The Insider
Edition #3 – Q4 2011

Critical vessel monitoring: Detect hot spots sooner with thermal imaging

Accurately measuring temperature has always been one of the most important and difficult things to do when monitoring the safety of critical vessels in refining and other industrial plants. Extreme temperatures and non-uniform temperature gradients make it nearly impossible for traditional temperature measurement methods to monitor every critical point or obtain complete temperature data. The lack of accurate and early detection of temperature changes increases the likelihood of failure-related problems, which create safety and reliability issues. The consequences of undetected failures can be very serious and pose extreme safety risks if a vessel isn’t properly monitored. A rupture in chemical reactors, storage tanks, and piping systems can all lead to catastrophic loss of life, product, and capacity. These all require sophisticated monitoring techniques to spot irregular temperatures and trends that precede unsafe and costly problems. Innovative thermal imaging systems, however, have demonstrated how radio­metric thermography has evolved into a mature and cost-competitive alternative. The non-contact nature of infrared thermal imaging is more robust, more reliable, and easier to maintain. It is also more modern with technological advantages such as graphical visual displays, historical archiving and trending, and easy integration to plant SCADA systems.

• Download the paper
• Learn more about thermal imaging cameras
• Rent or purchase a thermal imaging camera

Atlas Inspection Technologies now offers ARIES products

Atlas Inspection Technologies is proud to represent ARIES, the best pipeline inspection and rehabilitation equipment manufacturer in North America. ARIES equipment includes pan-and-tilt and pan-tilt-and-zoom cameras, six-wheeled robotic crawlers for pipes from 6” to 120”, standard and pan-and-tilt push cameras, pipeline grouting systems, and lateral reinstatement cutters for relined pipe. Available systems include both portable and complete systems in customized chassis or trailers.

• Discover the ARIES range of pipe robot crawlers
• Ask our experts: Which pipe crawler is right for my application?
• Find an Atlas Inspection Technologies location near you

Case study: Pipe inspection and foreign object retrieval at natural gas compression station

A construction company building a compression station for a newly built natural gas plant rented a camera from Atlas Inspection Technologies. Upon conducting cursory inspections of process pipes, the inspection team found a significant amount of slag and debris. The customer was concerned about contamination and decided the entire piping system spreading over several miles needed to be inspected and evaluated. The plant was set to go online in a few weeks. A team of two Atlas technicians arrived on site from Seattle, WA and Sacramento, CA within 48 hours of first contact to direct the inspection program. The customer rented 12 inspection cameras which the Atlas team trained camera operators on, none of whom had any prior remote visual inspection experience.

Several problematic pipe and spool sections were discovered and noted, but most significant was the presence of a 5/8” nut inside a six-inch pipe going into the compression station discovered during the inspection. Atlas was able to successfully retrieve the foreign object using the camera and a magnetic retrieval tool mounted on sections of an interlocking push rod. The customer noted that the discovery and retrieval of this object more than paid for Atlas’ service. Within 72 hours of arriving on site, nearly all of the facility had been inspected.

Special considerations and challenges included:

• The job site was extremely busy, as crews from multiple companies were working twelve-hour shifts to complete the facility by the deadline.
• None of the camera operators Atlas was responsible for overseeing had any prior experience with remote cameras, and had only limited experience with electronic equipment.
• The job site was in a remote location.
• The compression station contained a wide variety of pipes of different sizes (<1”-12”) and all with multiple 90° bends.
• Since the plant was more than 80% complete, access into the pipe system was difficult, requiring temporary dismantlement of valves and flanges causing delays.
• Due to the nature of the facility, our customer required additional safety training on-site.

• Browse our selection of equipment rentals
• Contact us to ask what equipment is right for you
• Learn more about Atlas’ emergency hotline / after-hours services

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