Study on Guided Ultrasonic Waves Propagating along Pipes with Fluid Loading

Guided ultrasonic wave technique was introduced as a promising non-destructive long range pipe inspection method. Theory of guided waves traveling along pipes with fluid loading on the inside and outside of the pipe was described. The effect of inner and outer media was investigated by considering a steel pipe with air and water inside and outside the experimental pipe. Longitudinal guided wave was used to examine pipes with artificial defects and its propagation characteristics along the pipe were studied. Good agreement has been obtained between the experiments and predictions for pipes with different loading on the pipe. In the end, Site experiment was carried out on a heating pipe with asbestos coating in the residential area of Bohai Oil Company, China.