THE USE OF ULTRASONICS FOR THE DETECTION OF SOLID HOLDUP IN GASEOUS PIPE SYSTEMS

Ultrasonic detection methods are often used for non-destructive monitoring and visualization. These applications range from weld inspection to thickness measuring to structural monitoring. One of these applications is the monitoring of multi-phase pipe systems, such as a liquid with solid particulates or gaseous voids, the purpose of which is to monitor any holdup or blockages that may occur within the pipe system. The purpose of this research is to explore the usage of ultrasonic detection methods for monitoring solid holdup generation within a gaseous pipe system. Gaseous systems differ from the more common liquidus and multi-phase systems in that due to the low density of gaseous systems, the travelling gases cannot be characterized with standard ultrasonic monitoring techniques. Gaseous systems also deposit holdup along the walls of its pipe system, whereas liquidus and multi-phase systems are more likely to carry their holdup along through the pipe. This research found that when surrogate holdup with a volume of 0.2 cm3 and a height of 0.1 cm is present in a gaseous system, it can cause ultrasonic waves traveling through the pipe to drop in amplitude by as much as 21%. This is a large enough change in amplitude to be detected by automated computer systems. This work lays the foundation for more specific use cases for non-destructive assay of gaseous systems, such as uranium hexafluoride (UF6) systems.