ENERGY

NDT is fundamental to asset integrity management across the energy sector. In oil and gas, ultrasonic testing is used to measure pipe wall thickness and detect corrosion, while radiographic testing and eddy current methods are used to inspect welds, pressure vessels and storage tanks. Long-range guided wave testing can screen large lengths of pipeline for wall loss without requiring excavation or removal of insulation. The goal in all cases is to identify degradation before it causes a leak, rupture or unplanned shutdown, which carries both safety and environmental consequences.

Wind turbine blades are composite structures typically made from glass fibre reinforced polymer, and they are susceptible to lightning strike damage, leading edge erosion, delamination and moisture ingress over their service life. Ultrasonic testing is the primary method used for internal inspection, capable of detecting delamination and bonding failures that are not visible on the surface. Thermography is also used for large-area surveys. The challenge with wind turbine blade inspection is that it often needs to be done at height and without removing the blade, which places a premium on portable, easy-to-operate systems that can produce reliable data quickly in an outdoor environment.

Inspection frequency is typically governed by a combination of regulatory requirements, industry standards and risk-based inspection programmes. For pressure-containing assets such as pipelines and vessels in oil and gas, codes such as API 570 and API 510 define minimum inspection intervals based on the operating environment and degradation mechanisms present. For renewable energy assets such as wind turbines, inspection is typically carried out annually or following specific events such as a lightning strike. The trend across the energy sector is toward condition-based and risk-based inspection, where data gathered during previous inspections informs the timing and scope of future ones.