# Presentation: 376463

## Inspection of Fusion Joints in Plastic Pipe

- Delivery Reliability Program
- Project Kick-Off Meeting

- Morgantown, West Virginia
- December 16, 2003
- National Energy Technology Laboratory

## Executive Summary
Background
Problem Statement
Technical Objective
Benefits
Project Team
Technical Overview
Project Plan
Schedule
Milestones

- Background
- Problem Statement
- Technical Objective
- Benefits
- Project Team
- Technical Overview
- Project Plan
- Schedule
- Milestones

## Executive Summary
Background
Problem Statement
Technical Objective
Benefits
Project Team
Technical Overview
Project Plan
Schedule
Milestones

- Background
- Problem Statement
- Technical Objective
- Benefits
- Project Team
- Technical Overview
- Project Plan
- Schedule
- Milestones

## Plastic pipe has been used successfully for 30 yrs by natural gas industry

Butt fusion is one of the two most common processes used for joining the pipe.
It utilizes a hot plate which is inserted between two pipes butted together and heated to temperature.  The plate is removed and the pipes are forced together.

Electro-fusion methods are typically employed for joining tees and branches.

- Butt fusion is one of the two most common processes used for joining the pipe.
- It utilizes a hot plate which is inserted between two pipes butted together and heated to temperature.  The plate is removed and the pipes are forced together.
- Electro-fusion methods are typically employed for joining tees and branches.

**Executive Summary - Background**

## Executive Summary
Background
Problem Statement
Technical Objective
Benefits
Project Team
Technical Overview
Project Plan
Schedule
Milestones

- Background
- Problem Statement
- Technical Objective
- Benefits
- Project Team
- Technical Overview
- Project Plan
- Schedule
- Milestones

## Executive Summary - Problem Statement

- Pipeline and environmental damage
- Risk of fire or explosion
- Risk of human personnel (user and service)
- Interrupted service
- Significant loss of revenue

- Although infrequent, polyethylene pipe butt fusion joint failure could result in:

## Executive Summary
Background
Problem Statement
Technical Objective
Benefits
Project Team
Technical Overview
Project Plan
Schedule
Milestones

- Background
- Problem Statement
- Technical Objective
- Benefits
- Project Team
- Technical Overview
- Project Plan
- Schedule
- Milestones

## Executive Summary - Technical Objective

- This project will develop, demonstrate and validate an in-situ non-destructive method for butt fusion joints inspection in plastic gas distribution pipelines

## Executive Summary
Background
Problem Statement
Technical Objective
Benefits
Project Team
Technical Overview
Project Plan
Schedule
Milestones

- Background
- Problem Statement
- Technical Objective
- Benefits
- Project Team
- Technical Overview
- Project Plan
- Schedule
- Milestones

## Executive Summary - Benefits 

- Eliminate operator bias
- Improved reliability and safety
- Reduction in costly destructive QA testing
- Increased confidence in plastic pipe use

## Executive Summary
Background
Problem Statement
Technical Objective
Benefits
Project Team
Technical Overview
Project Plan
Schedule
Milestones

- Background
- Problem Statement
- Technical Objective
- Benefits
- Project Team
- Technical Overview
- Project Plan
- Schedule
- Milestones

## Executive Summary - Project Team

## Executive Summary
Background
Problem Statement
Technical Objective
Benefits
Project Team
Technical Overview
Project Plan
Schedule
Milestones

- Background
- Problem Statement
- Technical Objective
- Benefits
- Project Team
- Technical Overview
- Project Plan
- Schedule
- Milestones

## Technical Overview

- Visual characteristic review
- Initial conclusions
- Initial characteristic correlation
- Cross-section and surface comparison
- Demonstration unit

## Technical Overview

- Acceptable welds made under standard conditions

## Technical Overview

- Insufficient interfacial pressure – unacceptable weld

- 50% nominal interfacial pressure (tolerant resin) – weld acceptable

## Technical Overview

- Excessive interfacial pressure – good weld

## Inspection of Fusion Joints in Plastic Pipe

- Excessive temperature

- Insufficient heating

## Initial Conclusions from Previous Work:

Bond line appearance in the weld zone always correlated with the reduction of the joint’s mechanical properties 
The sensitivity of the Weld Zone Inspection Method (WZIM) was verified by industry-accepted destructive testing
WZIM was successful in differentiating between welds made under standard and non-standard conditions 
WZIM was demonstrated to be a simple and accurate testing technique for assessing butt-fusion joint quality

- Bond line appearance in the weld zone always correlated with the reduction of the joint’s mechanical properties
- The sensitivity of the Weld Zone Inspection Method (WZIM) was verified by industry-accepted destructive testing
- WZIM was successful in differentiating between welds made under standard and non-standard conditions
- WZIM was demonstrated to be a simple and accurate testing technique for assessing butt-fusion joint quality

**Technical Overview**

## Conclusions (continued)

The method is easy to use.
No expensive testing equipment is required.
It is less costly than common destructive testing methods (labor).
A database of cross-sectional images representing typical standard and non-standard joints and their interpretations for selected PE pipes was developed.

- The method is easy to use.
- No expensive testing equipment is required.
- It is less costly than common destructive testing methods (labor).
- A database of cross-sectional images representing typical standard and non-standard joints and their interpretations for selected PE pipes was developed.

**Technical Overview**

## Technical Overview

**. **

**	****       ****Acceptable**

- No visible bond line
- Proper double roll-back
- Sufficient melt
- Sufficient pressure

**Technical Overview**

## Technical Overview

**	****       ****Unacceptable**

- Visible bond line
- Incomplete double roll-back (too small)
- Insufficient melt
- Sufficient pressure
- Probable procedure violation – insufficient heating

**Technical Overview**

## Technical Overview

**Technical Overview**

**	****       ****Unacceptable**

- Visible bond line
- Double roll-back (excessive)
- Excessive melt
- Disproportionately rounded outlines
- Probable procedure violation – excessive temperature

##     Development of nondestructive procedure for PE butt-fusion joints assessment

Transforming a destructive inspection method into a nondestructive technique was proved experimentally 
The correlation between the cross-sectional and pipe surface images (after the bead removal) was studied and analyzed 
Several “blind” tests were conducted on the joints independently prepared by gas companies 
Joints were fused under standard and non-standard conditions, and 88% were correctly assessed

- Transforming a destructive inspection method into a ***nondestructive**** technique was proved experimentally** *
- The correlation between the cross-sectional and pipe surface images (after the bead removal) was studied and analyzed
- Several “blind” tests were conducted on the joints independently prepared by gas companies
- Joints were fused under standard and non-standard conditions, and 88% were correctly assessed

**Technical Overview**

## Technical Overview

- Driscopipe 8100 - Standard Welding Conditions

- Cross-sectional image

- Pipe surface image

**Technical Overview**

## Technical Overview

**Technical Overview**

- Cross-sectional image

- Pipe surface image

- Driscopipe 8100 – Excessive Heating Temperature

## Technical Overview

**Technical Overview**

- Cross-sectional image

- Pipe surface image

- Driscopipe 8100 – Insufficient Interfacial Pressure

## Technical Overview

- Demonstration unit for Weld Zone Inspection Method

**Technical Overview**

- EWI proprietary image recognition system
- Laser-based
- Automatically generate and interpret images
- Assign pass/fail rating

## Conclusions and Recommendations

The WZIM has the potential to become a quality-assessment field method to nondestructively identify lesser quality non-standard fusion joints. 

Evaluated results can be recorded, stored and documented for QA auditing and process mapping

- The WZIM has the potential to become a quality-assessment field method to nondestructively identify lesser quality non-standard fusion joints.
- Evaluated results can be recorded, stored and documented for QA auditing and process mapping

**Technical Overview**

## Executive Summary
Background
Problem Statement
Technical Objective
Benefits
Project Team
Technical Overview
Project Plan
Schedule
Milestones

- Background
- Problem Statement
- Technical Objective
- Benefits
- Project Team
- Technical Overview
- Project Plan
- Schedule
- Milestones

## Area I and II Tasks

Task 1: Research Management Plan
Summary of technical objectives and technical approach
Task 2: Technology Status Assessment
Describe current state-of-the-art of plastic pipe inspection
Task 3: Validation of Inspection Method and Testing Procedure Optimization
Correlation between the WZIM joint image and mechanical joint strength by using short-term destructive mechanical tests

- Task 1: Research Management Plan
- Summary of technical objectives and technical approach
- Task 2: Technology Status Assessment
- Describe current state-of-the-art of plastic pipe inspection
- Task 3: Validation of Inspection Method and Testing Procedure Optimization
- Correlation between the WZIM joint image and mechanical joint strength by using short-term destructive mechanical tests

**Project Plan **

## Area I and II Tasks ( continued)

Task 4: Method Verification using Long Term Destructive Testing
Determine if a detrimental affect occurs on a quality weld by performing local reheating
Task 5: Specification of User Requirements
Define requirements for assigning pass/fail rating
Task 6: Development of Image Recognition Inspection System
Develop hardware
Refine software
Integrate and calibrate components

- Task 4: Method Verification using Long Term Destructive Testing
- Determine if a detrimental affect occurs on a quality weld by performing local reheating
- Task 5: Specification of User Requirements
- Define requirements for assigning pass/fail rating
- Task 6: Development of Image Recognition Inspection System
- Develop hardware
- Refine software
- Integrate and calibrate components

**Project Plan **

## Area III Tasks

Task 7: Development of Field Test Program
Test matrix of conditions, type, materials and sizes to be tested during field operations
Task 8: Field Test Preparation
Inspection parameters will be optimized based on Task 7 test matrix
Operator training
Task 9: Field Testing
Cover a representative range of materials and sizes

- Task 7: Development of Field Test Program
- Test matrix of conditions, type, materials and sizes to be tested during field operations
- Task 8: Field Test Preparation
- Inspection parameters will be optimized based on Task 7 test matrix
- Operator training
- Task 9: Field Testing
- Cover a representative range of materials and sizes

**Project Plan **

## Area III Tasks (continued)

Task 10: Data Analysis, Specification Optimization and Inspection Guidelines
Next step towards technology commercialization
Task 11: Reporting
Final technical report
Comprehensive operation and maintenance manual

- Task 10: Data Analysis, Specification Optimization and Inspection Guidelines
- Next step towards technology commercialization
- Task 11: Reporting
- Final technical report
- Comprehensive operation and maintenance manual

**Project Plan **

## 
Overall Project Budget
$373,005 (includes $93,000 cost match)
Area I and II (Task 1 – 6) $243,330
DOE funding $170,330
Cost share $73,000
Area III (Task 7-11) $129,675
DOE funding $109,675
Cost share $20,000

Note: Decision point will not be reached based on DOE obligated funds of $132,000.

- Overall Project Budget
- $373,005 (includes $93,000 cost match)
- Area I and II (Task 1 – 6) $243,330
- DOE funding $170,330
- Cost share $73,000
- Area III (Task 7-11) $129,675
- DOE funding $109,675
- Cost share $20,000
- Note: Decision point will not be reached based on DOE obligated funds of $132,000.

**Project Plan - Funding**

## Executive Summary
Background
Problem Statement
Technical Objective
Benefits
Project Team
Technical Overview
Project Plan
Schedule
Milestones

- Background
- Problem Statement
- Technical Objective
- Benefits
- Project Team
- Technical Overview
- Project Plan
- Schedule
- Milestones

## Project Schedule

## Executive Summary
Background
Problem Statement
Technical Objective
Benefits
Project Team
Technical Overview
Project Plan
Schedule
Milestones

- Background
- Problem Statement
- Technical Objective
- Benefits
- Project Team
- Technical Overview
- Project Plan
- Schedule
- Milestones

## Project Schedule – Phase I

| Milestone | Responsibility | Milestone Description | Approximate 
Submission Date |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| M1 | EWI | Hazardous Substance Plan | 10/31/2003 |
| M2 | EWI | Research Management Plan - Draft | 10/31/2003 |
| M3 | NETL | DOE Input Received for Research Management Plan | 11/20/2003 |
| M4 | EWI | Technology Status Assessment Report - Draft | 11/30/2003 |
| M5 | NETL | DOE Input Received for Technology Status Assessment Report | 12/19/2003 |
| M6 | EWI | User Requirements Defined | 12/26/2003 |
| M7 | EWI | Laser Based Inspection Hardware Developed | 5/4/2004 |
| M8 | EWI | Laser Based Inspection Software Developed | 5/4/2004 |
| M9 | EWI | Integrated Inspection System  | 9/2/2004 |
| M10 | NETL | Written approval from DOE COR to proceed beyond Task 6 | 9/2/2004 |

**Project Schedule – Phase I**

## Project Schedule – Phase II

| Milestone | Responsibility | Milestone Description | Approximate
Submission Date |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| M11 | EWI | Developed Field Test Matrix | 9/30/2004 |
| M12 | EWI | One Day Training Course on the Fundamentals of WZIM Inspection System | 2/17/2005 |
| M13 | NETL | Final Technical Report | 10/28/2005 |
| M14 | EWI | Comprehensive Operation and Maintenance Manual Developed | 10/28/2005 |
| M15 | EWI | Hazardous Waste Report | 10/1/2005 |
| M16 | EWI | Report of Termination or Completion Inventory | 10/1/2005 |
| M17 | EWI | Semi-Annual Report 1 | 4/30/2004 |
| M18 | EWI | Semi-Annual Report 2 | 10/31/2004 |
| M19 | EWI | Semi-Annual Report 3 | 4/30/2005 |

**Project Schedule – Phase II**