MB Inspection offers Acoustic Emission (AE) testing of aboveground storage tanks. This complements their already broad range of specialised, non-intrusive inspection services.
AE tank assessment is a specialised procedure for assessing corrosion damage in tanks. Corrosion processes and scale fracture produce AE signals, detected by externally placed sensors. Recorded data are evaluated to exclude noise and provide a measure of corrosion damage to the floor. The main benefit of this test is to survey a number of tanks to help determine inspection needs and priorities.
Testing requires monitoring a static tank along the following lines:
Using AE to assess the condition of tank bottoms has developed over the last 15-years or so. A study of the method, published in 1998, showed how AE test results compared to internal inspection findings for 148 tanks. These held a variety of products from crude oil to distillates and blended products.
The study showed that AE testing was able to tell the difference between a good? tank and one with corrosion damage. As the chart shows, there is uncertainty in determining the amount of damage but there is a clear correlation between the AE grade and severity of damage. In particular, test reliability was highest for good? tanks.