IBP1139_19

DESIGN OF A MODULAR ROBOT FOR

MAINLINE INSPECTION ON DRILLING RISERS
Julio Q. M. Guedes1, Daniel Z. Freitas2, Alexandre
O. G. Barbosa3, Rodrigo C. Antunes4, Alberto J.
Richa Neto5, Eduardo José Neto6.

Copyright 2019, Brazilian Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels Institute - IBP

This Technical Paper was prepared for presentation at the Rio Pipeline Conference and Exhibition 2019, held
between 03 and 05 of September, in Rio de Janeiro. This Technical Paper was selected for presentation by the
Technical Committee of the event according to the information contained in the final paper submitted by the
author(s). The organizers are not supposed to translate or correct the submitted papers. The material as it is
presented, does not necessarily represent Brazilian Petroleum, Gas and Biofuels Institute’ opinion, or that of its
Members or Representatives. Authors consent to the publication of this Technical Paper in the Rio Pipeline
Conference and Exhibition 2019.

Abstract

Oil and gas drilling riser integrity has been a big concern of drilling companies for decades.
Techniques used to evaluate riser integrity so far require transporting drilling risers for onshore
inspection, which generates significant logistics costs. This paper describes the development
and evaluation of a robotic tool for offshore internal drilling riser inspection, in order to reduce
costs. A hierarchical assessment methodology is proposed, where magnetic flux leakage (MFL)
magnetizer and sensors are used in addition to a high-resolution camera to detect riser sections
with a higher probability of defects such as wall thickness loss. An ultrasound probe is then
positioned at the identified area to provide a more detailed analysis. This unique combination
is made possible by designing a system actuated by electrical motors, which positions both the
MFL sensors and the ultrasonic probe at the same precise point to enhance the desired
assessment. The MFL magnetizer module is designed with Finite Elements to properly
magnetize the section of interest while keeping the weight as low as possible to be carried by
the robot. Multiple magnetizer configurations adapt tool to target wall thickness of the riser
section, enabling a lightweight customized MFL sensor to map areas for further ultrasound
inspection. Prototype test results on a standard drilling riser with known defects are presented
in this work and evaluate the system's ability to detect the presence of a defect as well as the
precision at measuring its size. Results show that the proposed methodology has higher
performance when detecting and measuring defects when compared to normative requirements.

Keywords: Inspection. Drilling riser. Offshore.

1. Introduction
______________________________
1
Master, Control and Automation Engineer - OURO NEGRO
2
Master, Control and Automation Engineer - OURO NEGRO
3
Master, Electrical Engineer - OURO NEGRO
4
Mechanical Engineer - PIPEWAY
5
Mechanical Engineer - PIPEWAY
6
Industrial Mechanical Technician - OCYAN
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Inspecting drilling riser’s integrity is a crucial activity required to ensure the safety of
daily operation in a drilling company. Normative requirements are mostly based on a statistical
assessment, where high-resolution nondestructive evaluation (NDE) methods, such as
ultrasound wall thickness measurement, are used to accurately measure few points at the riser’s
surface. However, the statistical representation of riser’s surface through a small number of
points may omit damages with potential for future structural failure. Moreover, accessing such
points at the riser’s exterior surface requires disassembling connectors and floating buoys.
The solution used so far is to transport the risers to be inspected onshore, where they are
completely disassembled, cleaned and finally inspected. Although it provides a general view of
the exterior surface and high-resolution measurements at the target points, this entire operation
is expensive and time-consuming since it requires naval and land transportation in addition to
disassembling and assembling process. Hence, a way to assess riser’s integrity offshore is
highly desired.
The almost logical conclusion is to inspect the risers internally to avoid the need to
disassemble it. However, this approach has its own challenges. First, accessing the target points
for precise measurement is still a complicated task considering the diameter and length of a
drilling riser. Second, losing the overall view of the external surface must be compensated with
an equivalent assessment of the integrity of the areas not covered by the inspection points.
When comparing the many available NDE techniques, one can observe a tradeoff among
measurement resolution, speed, and coverage. In the case we want to increase one of these
features, the decreasing of the other two is expected. So, increasing the coverage of the internal
surface using the same technique (ultrasound wall thickness measurement) would yield a much
longer inspection time.
In this work, we present a complete modular robotic tool to inspect drilling risers
internally while accounting for coverage, resolution and time. To achieve this goal a
hierarchical inspection system (HIS) is proposed together with a precise robotic positioning
system. The robot travels the interior of the riser carrying a magnetic flux leakage (MFL) sensor
and a high-resolution camera for a fast assessment of internal surface. The generated data is
precisely tracked so after a preliminary analysis, the robot can do a consecutive more detailed
inspection (using an ultrasound probe) of the points identified by the MFL as potentially
damaged, in addition to the ones required for the statistical coverage (normative requirements).
Further Sections of this paper are organized as follows: Section 2 describes the
hierarchical inspection system as well provides an overview of robot design, MFL tool, and
ultrasound system; Section 3 presents the experiments and results, while conclusions are made
in Section 4.

2. Hierarchical Inspection System

The hierarchical inspection system (HIS) proposed in this paper consists of a two-step
inspection. In the first step, the internal surface of the drilling riser is inspected using MFL
sensors and a high-resolution camera. The objective of this first step is to map potentially
damaged areas using a fast-paced technique. The MFL sensors are able to estimate relative wall
thickness loss while the camera accounts for any deformation or unexpected feature at the
internal wall. Once such areas are mapped, a more detailed inspection is done on a second run
using an ultrasonic probe to measure the exact wall thickness loss. In addition to the points
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mapped in the first step, the normative requirements are fulfilled by measuring the points
described in it.
The proposed approach requires a way to precisely position the sensors at the same points
for both runs. So, a modular robot is designed (Figure 1) specifically for this purpose. This
robot encompasses a pan and tilt gimble, a locomotion module and a probe positioner. The first
is used to move the camera head (containing also zoom lenses) for complete image coverage.
The second has three electrical motors to power treads compressed against riser’s internal wall
to allow axial locomotion, while the probe positioner module has one motor for axial rotation
and other for radial expansion to press the probe against the wall.

Figure 1 – Robot´s main module and actuators (3D CAD and real image)

Encoders are used at the active treads as well as at passive wheels to account for possible
tread slip against the wall. Two additional encoders are used to track the position of the probe,
being one used to measure the axial rotation and the other to measure the radial expansion. To
avoid misalignments created by unwanted axial rotation (spiral movement of the robot), an
accelerometer is installed at the robot’s body (Figure 2) to estimate such rotation and correct
the angle read by the axial encoder.

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Figure 2 - Accelerometer installed to estimate undesired spiral movements.

All modules are remotely controlled by a control case through an umbilical cable. The
operator has full control over the system as well as the option to operate in semi-autonomous
mode when the robot is programed to reach the desired position by itself. Image and sensor data
are displayed in real time, what gives the operator the choice of mapping all points in a single
run and inspect them with the ultrasound probe in a second one or do the inspection on a map
and inspect fashion (all in a single run).

2.1. MFL design and optimization.

The idea of this work was to utilize a previously MFL equipment developed and adapt it
to the drilling risers inspection case. Then, after some research, was defined that the better
equipment which requires less modification to adapt was the GIP PIG.
When developing or making changes into an existing MFL inspection equipment,
magnetic computational simulation tools must be used to predict a better dimensioning and also
the magnetic efficiency with optimized dimensions, in this way the defect detection and sizing
and mechanical results can be well defined.
For the GIP project, the main goal was to use the simulation tools to improve magnetic
performance, making the tool more effective in terms of defect detection and sizing.
GIP was developed to be operated by an inspector from the outside of the pipe, as can be
seen in Figure 3.

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Figure 3 – GIP in a field operation

A change was made so this equipment could be used in the inner side of the pipe, being
propelled by the main module robot.
Before any changes made in the GIP tool, the computational simulation was used to
predict the best dimensioning to achieve a good magnetization level. Figure 4 presents a picture
of the GIP tools before any changes.

Figure 4 – 3D module of GIP

2.2. Ultrasound system

The ultrasound system is designed to have all necessary elements (Figure 3) embedded
in the robot. It consists of an ultrasonic pulser and receiver, an amplifier, and a processing unit.
The processing unit is responsible for accurately measuring the Time-of-Flight Diffraction
(TOFD), calculate the wall thickness based on the nominal sound speed of the material being
inspected, and make the value available for transmission in a serial port. In this way we avoid
any long-distance transmission losses and delays.

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High Voltage
Serial Port

≈
Generator

Control case
Pulser Processing Unit

Receiver Amplifier

Figure 5 - Block diagram of the ultrasonic system

The internal inspection based on TOFD technique introduces a new geometry constraint.
In probes with a flat end, the piezoelectric elements do not touch the internal surface of the
pipeline, creating a gap between them. This gap is proportional to the probe and pipeline
diameters and can be derived as in the equation 1.
� G

� Dp

Di
�

Figure 6 - Detailed view of interaction between the probe and the internal wall.

To account for this gap, the system has either to discount the time taken to travel this gap
twice or be calibrated on a curved calibration block with equal radius of the pipeline being
inspected. In the first case, the gap is obtained through equation 1, and the time taken to travel
it is calculated using the nominal sound velocity in the fluid used for coupling. When using a
curved calibration block this process is integrated to calibration calculations since the thickness
and sound velocity of the calibration block are both known.

𝐷𝑖 𝐷𝑖 2 𝐷𝑝 2
𝐺= − √( ) − ( )
2 2 2

Equation 1 - Gap between transducer and pipeline wall.

3. Experiments and results

For the first tests, it was decided that only the available MFL bars were be used and no
new development would be made before results of the computational tool.

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There were five bars available for tests, so there was been made a computational
simulation for these numbers of components. This way, we could compare the simulation with
the practice results. Figure 7 presents the model used for the simulation.

Figure 7 – 5 bars model.

The simulation uses the following specifications: OD (Outside diameter) of 21 ¼” and

the wall thickness of 7/8” and the magnetization curve to these parameters is presented in figure
8.

Figure 8 – Magnetization curve

The graphics values are obtained tracing a straight line, radially, from the model center
to the external pipe wall, trough the central bar, as described in figure 9.

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Figure 9 – Parametric image

There are two regions indicated on the graphic, one called “GIP BAR” and the other
“PIPE WALL” followed by the value of the intensity of the magnetization field on each region.
A better understanding of which region is the “GIP BAR” and what the “PIPE WALL” is as
presented in Figure 10.

Figure 10 – Parametric image detailed

The values of the magnetization field intensity in the “GIP BAR” and “PIPE WALL”
regions are, respectively, 432.9 Gauss and 13.6 Gauss. A value of at least 70 Gauss of the
magnetization field intensity in the “PIPE WALL” region is considered good for the equipment
to have an effective capability of defect detection and sizing. According to the results, two
observations can be made. First, five bars are not enough to have an effective pipe wall
magnetization. Second, the saturation of the gip bar is extremely high, which means great parts
of the magnetic lines field are lost.
According to these results, other studies have been made using eighteen bars this time.
Furthermore, the magnets were approximated to the wall, what gives a gain related to
magnetization intensity. The transversal area section of the bar was improved, contributing to
the magnetic field flow avoiding the bar’s saturation and making the equipment more effective
(Figure 11).

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Figure 11 – New bar design and 18 bars mounted

As can be noted, the middle section of the bar, has the biggest area of the transversal
section, because of this, it is possible to reduce the mass of the part without compromise the
efficiency at this section, the saturation of magnetic field lines is higher than the sides.
A model with eighteen bars was created to perform the simulation, using the same pipe
specifications as above (Figure 12)

Figure 12 – Symmetry model to 18 bars

Symmetry was used to make the simulation simplified, and this way less computer
resource is needed and the time the simulation takes to complete is shorter. The results can be
seen in Figure 13.

Figure 13 – 18 bars magnetization curve

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The value of the magnetization field intensity at the “GIP BAR” is 41.5 Gauss while at
the “PIPE WALL” regions is 142 Gauss. This measure of “PIPE WALL” attends the 70 Gauss
needed to the correct function of the sensor.
After these results, a new module was developed and coupled in the main robot module
(Figure 14).

Figure 14 - Robot with 18 bar MFL module

4. Conclusion

According to the presented results, it was noted how important the use of computational
simulation is during the developing or the upgrading of an inspection tool.
The 5 bar values of magnetization were proved which is not sufficient to perform a good
inspection. The value found in the computational simulation was less than 80% of the required
value and with this number of bars, and the saturation of the system is extremely high resulting
in a not optimized magnetic field. After increase the number of bars to 18, the magnetization
value found was 2 times more than the required value and the losses in the magnetic field were
reduced considerably
In this study, after the first results, through the use of the computational tools, the MFL
equipment can be improved and it is now being prepared for practical tests.
Until the end of this article, field tests for validation of the computational models have
not yet been performed. These tests will be performed for validation and verification of the
needs for adjustments to the developed MFL and Ultrasound module.

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