ROTATING ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD FOR NDT INSPECTIONS
Reliable performance of a component or structure depends on its pre-service quality and in-service degradation under operating conditions. The importance of Non-Destructive Testing and Evaluation is ever increasing, above all in ensuring pre-service quality and monitoring in-service degradation, in order to avoid premature failure of the components/structures. There are many Non-Destructive Techniques based on various physical principles. In this work, our main objective is the characterization of anomalies such as defects, stresses and microstructural degradations in materials. Particularly, in this work we propose a Finite Element Method based approach for modelling a fast and accurate evaluation of defects in metallic materials able to easily detect defects, aside from the orientation. Within this framework, the paper proposes the application of a magnetic fleld rotating perpendicularly to the analysed specimen. We discuss a few case studies, starting from numerical simulations and flnally highlighting the importance of this approach in order to evaluate the structural integrity assessment.
Eddy current examination of steel wires
Abstract This paper describes an automatic eddy current instrument designed and produced at the Center of Technical Physics of la§i and set up at the Metal Works, Cimpia Turzii, Romania. The diameter of the wires tested by the apparatus ranged between 2 and 9 mm. The control frequency can be adjusted between 1 and 100 kHz and the phase may be changed in steps of 15°. The test frequency was established theoretically so that the variations in the normalized components of impedance were highest for crack-type flaws. The theoretical results are compared with experimental ones for wires made of steel B 80N, 7 mm in diameter. By using a coil with a fill factor of 0.8 and a control speed of 1.5 m s −1 it was possible to reveal cracks with depths of 0.05 mm and 0.012 mm long, as well as areas of structural alteration due to the appearance of ferrite phases within the martensitic mass.
Prevention of Barite Sag in Oil-Based Drilling Fluids Using a Mixture of Barite and Ilmenite as Weighting Material
Drilling high-pressure high-temperature (HPHT) wells requires a special fluid formulation that is capable of controlling the high pressure and is stable under the high downhole temperature. Barite-weighted fluids are common for such purpose because of the good properties of barite, its low cost, and its availability. However, solids settlement is a major problem encountered with this type of fluids, especially at elevated downhole temperatures. This phenomenon is known as barite sag, and it is encountered in vertical and directional wells under static or dynamic conditions leading to serious well control issues. This study aims to evaluate the use of barite-ilmenite mixture as a weighting agent to prevent solids sag in oil-based muds at elevated temperatures. Sag test was conducted under static conditions (vertical and inclined) at 350 °F and under dynamic conditions at 120 °F to determine the optimum ilmenite concentration. Afterward, a complete evaluation of the drilling fluid was performed by monitoring density, electrical stability, rheological and viscoelastic properties, and filtration performance to study the impact of adding ilmenite on drilling fluid performance. The results of this study showed that adding ilmenite reduces sag tendency, and only 40 wt.% ilmenite (from the total weighting material) was adequate to eliminate barite sag under both static and dynamic conditions with a sag factor of around 0.51. Adding ilmenite enhanced the rheological and viscoelastic properties and the suspension of solid particles in the drilling fluid, which confirmed sag test results. Adding ilmenite slightly increased the density of the drilling fluid, with a slight decrease in the electrical stability within the acceptable range of field applications. Moreover, a minor improvement in the filtration performance of the drilling fluid and filter cake sealing properties was observed with the combined weighting agent. The findings of this study provide a practical solution to the barite sag issue in oil-based fluids using a combination of barite and ilmenite powder as a weighting agent to drill HPHT oil and gas wells safely and efficiently with such type of fluids.