PR-328-223812-R01 Tools and Methods to Assess Pipe Material Properties from Inside the Pipeline

With the energy transition to alternative fuels like ethanol and hydrogen, the use of existing pipeline networks to transport these fuels would be the most economical. Pipeline tensile and fracture toughness material property characterization would be essential for fitness-for-service for alternate fuel transportation. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) Gas Transmission 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 192 states that if there is missing or inadequate material documentation, an operator must "implement a program to test pipe samples to establish material properties". The Maximum Operating Pressure (MOP) and Maximum Allowable Operating Pressure (MAOP) should be established using the record evidence and integrity management, requiring material properties like grade, yield, and tensile strength. Incomplete or partial records are inadequate for establishing MOP or MAOP. The current research explores tools and technologies that can reliably assess the material properties of components of a steel pipeline from the inside of the pipeline without requiring extensive excavation. The material properties in consideration are yield strength, toughness, ductility, hardness, and fracture toughness. Additionally, chemical composition and distribution and morphology of phases and grain structure characterization would be beneficial. The long seam weld type characterization assists with pipeline integrity management. Characterization of mechanical properties, including grade, fracture behavior, and metallurgical properties, is invaluable in confirming MOP and MAOP. More importantly, material characterization allows operators to determine these pipelines' suitability for alternative fuel transportation. The research explores mainly two different ILI technologies, MFL and Eddy Current, that can be used for material property characterization. Five different ILI technology providers were contacted, and their ILI technology reviewed for material property determination. One robotic inspection technology for hardness measurement was also explored. The study reviews the technologies, provides performance measures and recommendations for future research work.