Steel pipeline testing using magnetic flux leakage method

Abstract

With the widespread application and fast development of gas and oil pipeline network in China, the pipeline inspection technology has been used more extensively. The magnetic flux leakage (MFL) method has established itself as the most widely used in-line inspection technique for the evaluation of gas and oil pipelines. This paper presents the typical three dimensional (3D) defects were accurately modeled and detail MFL signal in test surface were calculated by 3D finite element method (FEM). At the same time, the experimental investigation on defect inspect in steel pipeline using MFL were carried. The results show that the 3D FEM is an effective analysis method for steel pipeline MFL inspect.