Flange Integrity Management

Flange Integrity Management
Using advanced ultrasonic methods to detect and quantify damage at

flange connections
August 9 - 11, 2022 | Henry B. Gonzales Center | San Antonio, TX

BIO SLIDE Company Logo Here
• Jonathon Edgington
• Inserv NDE Solutions
• Advanced Services Technician
• 8 Years in the Inspection Industry
• Field of Expertise: Inservice and Flange Inspections
• HOIS Contributor
API INSPECTION & MECHANICAL INTEGRITY SUMMIT

• Currently, the monitoring philosophy for flange connections

relies heavily on visual inspection. This entails physically opening
the connections to visually assess the internal condition.
• This has negative effects on equipment run time, process safety,
maintenance costs and above all, personnel safety during
breaking containment.
• A more reliable, safer, and cost-effective method is utilizing
advanced Phased Array (PAUT) and Full Matrix Capture (FMC)
ultrasonic methods

What types, sizes, and designs do these methods work on? Below are
several that are common across many facilities and sites.
• Wing valve flange (2-1/16 10M BX152 RTJ)

• Large diameter demo flange (14IN 300CL SCH80 WNRF)
• Internally coated flange (6IN 300CL STD WNRF)
• Internal Current Transfer (ICT) flange (16IN 600 SCH80 WNRF)
• Produced Water Flanges (6IN 600 SCH80 WNRF)

Terms And Notes
• PAUT – Phased array ultrasonic testing
HUB
• FMC – Full matrix capture
• TFM – Total focus method (Utilizes FMC data)
PWI – Plane wave imaging (Utilizes FMC data)
• ICT – Internal current transfer (A type of corrosion)
• WNRF – Weld Neck Raised Face (Type of flange)
RAISED FACE
TAPER • RTJ – Ring type joint (Type of flange)
• TDC – Top dead center
LEADING EDGE
ID BORE

• Wing valve flange (2-1/16 10M BX152 RTJ)
• Wing valves are used to shut in the flow from a producing well. The valve is bolted
to the flow block and is essential for the safe operation of the well.

Wing valve flange (2-1/16 10M BX152 RTJ)
• The predominant location for wing valve erosion is at the 12:00 position
• The product flows through the master valves and has a 90-degree direction change into the wing valve
• High velocity flow, sand levels, condensate levels and various other factors cause the erosion

Top of ring groove
Backwall at ID Bore Leading edge corner trap
Bottom of ring groove (2nd Leg)

Top of ring groove
Bottom of ring groove

Backwall at ID Bore
Leading edge corner trap


Large diameter demo flange (14IN 300CL SCH80 WNRF)
• A demonstration flange was utilized to test different variables related to the

inspection limitations of PAUT/FMC on WNRF type flanges. A large sample was
used to ensure adequate testing could be done on a variety of reflector locations.
4mm 9mm 15mm 26mm

47mm
55mm
73mm
90mm
• Notches cut at different depths from the leading edge/raised face. Approximate
distances shown above.
Corner trap/ID roll location with no notch
Corner trap/ID roll location with leading edge notch (4mm notch)

Corner trap/ID roll location with ID bore notch (26mm axially from RF)
Corner trap/ID roll location with id bore notches (55mm, 73mm, 90mm notch)
Internally coated flange (6IN 300CL STD WNRF)
• Coated flanges used in Frac. Water supply service. Coating failure locations create
areas that are especially susceptible to corrosion due to high chloride water
• Ultrasonic depth measurement to top of corrosion feature : 50.7mm

• Mechanical measurement using a ruler : ~49.5mm
• Ultrasonic axial measurement of corrosion feature : 29.99mm

• Mechanical measurement using a ruler : ~29mm
Internal Current Transfer (ICT) flange (16IN 600 SCH80 WNRF)
• ICT corrosion or INTERNAL CURRENT TRANSFER corrosion is a damage mechanism generally found at areas of
cathodic protection control failures. ICT requires stray voltage across the isolation kit and an electrolyte to
provide a path for the current to flow.

12:00
12:00
6:00
• ICT corrosion is generally limited from the 3:00 – 9:00 (bottom) positions on the flange. This is due in part to
the “pooling” of an electrically conductive fluid that allows stray current to bypass the isolation kit.
• General morphology of ICT corrosion damage. The rate of attack can be very high.
Produced Water Flanges (6IN 600 SCH80 WNRF)
• Produced water service flange

• Crevice corrosion type of damage has generally long and rounded appearances
Probe 1 HUB
Probe 2 Taper
• Dual phased array or FMC probes are utilized to detect and quantify the damage. This allows for validation
from two directions.

• Utilizing custom 3D printed scanning devices that allow for two phased array probes to be to be operated at the same
time from the HUB and from the Taper we can eliminate dead zones caused by bolt holes.
• 2D CAD overlays that are made possible by specific PAUT systems is essential when using two probe simultaneously

• Raised face damage location showing the worst axial extend of corrosion to be 7.99mm measured with a pit
gauge.
• Damage located from 4:00 – 7:00. Worst damage at the 6:00 position of scan. Actual field location of damage is
unknown as this flange was removed from service unmarked for TDC.
• (Top Left) shows the “D” scan (Side profile of scan length) depicting the corrosion damage with the Hub probe.
• (Top Right) shows the “D” scan (Side profile) depicting the corrosion damage from the taper with no
interference from the bolt holes.
• Bottom Left) shows the depth to the top of the corrosion damage from the Hub probe location.
• (Bottom Right) shows the axial measurements confirmed with the probe from the taper location.
• Ultrasonic axial measurement (Shown as Δdiagonal) 7.99mm to back of damage.

• Yellow arrows above to highlight cursor placement

• Ultrasonic depth measurement to top of corrosion 83.96mm.

• Mechanical measurement with a ruler ~82mm.
• This is especially useful to determine remaining raised face gasket sealing surface.

Conclusions
• In order to interpret scan data in reliable, repeatable, and accurate fashion, technicians need to be trained to
recognize patterns and investigate slight variations.
• Essential variables need to be controlled and recorded for future inspections. Set-ups should be saved digitally
for quick recall. This allows a reduction to the set-up creating process and for technicians to limit the variables
that could affect data fidelity from one inspection date to the next.
• All data should be digitally stored to be recalled for comparisons, auditing purposes, or training. Data output is
streamlined by customizable views available with the inspection and analysis tools.
• Periodic visual confirmations should be completed to ensure continued competency.

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Flange Integrity Management

Using advanced ultrasonic methods to detect and quantify damage at

August 9 - 11, 2022 | Henry B. Gonzales Center | San Antonio, TX

API INSPECTION & MECHANICAL INTEGRITY SUMMIT

• Currently, the monitoring philosophy for flange connections

API INSPECTION & MECHANICAL INTEGRITY SUMMIT

• Wing valve flange (2-1/16 10M BX152 RTJ)

API INSPECTION & MECHANICAL INTEGRITY SUMMIT

API INSPECTION & MECHANICAL INTEGRITY SUMMIT

API INSPECTION & MECHANICAL INTEGRITY SUMMIT

API INSPECTION & MECHANICAL INTEGRITY SUMMIT

Top of ring groove

Backwall at ID Bore Leading edge corner trap

Bottom of ring groove (2nd Leg)

API INSPECTION & MECHANICAL INTEGRITY SUMMIT

Top of ring groove

Bottom of ring groove

API INSPECTION & MECHANICAL INTEGRITY SUMMIT

API INSPECTION & MECHANICAL INTEGRITY SUMMIT

• A demonstration flange was utilized to test different variables related to the

4mm 9mm 15mm 26mm

Corner trap/ID roll location with no notch

API INSPECTION & MECHANICAL INTEGRITY SUMMIT

• Ultrasonic depth measurement to top of corrosion feature : 50.7mm

• Ultrasonic axial measurement of corrosion feature : 29.99mm

API INSPECTION & MECHANICAL INTEGRITY SUMMIT

• Produced water service flange

API INSPECTION & MECHANICAL INTEGRITY SUMMIT

API INSPECTION & MECHANICAL INTEGRITY SUMMIT

• Ultrasonic axial measurement (Shown as Δdiagonal) 7.99mm to back of damage.

API INSPECTION & MECHANICAL INTEGRITY SUMMIT

• Ultrasonic depth measurement to top of corrosion 83.96mm.

API INSPECTION & MECHANICAL INTEGRITY SUMMIT

API INSPECTION & MECHANICAL INTEGRITY SUMMIT

API INSPECTION & MECHANICAL INTEGRITY SUMMIT

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