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IRIS Non-Destructive Test

Procedure

This Standard replaces and cancels its previous revision.

The CONTEC - Authoring Subcommittee provides guidance on the
interpretation of this Standard when questions arise regarding its contents. The
Department of PETROBRAS that uses this Standard is responsible for adopting
and applying the sections, subsections and enumerates thereof.

Technical Requirement: A provision established as the most adequate and

which shall be used strictly in accordance with this Standard. If a decision is
CONTEC taken not to follow the requirement (“non-conformity” to this Standard) it shall be
Comissão de Normalização based on well-founded economic and management reasons, and be approved
Técnica and registered by the Department of PETROBRAS that uses this Standard. It is
characterized by imperative nature.
Recommended Practice: A provision that may be adopted under the conditions
of this Standard, but which admits (and draws attention to) the possibility of
there being a more adequate alternative (not written in this Standard) to the
particular application. The alternative adopted shall be approved and registered
by the Department of PETROBRAS that uses this Standard. It is characterized
by verbs of a nonmandatory nature. It is indicated by the expression:
[Recommended Practice].
Copies of the registered “non-conformities” to this Standard that may contribute
to the improvement thereof shall be submitted to the CONTEC - Authoring
SC - 27 Subcommittee.

Non-Destructive Test Proposed revisions to this Standard shall be submitted to the CONTEC -
Authoring Subcommittee, indicating the alphanumeric identification and revision
of the Standard, the section, subsection and enumerate to be revised, the
proposed text, and technical/economic justification for revision. The proposals
are evaluated during the work for alteration of this Standard.

“The present Standard is the exclusive property of PETRÓLEO

BRASILEIRO S.A. - PETROBRAS, for internal use in the Company, and any
reproduction for external use or disclosure, without previous and express
authorization from the owner, will imply an unlawful act pursuant to the
relevant legislation through which the applicable responsibilities shall be
imputed. External circulation shall be regulated by a specific clause of
Secrecy and Confidentiality pursuant to the terms of intellectual and
industrial property law.”

Introduction
PETROBRAS Technical Standards are prepared by Working Groups - WG
(consisting specialized of Technical Collaborators from Company and its Subsidiaries), are
commented by Company Units and its Subsidiaries, are approved by the Authoring Subcommittees -
SCs (consisting of technicians from the same specialty, representing the various Company Units and
its Subsidiaries), and ratified by the Executive Nucleus (consisting of representatives of the Company
Units and its Subsidiaries). A PETROBRAS Technical Standard is subject to revision at any time by its
Authoring Subcommittee and shall be reviewed every 5 years to be revalidated, revised or cancelled.
PETROBRAS Technical Standards are prepared in accordance with PETROBRAS Technical
Standard N-1. For complete information about PETROBRAS Technical Standards see PETROBRAS
Technical Standards Catalog.
.
PROPERTY OF PETROBRAS 11 pages, Index of Revisions and WG
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Foreword

This Standard is the English version (issued in 09/2012) of PETROBRAS N-2690 REV. B 04/2011. In
case of doubt, the Portuguese version, which is the valid document for all intents and purposes, shall
be used.

1 Scope

1.1 This Standard specifies the requirements for the IRIS – Internal Rotary Inspection System non-
destructive test, to assess the loss of piping thickness in heat exchanger pipes and boilers.

1.2 This Standard applies to procedures started as from the date of its edition.

1.3 This Standard contains only Technical Requirements.

2 Normative References

The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this document. For dated
references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced
document applies.

INMETRO VIM:2008 – Vocabulário Internacional de Metrologia (First Brazilian Edition of VIM

2008);

PETROBRAS N-1594 - Ensaio Não Destrutivo - Ultrassom;

ABNT NBR ISO IEC 17024:2004 - Avaliação de Conformidade - Requisitos Gerais para
Organismos que Realizam Certificação de Pessoas.

NOTE For documents referred in this Standard and for which only the Portuguese version is
available, the PETROBRAS department that uses this Standard should be consulted for any
information required for the specific application.

3 Terms and Definitions

For the effects of this document, the INMETRO VIM:2008 terms and definitions apply, as well as the
following:

3.1
IRIS - Internal Rotary Inspection System
it is an immersion, pulse-echo ultrasound technique, using an ultrasound beam head which is directed
to a rotary mirror used to deflect the beam to the tube wall

NOTE This technique is normally used to assess the thickness loss in heat exchangers pipes and
boilers.

3.2
standard pipe
a pipe with known characteristics and thickness presenting natural and / or artificial discontinuities
through which the IRIS measuring system is calibrated to test sound propagation in similar materials
and to adjust the test sensitivity

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3.3
operator
a professional in charge of helping during the test, mostly for the insertion and removal of the probe in
pipes and in other activities, except the indications assessment

3.4
inspector
a qualified professional in charge of guiding the operator, monitoring the test and assessing the results

3.5
inspection team
the inspection team comprises all the workers involved with the test, and shall have, at least, one
inspector and one operator

3.6
couplant
any substance (usually liquid or pasty) inserted between the head and the surface tested, aiming at
transmitting the ultrasound energy vibrations between them

3.7
sensitivity adjustment
gain corrections to adjust the sweeping sensitivity, assess discontinuities and offset differences in
coupling and sonic attenuation between the material under test and the reference block

3.8
head
an electrical, acoustic device used to transmit and / or receive ultrasound energy. The device usually
comprises an identification plate, a connector, casing, buffer block, piezoelectric element or
transducer, and a wearing element or lens

3.9
B-scan inspection findings presentation
the ultrasonic data presentation showing a sectional cut of the sample with approximate length (as
indicated by the sweep) of deflectors and their relative position

3.10
C-scan inspection results presentation
the ultrasonic data presentation showing a flat view of the objet and possible existing discontinuities

4 General terms

4.1 Qualification of inspectors

The inspector shall be qualified in accordance with PETROBRAS/ENGENHARIA/SL/SEQUI/CI.

4.2 Contractor’s inspection procedure

4.2.1 The following procedure items shall be present, at a minimum:

a) purpose;
b) applicable standards, with revision indication;

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c) material, component, dimensions and construction details of the pipe being tested;
d) devices and accessories, mentioning the manufacturer, model, limitation of use and
recommendations for installation, maintenance and storage, when applicable;
e) inspection probe (manufacturer, type, model, head frequency, probe diameter, mirror,
centering device and pipe diameter range);
f) required surface condition and preparation method;
g) coupling;
h) measuring system adjustment system;
i) instructions for the operator;
j) sweeping technique (travel orientation and speed);
k) minimum quality of signal;
l) sequential description of the test execution;
m) identification and traceability method;
n) assessment of test results (detection and measurement of discontinuities, results
registration and interpretation);
o) form for results registration;
p) safety instructions;
q) requirements for personnel training / qualification;
r) requirements and additional information, when applicable (i. e., pump, filter, water
pressure, etc.);
s) position encoder adjustment, when applicable.

4.2.2 The procedure shall contain issuer’s name (PETROBRAS unit or contractor’s company), be
numbered, have revision indication and issuance date.

4.3 Inspection Procedure Qualification for Contractors

4.3.1 The procedure shall be qualified when all requirements are met and all discontinuities are
detected and measured in previously gauged samples.

4.3.2 The procedure shall be qualified and certified by an Ultrasound Level 3 Inspector.

4.4 Inspection Procedure Revision and or Requalification for Contractors

4.4.1 Whenever an Item of 4.2 is changed, a procedure revision must be issued.

4.4.2 Whenever there is a change in c), d), e), f), g), h) and j) in 4.2, the procedure must be
requalified.

4.5 Measuring System

4.5.1 The IRIS measuring system shall comprise the B-Scan and the C-Scan, at a minimum.

4.5.2 If a position encoder is used, the minimum accuracy of this component compared with the pipe
actual length swept shall be + 5 %.

4.5.3 The IRIS measuring system must allow for the electronic files to be saved and viewed for image
analysis.

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4.6 Calibration of the Measuring System

4.6.1 The measurement system devices requiring periodical calibration are the ultrasound thickness
gauge, the head and standard blocks.

4.6.2 The periodicity of calibration of the ultrasound thickness gauge shall not be greater than 24
months.

NOTE 1 The calibration certificates are issued by accredited laboratories, in accordance with ABNT
NBR ISO/IEC 17024:2004. In case there is no accredited laboratory for the magnitude to be
calibrated, laboratories with standards referenced to Rede Brasileira de Calibração (RBC –
Brazilian Network of calibration) or with a nationally or internationally accredited metrological
system can be used.
NOTE 2 The calibration of measuring system items described above varies, according to the
frequency and conditions of its use. It is recommended that the calibration schedule be
under 12 months intervals.
NOTE 3 Any repair or service in the measurement system requires a recalibration, notwithstanding
the programmed interval already set.

4.7 Measuring System Adjustment

4.7.1 Adjustment shall be performed according to an existing standard range. The measuring system
shall provide the discontinuities thickness measurements within the adjustment range, with a
maximum offset of 10 % from the rated thickness of the pipe.

4.7.2 Materials to be inspected shall be classified, as seen in Table 1, in accordance with their
acoustic properties.

Table 1 – Groups and Similar Materials

Group Material Description

1 Carbon steel
2 Austenitic stainless steels

NOTE 1 Other materials shall be considered individually as a group. In this case, a summary
description of the material composition shall be provided. For example: 9 % Cr, 1 % Mo
steel.
NOTE 2 Cooper and its alloys: Due to variation in acoustic properties of copper and its alloys, a pipe
with the same tube bundle specification of that to be inspected shall be used for the
production of the reference pipe.

4.7.3 Reference pipes shall be made of a material acoustically similar to that of inspected pipes (SEE
ITEM 4.7.2), and shall have the same diameter and thickness. Dimensions of reference pipes shall be
in accordance with Figure A.1 of Annex A.

4.7.4 Daily adjustments shall be made, according to the schedule below:

a) inspection commence;
b) 8 hours, max, of inspection;
c) recommence of inspection after any interruption;
d) at the inspection’s completion;

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4.7.5 Adjustment inspections, when performed according to b), c) and d) of 4.7.4, shall be within
± 0.1 mm (or another value specified in the product). Whenever there is a need for adjustment,
measurements shall be performed again from the last satisfactory measurement.

4.7.6 The probe travel inside the reference pipe shall be 2.5 m/min., at a maximum.

4.8 Coupling

4.8.1 When horizontal pipes are inspected, the coupling is done by injecting water through the probe
itself. For pipes inspected in a vertical position, the pipe shall be full of water to allow the coupling.

4.8.2 If the coupling fails, the piping stretch in which this occurred shall be reinspected.

4.8.3 When the tested surface is made of austenitic stainless steel the maximum chloride content
allowed in water shall be under 50 ppm. For halogenous (fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine), the
maximum content in water shall be 250 ppm, considering the sum of content for each element.

4.9 Surface Preparation

4.9.1 The surface preparation shall be performed in a way to allow a response signal (the device
presentation) with a 70 % minimum sharpness to allow the pipe external surface assessment (Annex
B), and this condition shall be kept along the pipe length under inspection.

4.9.2 For an adequate cleaning, chemical or steam cleaning shall be used, with subsequent use of
hydrojet in pipes to be inspected with a 15 000 psig. nozzle minimum pressure and cleaning probe
maximum travel speed of 0.12 m/s.

4.10 Sweeping technique

4.10.1 Piping assessment during the inspection shall be performed when the probe is removed from
the opposite end used for the insertion, at a maximum rate of 2.5 m/min.

4.10.2 To ensure the best image quality, an effort must be done to get the best centering of the head
in relation to the circumference of the pipe under inspection.

5 Registration of Results

5.1 Results from the tests shall be registered using an identification and traceability system that
allows a correlation of the tested point with the report, and vice-versa.

5.2 The localization method and the number of pipes to be inspected shall be in accordance with the
mapping provided beforehand by PETROBRAS.

5.3 A report shall be issued, including, at a minimum, the following items:

a) name of the issuer (PETROBRAS unit or company performing the service);

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b) numerical identification;
c) number and revision of the procedure;
d) equipment identification;
e) adjustment method;
f) pipe description; material, diameter, thickness and construction details;
g) quantity of pipes inspected and their respective localization in the equipment;
h) description of the measuring system, probes and heads used, with their respective serial
numbers;
i) registration of results for all indications found according to j) and k);
j) sensitivity or adjustment level for filtering;
k) the following shall be indicated for each inspected pipe:

— length area where was not possible to accomplish the inspection and its reason;
— localization and value of the smallest thickness detected in relation to a reference;
— discontinuity type specification indicating the original side (internal / external);
l) date;
m) identification, signature and level of the inspection team (operator and inspector).

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Annex A - Figure

t
100

A 0,2t A
4,0 Exchanger
4,0 Boiler
50

B 0,4t B
4,0 Exchanger
4,0 Boiler
50

C C
Ø 2,4 Exchanger
Ø 2,0 Boiler
50

D D
Ø 3,8 Exchanger
Ø 2,4 Boiler
50

E 0,2t E
Ø 4,8 Exchanger
Ø 6,3 Boiler
50

F 0,4t F
Ø 4,8 Exchanger
Ø 6,3 Boiler
50

G 0,6t G
Ø 4,8 Exchanger
Ø 6,3 Boiler
50

H 0,8t H
Ø 4,8 Exchanger
Ø 6,3 Boiler
50

I 0,2t I
4,0 Exchanger
4,0 Boiler
50

J 0,5t J
4,0 Exchanger
4,0 Boiler
100

Figure A.1 - Reference Pipe for the IRIS Measuring System Adjustment

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A-A Section
Groove with 4,0 width x depth 20% of the thickness (t)

0,2 t

B-B Section
Groove with 4,0 width x depth is 40% of the rhickness (t)

0,4 t

C-C Section
Through hole Ø 2,4 for exchanger and Ø 2,0 for boiler

D-D Section
Through hole Ø 3,8 for exchanger and Ø 2,4 for boiler

t
Ø

Figure A.2 - Reference Pipe Discontinuities Section for the IRIS Measuring System
Adjustment

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E-E Section
Blind hole with depth of 20% of the thickness (t)
F-F Section
Blind hole with depth of 40% of the thickness (t)
G-G Section
Blind hole with depth of 60% of the thickness (t)
H-H Section
Blind hole with depth of 80% of the thickness (t)

Depth Ø 4,8 exchanger

Ø 6,3 boliler

I-I Section
Groove with 4,0 width x depth of 20% of the thickness (t)

0,2 t

J-J Section
Groove with 4,0 width x depth of 50% of the thickness (t)

t
0,5 t

Figure A.2 - Reference Pipe Discontinuities Section for the IRIS Measuring System
Adjustment (Continued)

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Annex B - Figure

(a) Acceptable sharpness

(b) Unacceptable sharpness

Figure B.1 - Sharpness Standard for the Measuring System Presentation

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INDEX OF REVISIONS

REV. A
Affected Parts Description of Alteration
Revalidacion

REV. B
Affected Parts Description of Alteration
All Revised

IR 1/1