Guided wave testing

Guided wave testing (GWT) is a

non-destructive evaluation method.
The method
employs acoustic waves
that propagate along an elongated
structure while guided by its
boundaries. This allows the
waves to
travel a long distance with little loss
in energy. Nowadays, GWT is widely
used to inspect and screen many
engineering structures, particularly
for the inspection
of metallic
pipelines around the world. In
some
cases, hundreds of meters can be
inspected from a single
location.
There are also some applications for This illustrates the difference in concept between conventional UT
inspecting
rail tracks, rods and metal and guided wave testing (GWT).
plate structures.

Although guided wave testing is also commonly known as guided wave

ultrasonic testing (GWUT)
or ultrasonic guided waves (UGWs) or long range ultrasonic testing (LRUT),
it is fundamentally
very different from
conventional ultrasonic testing. The frequency used in the inspection depends
on the thickness of the structure, but guided wave
testing typically uses ultrasonic frequencies in
the range of 10 kHz to several MHz.
Higher frequencies can be used in some cases, but detection
range is significantly reduced. In addition, the underlying physics of guided waves is more
complex
than bulk waves. Much of the theoretical background has
been addressed in a separate article. In
this
article, the practical aspect of GWT will be discussed.

Contents
History
How it works (pipeline inspections)
Guided wave focusing
Features
Advantages
Disadvantages
List of standards
References

History
The study of guided waves propagating in a structure can be
traced back to as early as the 1920s,
mainly inspired by the field
of seismology. Since then, there has been an increased effort on
the
analytical study of guided wave propagation in cylindrical
structures. It was only in the early 1990s
that guided wave testing was
considered as a practical method for the non-destructive testing of
engineering
structures. Today, GWT is applied as an integrated health
monitoring program in the
oil, gas and chemical industries.

How it works (pipeline inspections)

Unlike conventional ultrasonics, there are an
infinite number of guided wave modes that exist
for a pipe geometry, and they can be generally
grouped into three families, namely the torsional,
longitudinal and flexural modes. The acoustic
properties of these wave modes are a function of
the pipe geometry, the material and the frequency.
Predicting these properties of the wave modes
often relies on heavy mathematical modeling
which is typically presented in graphical plots
called dispersion curves.

In the guided wave testing of pipelines, an array of

low frequency transducers is attached around the
circumference of the pipe to generate an axially
symmetric wave that propagates along the pipe in
both the forward and backward directions of the
transducer array. The torsional wave mode is most
commonly used, although there is limited use of
the longitudinal mode. The equipment operates in A technician (right) performs a Guided Wave test.
a pulse-echo configuration where the array of An example of pipeline inspection using guided
transducers is used for both the excitation and wave testing (GWT). Mechanical stress wave is
detection of the signals. generated via transducer array mounted around
the pipe surface. The electrical signal is driven by
At a location where there is a change of cross- the portable electronic unit. After the collection,
section or a change in local stiffness of the pipe, an the result is displayed on the computer for further
echo is generated. Based on the
arrival time of the analysis.
echoes, and the predicted speed of the wave mode
at a
particular frequency, the distance of a feature
in relation to the
position of the transducer array
can be accurately calculated. GWT
uses a system of
distance amplitude curves (DAC) to correct for
attenuation and amplitude drops when estimating
the cross-section
change (CSC) from a reflection at
a certain distance. The DACs are
usually calibrated
against a series of echoes with known signal
amplitude such as weld echoes.

Once the DAC levels are set, the signal amplitude

correlates well to the CSC of a defect. GWT does
not measure the
remaining wall thickness directly,
but it is possible to group the
defect severity in
several categories. One method of doing this is
to
exploit the mode conversion phenomenon of the A typical example of the GWT data showing both
excitation signal
where some energy of the axially the A-scan type (bottom) and the C-scan type
symmetric wave mode is converted to
the flexural (top) results. The green band indicates the
modes at a pipe feature. The
amount of mode position of the transducer array.
conversion provides an accurate estimate of the
circumferential extent of the defect, and together
with the CSC,
operators could establish the severity category.

A typical result of GWT is displayed in an A-scan style with the

reflection amplitude against the
distance from the transducer array position.
In the past few years, some advanced systems have
started to offer
C-scan type results where the orientation of each feature can
be easily interpreted.
This has shown to be extremely useful when
inspecting large size pipelines.

Guided wave focusing

As well as incorporating C-scan type results, active focusing capacity can also be achieved by GWT
utilising flexural wave modes. This gives two main advantages; firstly the signal to noise ratio
(SNR) of a defect echo can be enhanced, secondly it can be used as an additional tool to help
discriminate between 'real' and 'false' indications. However, there are disadvantages associated
with this technique; firstly, the defect location must be known before the focusing can be applied,
secondly, the separate data set required for the active focusing technique can also significantly
reduce the time and cost efficiency of GWT.

Flexural wave modes have sinusoidal variation in their displacement pattern around the
circumference, in integer values ranging from 1 to Infinity. Active focusing involves the
transmission of multiple flexural wave modes, with time and amplitude corrections applied, in
such a way that a circumferential node from each wave mode will arrive at the target position at
the same time, the same circumferential position and with the same phase, causing constructive
interference. At other circumferential positions the circumferential nodes of the flexural wave
modes will arrive out of phase with each other and will interfere destructively. Adjusting the
excitation conditions can rotate this focal spot around the pipes circumference. Comparing the
response from different circumferential positions can allow the operator to more accurately
predict the circumferential position and extent of a defect.

As previously mentioned, the focusing technique

can also be used to help discriminate between 'real'
and 'false' indications, a 'false' indication being a
received signal that does not directly correspond to
the position of a defect; such as those from
reverberations or from incomplete cancellation of
unwanted wave modes. If a 'false' indication is
present in the A-scan data, it will also be re-
represented in any C-scan type results as this type
of processing uses the same original data. As active
focusing involves a separate data collection, The active focusing technique gives information
on the circumferential distribution of metal loss
focusing at the position of a 'false' indication will
defects. The two defects shown both represent
give a negative result, whereas focusing on a 'true'
the same cross sectional loss, however, the
indication will give a positive result. Therefore, the
defect at -3m is much more severe as it fully
active focusing technique can help overcome the
penetrates the pipe wall.
propensity of 'false calls' generated by guided wave
testing systems.

Features

Advantages
1. Rapid screening for in-service degradation (Long range inspection) – potential to achieve
hundreds of meters of inspection range.
 2. Detection of internal or external metal loss
3. Reduction in costs of gaining access – insulated line with minimal insulation removal, corrosion
under supports without need for lifting, inspection at elevated locations with minimal need for
scaffolding, and inspection of road crossings and buried pipes.
4. Data is fully recorded.
5. Fully automated data collection protocols.

Disadvantages
1. Interpretation of data is highly operator dependent.
2. Difficult to find small pitting defects.
3. Not very effective at inspecting areas close to accessories.
4. Can't find gradual wall loss.
5. Needs good procedure

List of standards
British Standards (BSI)

BS 9690-1:2011, Non-destructive testing. Guided wave testing. General guidance and

principles
BS 9690-2:2011, Non-destructive testing. Guided wave testing. Basic requirements for guided
wave testing of pipes, pipelines and structural tubulars

ASTM International (ASTM)

E2775 – 16, Standard Practice for Guided Wave Testing of Above Ground Steel Pipework
Using Piezoelectric Effect Transduction
E2929 – 13, Standard Practice for Guided Wave Testing of Above Ground Steel Piping with
Magnetostrictive Transduction

References
Long Range Guided Wave Inspection Usage – Current Commercial Capabilities and Research
Directions (https://www.imperial.ac.uk/pls/portallive/docs/1/55745699.PDF)

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