A method is provided for inspecting pipelines, in particular pipelines carrying oil, gas or water. A wall of the pipeline is magnetized by a magnetizing apparatus of a first apparatus formed as a pig. A magnetization present in the pipeline wall is used and/or measured as residual magnetization by a second apparatus, which is separate from the first apparatus and formed as an inspection apparatus, in particular at a later time, for inspection purposes. An associated inspection apparatus is also provided.

A technique facilitates examination of a tubing string which may comprise coiled tubing or other types of pipe. A sensor is positioned to monitor a pipe for a magnetic flux leakage signal indicating a defect in the pipe. The sensor outputs data on the magnetic flux leakage signal to a data processing system. Correlations between magnetic flux leakage signals and fatigue life of the pipe may be accessed by the data processing system and these correlations may be used to automatically predict a fatigue life of the pipe. Based on the determined fatigue life, an operation with respect to the pipe is selected and such operation may comprise continued normal use, repair, or removal from service.

A technique facilitates examination of a tubing string which may comprise coiled tubing or other types of pipe. A sensor is positioned to monitor a pipe for a magnetic flux leakage signal indicating a defect in the pipe. The sensor outputs data on the magnetic flux leakage signal to a data processing system. Correlations between magnetic flux leakage signals and fatigue life of the pipe may be accessed by the data processing system and these correlations may be used to automatically predict a fatigue life of the pipe. Based on the determined fatigue life, an operation with respect to the pipe is selected and such operation may comprise continued normal use, repair, or removal from service.

A system for magnetically inspecting a metallic component uses a manipulator configured to manipulate a relative position between a part fixture that holds the metallic component and a probe fixture that holds a magnetic probe, thereby causing the probe tip to trace an inspection route along the surface of the metallic component so that the probe tip contacts the metallic component such that an angular difference between the probe axis and a vector normal to the surface is less than a predetermined angle delta. The magnetic probe has a probe tip that measures magnetic permeability of the metallic component along the inspection route, which the controller receives. A method of performing the magnetic inspection is also disclosed.

A system for magnetically inspecting a metallic component uses a manipulator configured to manipulate a relative position between a part fixture that holds the metallic component and a probe fixture that holds a magnetic probe, thereby causing the probe tip to trace an inspection route along the surface of the metallic component so that the probe tip contacts the metallic component such that an angular difference between the probe axis and a vector normal to the surface is less than a predetermined angle delta. The magnetic probe has a probe tip that measures magnetic permeability of the metallic component along the inspection route, which the controller receives. A method of performing the magnetic inspection is also disclosed.

An inline inspection tool of this disclosure includes at least one sensor arm (50) having a sensor head (30) located at its distal end (51), the sensor head including an arched-shaped pipe contacting portion (33) between its forward and rearward ends (32, 34), the pipe contacting portion having a radius R and a width W.sub.C; and at least one triaxial sensor element (31) having at least a portion located directly below the arched-shaped pipe contacting portion and having a width W.sub.S, W.sub.C<W.sub.S. During the tool's travel through a pipeline, contact of the sensor head with the pipe wall lies along a single line of travel substantially equal to the width W.sub.C. Because of its shape, the sensor head better traces and maintains contact with the pipe wall to detect dents, wrinkles, weld intrusions, and other defects or anomalies in the pipe wall.

A device is disclosed for measuring Barkhausen noise of a crankshaft to identify defects in the crankshaft while the crankshaft is installed on an engine, comprising: a housing configured to attach to a connecting rod; at least one sensor assembly mounted to the housing including at least one Barkhausen noise sensor; and a spring disposed between the housing and the at least one Barkhausen noise sensor to urge the at least one Barkhausen noise sensor into contact with a pin journal of the crankshaft as the crankshaft rotates.

A device is disclosed for measuring Barkhausen noise of a crankshaft to identify defects in the crankshaft while the crankshaft is installed on an engine, comprising: a housing configured to attach to a connecting rod; at least one sensor assembly mounted to the housing including at least one Barkhausen noise sensor; and a spring disposed between the housing and the at least one Barkhausen noise sensor to urge the at least one Barkhausen noise sensor into contact with a pin journal of the crankshaft as the crankshaft rotates.

Embodiments of an inline inspection (ILP) tool (10) of this disclosure include a plurality of composite field systems (20) arranged circumferentially about the body of the IL1 tool, each composite field system including multiple magnetic circuits (60) to produce a composite or resultant angled field relative to the target, along with a sensor array or circuit (40) configured for magnetic flux leakage (MFL) or magnetostrictive electro-magnetic acoustic transducers (EMAT) implementations. In embodiments, the pole magnets (61) of the magnetic circuits are oriented in the axial direction of the tool body rather than in the direction of the resultant angled field. The same is true of the sensors (43). This composite field system approach provides options to design geometries that were not previously possible in prior art single-circuit helical MFL designs and EMAT designs.

Embodiments of an inline inspection (ILP) tool (10) of this disclosure include a plurality of composite field systems (20) arranged circumferentially about the body of the IL1 tool, each composite field system including multiple magnetic circuits (60) to produce a composite or resultant angled field relative to the target, along with a sensor array or circuit (40) configured for magnetic flux leakage (MFL) or magnetostrictive electro-magnetic acoustic transducers (EMAT) implementations. In embodiments, the pole magnets (61) of the magnetic circuits are oriented in the axial direction of the tool body rather than in the direction of the resultant angled field. The same is true of the sensors (43). This composite field system approach provides options to design geometries that were not previously possible in prior art single-circuit helical MFL designs and EMAT designs.