Abrasion measurements in oil pipelines

Oil pipelines are widely used in oil exploration. The pipelines must be inspected for abrasion by the oil to avoid excessive wear accidents. A computer based technique was developed for abrasion inspection of oil pipelines by combining electro/mechanical controls, signal processing and magnetic flux leakage testing. The influence of external magnetic fields was eliminated by differential sensors. The magnetic flux leakage probe scans in a spiral along the pipeline to minimize missed abrasion defects. Experimental data shows that this method can detect abrasions in oil pipelines which are dangerous to normal work. The method can be widely applied in the oil exploration industry.