded
by infinite elements, providing infinite zero-field boundary
conditions. A 0.5-m long coil magnetizes a section of a pipe
adjacent to the gap. For permanently magnetized regions
ANSYS requires the normal demagnetization 5 - H curve and
components of the magnetic coercive force vector. We used
only axial magnetization, because radial remanance will be
small due to the large demagnetization in that direction.
The model includes the following main stages illustrated in
Fig. 7.
I) Initial stage: The initial magnetic field B in the pipe region (hulk) outside the coil and the initial magnetization in
the pipe region (end) under the coil is assumed to be at point
a and is allowed to relax to point b along section a + b.
Section a + b has H, = 50 A/m. (Coercivity values in the
calculations were chosen to fit experimental results.) Note
that magnetizing field H a t the operating point is negative due
to demagnetizing effects. Bgnpis calculated to be 40 mT when
magnetization in the bulk and end is at point b. This E,,,
magnitude is representative of that found in sections of pipe
from actual pipeline.
2) Saturated sfage: In the saturated stage, magnetization in
the pipe end under the coil is brought to point C. Physically
this is equivalent to saturating the steel. The purpose of this
step is to achieve a uniform magnetization under the coil,
which will result in a uniform field along the circumference
the gap. From point c, thk magnetization is allowed to relax
to point d along section c + d, which has a coercivity Of 500
A h . During this stage, and all other stages, the bulk magnetization follows the curves a -+ b and c -+ d. Calculated
E,,, for end magnetization at point d is 100 mT.

3 ) Compensation Stage: In compensation we desire an end

magnetization opposing the bulk magnetization so that the
magnitude of E,,, is minimized. Current is applied to bring
the magnetization under the coil in the -x direction to a state
of incomplete saturation, point e. From point e, the magnetization relaxes to pointfalong curve e +f, which is assumed
to have a coercivity of 300 A h . The magnetization at the
end is now in a direction opposite to the magnetization in the
bulk. There is compensation and Bgapis only -5 mT.
4) Overcompensated stage. In overcompensation, like in
compensation, current is also applied to bring the end of the
pipe in the -x direction. The magnetization is in a state of
incomplete saturation, point g, with magnitude greater than
for point e. From point g, the magnetization relaxes to point
h along curve g + h, which has a coercivity of 350 A h . The
magnetization at the end is again in a direction opposite to the
magnetization in the bulk. However, there is overcompensation and the field in the gap has greater magnitude with Bgnp=
-12 mT.

IV. EXPERIMENTAL
STUDIES
A prototype was made to prove the efficiency of the
method,
power input is from the welding power supplies
with a standard voltage of 40 V. The apparatus includes an
additional power supply for control equipment, a control
center with electronic instrumentation, and multithread cables
with
8-m section was welded into an oil pipellne in Ukraine,
The
diameter was 1.22 and wall thickness was 0,016
m. The coercive force was measured to he 500
The gap
between adjacent pipes was 2.5 0.5 mm. Two identical coils
of 0.4 m width were placed adjacent to the gap edges. The
current to reach the saturated stage was 7-8 kA turns. The
axial field in the welding gap was measured with a magnetometer.
The averaged flux density in the gap before the magnetic
treatment was 100 mT and it was reduced to values lower
than 10 mT. The welded joint successfully passed nondestructive testing procedures.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Support for this work was partially provided by National

Academy of Sciences, Ukraine. Computer equipment was
donated by Intel Corporation. Dr. Kildishev is supported by a
NATO-NSF Grant (# DGE 9804545).

REFERENCES
[l] Action
[2]

[3]

[4]

Rg. 7. Schematic of magnetization paths used In the caicuiations

[51

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Guide,
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J. F. Lnncaster, "Physics of fusion welding, Part 1: The electric Arc in
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Welding