pipe inspections

Teamed with CPM Pipelines, Pipe Reline Solutions offers inspection technologies for pressure pipes.

In-line Inspection Technology

(Teamed with CPM Pipelines)

With on-board ultrasonic testing (UT) circumferential scanning sensors and internal mapping unit (IMU), the Acquarius is a diverse in-line inspection tool designed to use in different types of pipes and materials. Acquarius’ sensors record the condition of many miles of transmission, pressure or sewer pipelines in a single run with minimal shut down. Once the inspection is complete, the data from the onboard data logger is verified and uploaded to the cloud where Acquaint’s analytics team begins analysis for reporting. The tool is designed to provide high-quality, accurate data in a wide range of applications, service conditions and pipeline environments. Collected data provides insight into the condition, risks and lifetime of the inspected pipeline. This ultra flexible, configuration friendly, and reliable tool provides wall thickness measurements, ID changes, precise pipe geometry, joint defects, leak and air pocket detection, pipe ovality, delamination, AC leaching (degradation of asbestos cement), and plots XYZ locations. Acquarius’s comprehensive report helps set maintenance and management priorities based on data driven results. Asset managers can predict and repair pipeline damage before it occurs. This proactive approach provides data driven insights to set actionable decisions with known budgets for rehabilitation, eliminating disruptive pipe breaks, and associated environmental and economic impacts.

The Acquarius deliverable provides data driven insight into the current condition of the pipeline and serves as foundation for remaining useful life calculations, finite element analysis and risk curves. Capital improvement decisions can be reached based on the inspection data including pipeline rehabilitation or replacement and the areas to prioritize. The data gathered during the inspection is compiled in a straightforward report and deliverables include a geographic shape file (Shape/GIS/RD) with the results of the inspection.

What does Acquarius measure?

Depending on the pipe material, the Acquarius provides a complete condition inspection and assessment, measuring:

Degradation of healthy wall thickness:

Corrosion in metals (remaining wall thickness)
Leaching in AC (remaining structural density)
H2S deterioration

Condition of a joint:

Angular displacement (vertical and horizontal)
Joint gap width

Also measures:

Ovality
Axial deformation
Leaks
Wire breaks in reinforced non-cylinder concrete pipelines
Plots XYZ locations
Contamination or debris at the bottom of the pipe
Gas pockets

Acquarius inspection performed by Acquaint on a force main for Waterschapsbedrij Limburg in the Netherlands: https://youtu.be/LyJD9qFqweE

Aries Pathfinder CCTV

Compact portable system that delivers the power of a fully equipped inspection truck. Inspects pipe from 6-inch to 120-inch, potable water. Cameras have 360º rotation on both axis, LED lighting, 120X zoom and exclusive camera lens cleaning system with field replaceable wipers to maximize productivity. The camera’s 270º viewing angle, rear-viewing camera and a lift to center give complete visibility to ensure accurate assessments.

Controlled by a hand held all in one transmitter that controls functions of the transporter, and innovative camera and reel. Fingertip controls for powerful, steerable transporter operation, cruise control, built in DVR, and an overlay that can be used as a stand alone titler or communicate with most software packages.

Aries Pathfinder features: https://youtu.be/wmEQejLT_NQ

Deep Trekker PIVOT ROV

Engineered to strike the perfect balance between size and power. Inspects pipes 24-inches and larger, tanks and other subaqueous structures. Hardware and software are precisely optimized to increase performance, ability and efficiency. Fully immersible camera provides 200º range of motion. Bridge technology enhances operations for improved viewing, operating and data recording. The six thruster configerature allows the inspection system to move laterally, pivot effortlessly and withstand strong currents. Latest sensor integrations and software advances allow for semi autonomous navigation.

4K camera and ultra-wide angle, crystal clear lens for enhanced optical performance and clarity enabled by bridge technology which allows for environment-specific image optimization. Whether the water is crystal clear or murky, the subject will be seen clearly.

Newest world class underwater ROV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T37mwEy3tgg

In-line Inspection Technology

(Teamed with CPM Pipelines)

With on-board ultrasonic testing (UT) circumferential scanning sensors and an internal mapping unit (IMU), this free-swimming, intelligent in-line inspection tool is designed for use in pressure and transport potable water pipes greater than 16-inches, made of concrete, asbestos cement, cast iron, stainless steel, and HPDE/PVC/GRP. The Aquabrella provides high-quality, accurate data in a single run. Collected data provides insight into the condition, risks and lifetime of the inspected pipeline. This ultra-flexible, configuration-friendly, and reliable tool provides wall thickness measurements, ID changes, precise pipe geometry, joint defects, leak and air pocket detection, delamination, AC leaching (degradation of asbestos cement), and plots XYZ locations. Aquabrella’s comprehensive report helps set maintenance and management priorities based on data-driven results. Asset managers can predict and repair pipeline damage before it occurs. This proactive approach provides data-driven insights to set actionable decisions with known budgets for rehabilitation, eliminating disruptive pipe breaks, and associated environmental and economic impacts.

The Aquabrella deliverable provides data driven insight into the current condition of the pipeline and serves as foundation for remaining useful life calculations, finite element analysis and risk curves. Capital improvement decisions can be reached based on the inspection data including pipeline rehabilitation or replacement and specific areas to prioritize. The data gathered during the inspection is compiled in a straightforward report and deliverables include a geographic shape file (Shape/GIS/RD) with the results of the inspection.

What does Aquabrella measure?

Depending on the pipe material, the Aquabrella provides a complete condition inspection and assessment, measuring:

Degradation of healthy wall thickness:

Corrosion in metals (remaining wall thickness)
Leaching in AC (remaining structural density)
H2S deterioration

Condition of a joint:

Angular displacement (vertical and horizontal)
Joint gap width

Also measures:

Axial deformation
Leaks
Wire breaks in reinforced non-cylinder concrete pipelines
Plots XYZ locations
Contamination or debris at the bottom of the pipe
Gas pockets

External Inspection Technology

360º Pipeline Scan in a Flash

The Acquaint PipeScanner, an ultra-sound based tool is loaded with sensors to detect pipe wall thickness, corrosion, leaching, and deterioration due to H2S degradation with an accuracy of up to < .14mm.

PipeScanner is specifically developed to inspect pipelines in a non-destructive way, from the outside, with little disturbance. For use on steel, cast iron, asbestos cement, and HPDE/PVC pipelines. Utilized in-house for external pipeline testing, PipeScanner offers a cost-effective addition to condition assessment amid rising prices and limited budgets. Efficiently assesses asbestos cement pipelines in air valve vaults along sewer force mains and water mains. In failure scenarios, pipe wall scanning of adjacent AC or metallic pipes identifies at-risk areas needing repair. PipeScanner provides high-accuracy, non-destructive AC testing, vital for aging pipeline management.

Measurement data is transmitted to Acquaint’s cloud via the upload tool and algorithms are analyzed by Acquaint’s experts, providing valuable insights. Asset managers can set thresholds, generate reports, and compare data year-over-year. Acquaint’s advanced dashboard provides all the insights and overviews necessary to zoom in and out on collected inspection data, allowing owners to focus on key performance indicators and implement planning for further inspections, repairs or rehabilitation.

Ferrous, asbestos cement, and cementitious pipe wall thickness
Exceptional on asbestos cement for determining remaining structural density
Ability to maximize each scan to create value
Measures pipe wall thickness with pipeline in-service

PipeScanner performs comprehensive pipeline condition assessment: https://youtu.be/X11kIG-F9Tk

External Inspection Technology

Rapid detection of internal and external corrosion damage

Electromagnetic Bracelet ProbeTM provides a practical solution for the fast, economical inspection of bare, coated, or wrapped pipes, easily adapting to any size ductile-iron, cast-iron, or steel pipe starting at a 6-inch diameter. Electromagnetic Bracelet Probe™ contains 16 high-resolution sensors that cover a 10-inch wide scan path along the outside of the pipe utilizing a low-frequency electromagnetic field that penetrates through the pipe wall. Variations in the thickness of the pipe result in changes to the field that are detected by the sensors. These field variations are measured by a Ferroscope™ instrument that records and displays via laptop computer. Data is displayed immediately and is available for instant analysis. Screen snapshots can be saved of the 3D color maps, strip charts, and voltage planes which are used to display, and size the degree of damage. Trends in wall thickness reductions can be easily seen and understood. Individual pits, graphed data, and erosion are all immediately visible.

Rapid results: Near real time

Screen snapshots can be saved of the 3D color maps, strip charts, and voltage planes, which are used to display and size the degree of damage. Trends in wall thickness reductions can be easily seen and understood. Individual pits, graphed data, and erosion are all immediately visible.

Scan at up to 12-feet/minute
Horizontal and vertical pipes
Insulated plant piping
Bare pipe in excavations
10-inch wide scans cover the entire pipe in a few quadrant scans

External Inspection Technology

AQUASCAN TM2 Trunk Main Leak Locating Correlator

The TM2 correlator is a non-invasive, and non-destructive technology used to detect leaks in large diameter pipes (trunk mains). The TM2 system detects even quiet leak noise at low frequency and accurately pinpoints the location. The system can be used on both metallic and non-metallic pipelines and can correlate leaks over distances of up to 2000-feet. Operates using hydrophones that are attached to features such as hydrants, valves, backflow preventers, or the pipe itself if applicable. The hydrophones are placed so that they bracket the desired span of pipe to be inspected.

The technician inputs the pipeline diameter, material, distance between hydrophone information into the tablet, and runs the investigation. Feedback is immediately displayed on the tablet where the technician reviews to identify any leaks in terms of magnitude and location. The system auto-filters to rule out false positives and noise pollution and provides a confidence rating for potential leak signatures. If a leak noise is detected but confidence is low, the system allows for “spot filtering” with which the operator can click on an area of the pipe where a leak is suspected, and the correlator focuses on the noise profile of only that section of the pipe. The real-time feedback to the tablet allows for more pipe footage to be inspected in a single day. However, if there is a particular pipe segment that is suspected to have a cyclical leak (such as during a high demand period) the TM2 system can be left in place for days to ensure all conditions of the pipe are inspected.

ZONESCAN 820 Correlating Radio Loggers

The 820 loggers operate very similarly to the TM2 system, but is geared toward smaller diameter pipelines. The loggers are physically attached to features along the water pipeline throughout a pipeline system by magnetism. Valve stems, fire hydrants, backflow preventers, and hose bibs are the most common appurtenances to which the loggers are attached. The loggers record audio along the pipeline and are programmed to identify the acoustic signature associated with a leak. The technology is refined to rule out false positives or negatives, while also filtering out ambient noises. Correlation occurs when sequential loggers detect the same acoustic leak signature, at which point the precise location of the anomaly is recorded.

CPM owns 38 individual loggers providing the capability of inspecting several miles of pipeline for leaks in a single deployment. In most cases, the loggers are attached to features and left overnight to ensure any temporary or cyclical leak noise is recorded. The loggers are accompanied by a tablet which maps their deployment location making for easy collection the following day, with immediate re-deployment in new locations.

AQUASCOPE 3 Digital Acoustic Leak Locator

The simplest, yet reliable, tool that CPM operates for leak detection is a ground microphone. Ground microphone equipment is used to manually attempt to locate or verify leaks in pipelines. Acoustic microphones are used to detect and amplify the noise created by leaks in pressurized pipes, and can be used to pinpoint the exact location of suspected leaks. Generally, ground microphones are used as part of a phased approach to pipeline leak detection after specific locations have been determined with the correlating loggers. The microphone is used to validate leaks in areas indicated by the loggers but can also be used independently if other evidence suggests a leak in a specific area.

Leak detection via ground microphone is straightforward; the user outfits the unit with one of the various acoustic sensor tools (covering small to large areas), and listens for acoustic anomalies (leaks) through the attached headset. A leak is distinguished from the normal ambient noise of the pipeline by decibel readouts on the tools’ display screen as well as the experience of the user.

Free Floating Inspection Technology

(Teamed with CPM Pipelines)

Pipers®, a free floating inspection device utilizes acoustics to identify gas pockets, temperature, pressure, and sediment buildup on the pipe invert. This technology has been used throughout North America in water, wastewater, and gas pipeline applications to collect data on over 1,000 miles of pipelines of all materials and size. The retrieval of the Pipers® can be achieved with a variety of methods. In force main applications, there is usually a discharge manhole or headworks at a wastewater treatment plant that are the destination of the flow and retrieval location of the equipment. At discharge manholes, a metallic basket would be installed in the manhole to allow flow to continue and catch the Pipers® as they outfall into the manhole. In headworks of WWTP headworks applications, the bar screens or rake systems are locations where the Pipers® can be captured and retrieved. In order for leaks to be detected, the pipeline must be pressurized above ambient levels. The greater the pressure, the more clearly leaks can be identified. However, leaks as low as 0.18 gallons (0.7 liters) per minute have been detected by CPM in low pressure applications. Leaks of even smaller magnitude can be detected if the line is sufficiently pressurized.

Leak Detection

Greater program integrity and risk mitigation by regularly monitoring high-consequence areas.

Hydraulic Grade line

With 100 pressure measurements per second, Pipers® can provide a highly accurate hydraulic grade line.

Wall Condition Monitoring

Pipers® data is highly repeatable over time allowing for an accurate determination of changes in the pipeline condition. Regular monitoring delivers greater program control, early detection, and lower costs.

Specifications

Large diameter pipelines up to 48-inches and specialized conditions
Pressures up to 1,450 psi
Temperature range: -4 to 140º F
Runtime up to 24 hours for storage and operation at 68º F
Diameter: 2.8-inches

email for a free inspection: info@piperelinesolutions.com

pipe inspections