Internal Inspection of the Pipe

Internal pipe inspection is performed at acceptance of a pipeline to determine the quality of a fairly long completed portion. The results become the benchmark of a planned inspection of a section of an operating pipeline for determining the necessity and time frame for maintenance or rehabilitation work.

After the construction of pipelines intelligent pigging has proven itself advantageous. It involves hydraulic or pneumatic testing of the pipe with subsequent internal pipe inspection using diagnostic pigs fitted with microprocessors and ultrasonic or electromagnetic flux systems.

intelligent diagnostic pig

The increased pressure brings about relief of the stresses, which occur during construction in the body
of the pipe and also exposes defects.

Internal pipe inspection reveals defects, which cannot be seen
by the eye and gives a picture of the state and dynamic behaviour
of the pipeline.

pig launcher and receiver

Before carrying out internal pipe inspection on a section of working pipe, it is necessary to run a cleaning pig through the section, beginning with a small diameter pig and finishing with a pig of equal diameter to that of the pipe being inspected. A profile pig is then run to assure that the intelligent pig can navigate the pipeline bends, defects and valves.

cleaning pigs