Crack Detection in High Pressure Pipelines Using bending Piezeoelectric (PZT) Transducers

Abstract

A method for monitoring and evaluating the structural health of pressurized pipelines using bending piezeoelectric (PZT) transducers is presented in this paper. The integration of the PZT transducers with the operational computing units introduces an industrial application of Internet of Things (IoT) for structural health monitoring (SHM). An array of PZT sensing transducers detects the vibration signals as the fluid flows through the pipe and transforms it to a measurable voltaic signal to the data acquisition instruments. Set of experimental tests are made to detect the existence of structural cracks by using a miniaturized vibrating motor with 100 Hz as a source of the vibration signal. The experimental tests are performed under controlled operating conditions. Each performed test conducted multiple measurement sessions at different points along the pipeline. The PZT sensors were radially distributed on the pipe's circumference with a separation angle of 72° between each two adjacent sensing transducers over the 360°. The sensors outputs showed increases in the amplitudes of 4X for the cracked pipeline in comparison with the healthy pipeline. Moreover, the number of voltage fluctuations increased with the existence of a crack. These findings are linked to the existence of cracks in the piping structures, and then used to assess the piping health.

Keywords Crack detection; Piezeoelectric sensors; Pipeline cracks; Structural health monitoring