PEC (Pulse Eddy Current) inspection
PEC(Pulse Eddy Current) inspection uses electromagnetic pulses to penetrate tank walls and reveal hidden corrosion, cracks and other defects - all without extensive preparation.
Pulsed Eddy Current (PEC) is an electromagnetic inspection technique used to detect wall loss on ferromagnetic structures such as carbon steel and cast iron. It provides a relative volume measurement that is converted into an average thickness measurement based on the calibration range.
To generate and record PEC, a magnetic field is first created by an electric current in the coils of the probe. The field penetrates the cladding and non-conductive insulation (concrete, silicate, weatherboarded insulation, sea grass,...) and stabilises in the thickness of the component. Then the emission is interrupted. This abrupt change induces eddy currents that are captured by the probe. The instrument measures the decay rate and translates the electromagnetic signal into an average thickness measurement over the surface of the probe.
Tank inspections 4.0
More about our range of tank inspection solutionsAdvantages of PEC
Pulse Eddy Current inspection is one of the most versatile NDT techniques on the market. It can measure the residual thickness of a component of any non-ferromagnetic form:
- Insulation with weatherproof cover (aluminium, stainless steel, galvanised steel)
- Concrete/Silicate
- Composite encasement/Polymer coating
- Sea growth
Requirements PEC
Limitations of this service:
- Tool intended for screening and thus gives relative measurements
- No distinction between near- and far-side defects
- Impossible to detect small pits
- When there is a weak spot (such as corrosion or a crack) in the material, it affects the flow and thus the magnetic field detected by the probe. The instrument interprets these changes to identify the weak spot and determine its size. However, if a weak spot is smaller than the area effectively covered by the probe's magnetic field (the average area), the signal received by the probe is a combination of the response of the weak spot and the response of the surrounding, healthy material within that average area. This underestimates the indication of the severity of the weak spot (e.g. the degree of wall loss due to corrosion or the depth of a crack)
- Edge effect near metal surfaces
This service can be used in the following sectors:
- Petrochemical sector
- Aerospace– and aeronautical sector
- Energy producing sector
- Other sectors in which storage tanks are used
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