The Objective

Storage tanks have to be inspected regularly for corrosion to comply with local and international regulations and to avoid environmental contamination or volume losses. General corrosion, corrosion around liquid levels or welds and other mechanisms can threaten the integrity of a tank. It can be difficult to detect this corrosion: the surface is enormous, the wall is hardly accessible without scaffolding and obstacles (e.g. wind girders) can obstruct access.

The Solution

CQA provides Remote Ultrasonic Testing, an innovative and effective inspection solution for difficult to access tank walls and roofs as well as other remote locations. The (semi)motorized tank wall scanner can climb carbon steel tank walls with magnetic wheels and detect both corrosion and weld defects.

The battery operated scanner can even scope with obstacles 30 mm tall. It is equipped with a camera for Visual Inspection and precision steering and has an advanced reporting system including minimum thickness calculations in accordance with API 653 or other international standards.

The advantages of Remote Ultrasonic Testing over other inspection methods are:

1. No expensive scaffolding/cranes required
2. Many tanks with obstacles can be inspected, e.g. wind girders, riveted tanks
3. Real thickness with echo-to-echo measurements
4. The Line Scan provides ample reliable data in an easy to read graphical data plot

Reports of line scans can show also average and minimum thicknesses per e.g. 100 mm