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Non-Invasive Fire Protection System Ultrasonic Testing
Ultrasonic Testing
When fire sprinklers began to be implemented in the 1800s, the benefit became immediately apparent. Many lives and billions of dollars in real property, equipment, and product have been saved during fire events. Today, advanced fire safety systems are in place to keep us safer in emergency situations. Fire sprinkler systems are a mainstay of safety equipment and effectively extinguish fires before they can spread.
Fire sprinkler systems bring municipal water through a network of metal pipes into a facility to be available in case of a fire. This water sits idle, hopefully never to be used. Occasional testing of the system might move the water a little, but it does not move much. This becomes significant to the issue under discussion.
Pure water is inert and does not react with metal; however, municipal water uses local water available, which is never pure. Iron, calcium, and other chemicals remain in the water and produce an electrolyte solution. Water in solution does react with the metal in pipes, sometimes it reacts strongly! Common reactions result in corrosion, rust, and chemical deposits. Any of these reactions can hamper the efficiency of a fire sprinkler system and that should never happen. In addition, reactions can cause a thinning of the pipe wall and result in leaks through a facility.
Since neither failure to engage in case of a fire event nor a leaking system in your building is acceptable, regular inspections and testing are scheduled. These inspections detail any suspect appearances and the age of the pipe network indicate further inspection is needed. Specialized inspection techniques have been developed to discern the condition of pipes without taking the network offline or disrupting normal business operations. The technique we most often use is ultrasonic testing.
Ultrasonic testing (UT) uses high-energy sound waves (well above human hearing range) to create an image of the pipe wall. This same principle is used in the medical field to give images of babies in the womb and inspect a heart while it is beating. Sound is non-invasive and non-destructive. But the echoes of the waves measure the thickness of pipe walls, locate corrosion or blockages, and identify pipe defects that can lead to leaks. It is effective for steel and other metals but has also been used with concrete, wood, and many man-made composites.
How does it work? In simple terms, the sound waves move in a consistent pattern until it does not. Corrosion, blockages, and defects create a different and distinct pattern. These aberrant patterns can be measured and analyzed, giving a clear image of the inside of the pipes. Any technique has both pros and cons, and this is true of ultrasonic testing as well.
Pros: Ultrasonic Testing offers
- A high degree of penetration into materials, so even thick objects can be inspected. Other techniques have a limited range and are less effective.
- It is highly sensitive and can detect even small defects or trouble spots
- Some inspection techniques can detect the current of the electrolyte solution or the rate of potential corrosion, but Ultrasonic Testing can examine the actual conditions of pipe interiors.
- The equipment for Ultrasonic Testing is portable and can be used in most dry settings. Ultrasonic probes come in a variety of sizes and shapes, making the probe highly adaptable.
- Ultrasound is safe around people, equipment, and materials. (Extreme consistent exposure can cause damage, but the exposure time required to cause damage is very long.)
- The results are very reliable and can be delivered in a matter of days. The costs for such studies are reasonably priced.
Cons: Ultrasonic Testing requires
- Very specialized equipment
- Very specialized training, and
- Experience in analyzing image results correctly.
We have the equipment, have completed the training, and have completed many ultrasonic inspections on a variety of materials. Fire Safe can help you with your pipe inspection with a limited impact and no shutdowns, as well as help with any required sprinkler system repairs… and more. Check out our services on our website here: www.fire-safe.net
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