• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.1-6
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• 2018

Reliability based design and assessment (RBDA) methodology is one of the newest directions of natural gas pipeline design method. Reliability targets are used to ensure that safety levels are met relevant limit states in the stage of design and maintenance. The target reliability for ultimate limit states such as large leak and rupture were developed using tolerable risk criteria for individual and societal risk. This paper shows the reliability target can be met through the implementation of periodic maintenance measures during the life cycle of the pipelines. The case study involves the calculation of the failure probability due to equipment impact, the calculation of the failure probability due to corrosion, and the estimation the re-inspection interval for domestic natural gas transmission pipelines.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.108-113
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• 2009

MFL(magnetic flux leakage) inspection is a general method of non-destructive evaluation(NDE) of underground gas pipelines. Pipelines are magnetized by permanent magnets when MFL PIG(pipeline inspection gauge) gets through them. If defects or corrosions exist in pipelines, effective thickness is changed and thus variation of leakage flux occurs. The leakage flux signals detected by hall-sensors are analyzed to characterize defect's geometries such as length, width, depth, and so on. This paper presents several methods for estimating defect's length using MFL signals and their performances are compared for real defects carved in KOGAS pipeline simulation facility. It is found that 80% and 90% of minimum values for axial and peak values for radial signals respectively show the best performance in the point of length estimation error.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.36-41
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• 2011

If gas is leaking out of gas pipelines, it could cause a huge explosion. Accordingly, it is important to ensure the integrity of gas pipelines. Traditionally, over the years, gas-operating companies have used the ILI system, which is based on axial magnetic flux leakage (MFL), to inspect the gas pipelines. Relatively, there is a low probability of detection (POD) for the axial defects with the axial MFL-based ILI. To prevent the buried pipeline from corrosion, it requires a protective coating. In addition to the potential damage to the coating by environmental factors and external forces, there could be defects on the damaged coating area. Thus, it is essential that nondestructive evaluation methods for detecting axial defects (axial cracks, axial groove) and damaged coating be developed. In this study, an electromagnetic acoustic transducer (EMAT) sensor was designed and fabricated for detecting axial defects and coating disbondment. In order to validate the performances of the developed EMAT sensor, experiments were performed with specimens from axial cracks, axial grooves, and coating disbondment. The experimental results showed that the developed EMAT sensor could detect not only the axial cracks (minimum 5% depth of wall thickness) and axial grooves (minimum 10% depth of wall thickness), but also the coating disbondment.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.49-57
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• 2012

From among the NDT (Non-Destructive Testing) methods, the MFL (Magnetic Flux Leakage) PIG (Pipeline Inspection Gauge) is especially suitable for testing pipelines because the pipeline has high magnetic permeability. MFL PIG showed high performance in detecting the metal loss and corrosions. However, MFL PIG is difficult to detect the crack which occured by exterior-interior pressure difference in pipelines and the shape of crack is very long and narrow. Therefore, the new PIG is needed to be researched and developed for detecting the cracks. The CMFL (Circumferential MF) PIG performs magnetic fields circumferentially and can maximize the magnetic flux leakage at the cracks. In this paper, CMFL PIG is designed and the distribution of the magnetic fields is analyzed by using 3 dimensional nonlinear finite element method (FEM). By Simulating and Measuring the magnetic leakage field, it is possible to detect of axial cracks in the pipeline.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.64-68
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• 2013

Non destructive testing(NDT) methods of electrofusion(EF) joints of thermoplastics pipes are required for fusion joint safety and for the long term reliability of a pipe system. Electrofusion joints, which are joined at the proper fusion process and procedures, may encounter defects due to the difference of ovality between pipes and coupling, improper fusion process or porosity result from electrofusion joining. These defects can cause the failure of pipeline and by extension, they can be caused the limit to expand the use of plastics pipes. This paper studies inspection results using ultrasonic imaging method for damaged polyethylene electrofusion joints. Gas was leaking from 250mm diameter polyethylene electrofusion joints at February 2004 which was electrofused at December 1994 and operation pressure was 2.45kPa. First, surface inspection was conducted and then in order to find the types of defects examination using ultrasonic imaging method was performed. Lack of fusion and inappropriate inserting for polyethylene pipes into electrofusion coupling were found and causes of the gas leak were judged that misalignment and insert defect. Cutting inspection was performed and each inspection results were compared to. Results of ultrasonic imaging method and cutting inspection were the same.

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.876-883
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• 2007

The magnetic flux leakage(MFL) type nondestructive testing(NDT) method is widely used to detect corrosion, defects and mechanical deformation of the underground gas pipelines. The object pipeline is magnetically saturated by the magnetic system with permanent magnet and yokes. Hall sensors detect the leakage fields in the region of the defect. The defects are sometimes occurred in group. The accuracy of the detecting signals in this defect cluster become lowered because of the complexity of the defect cluster. In this paper, the effects of the multi -defects are analyzed. The detecting signals are computed by 3-dimensional finite element method and compared with real measurement. The results say that, rather than the size of the defects, the effects of the relative position of the multi-defects are very important on the detecting signals.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.1-7
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• 2012

Systematic safety research by Korea Government has been made to enhance the safety of CNG (compressed natural gas) vehicles since the burst of compressed cylinder of an urban bus in August 9, 2010. This article summarizes some major activities to ensure the safety of CNG vehicles, which covers review of regulation, safety management system including standard of inspection and certification, and training program of inspectors and car mechanics. Specifically, the followings were reviewed; type of CNG cylinder, location of CNG cylinder, material and type of fuel line and vent line, modification of pipeline connection, installation of gas detector, installation of emergency shutdown valve, installation of protecting cover for cylinder, obligations for CNG vehicle filling station. improving periodical inspection, routine test on gas vehicles, training program for engaged in gas vehicles, and designation of safety manager for CNG bus company. This paper suggests how to improve safety of CNG vehicles as a result of review of above mentioned check items.

• Proceedings of the IEEK Conference
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• 2006.06a
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• pp.359-360
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• 2006

Magnetic Flux Leakage (MFL) methods are widely employed for the non-destructive testing of gas pipelines. In the application of MFL pipeline inspection technology, corrosion anomalies are detected and identified via their leakage filed due to changes in wall thickness. This paper presents discrete cosine transform (DCT) based MFL signal analysis for defect feature extraction of natural gas pipelines. The original MFL signals are transformed into new ones based on the analysis. The usefulness of the approach has been shown by the experimental results.

• Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.24-30
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• 2016

MFL (Magnetic flux leakage) type nondestructive testing has been used for inspection of underground gas pipelines to find metal defects by detecting magnetic leakage signal. Because the underground gas pipeline is exposed by environment such as high pressure with great humidity, external defects are easily formed on the surface of pipelines and they are being grouped respectively. These adjacent defects cause the signal distortion of leakage flux so that it is hard to estimate the shape information of defects. In this paper, we performed to study of the signal distortion and compensating method for multiple defects in MFL type nondestructive testing system by using 3D FEM simulation. This paper proposes the basic algorithm of defect signal analysis on multiple defects on the surface of 30 inch diameter pipeline.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Gas
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.62-69
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• 2019

The high pressure underground pipelines of industrial states such as Ulsan, Yeosu consist with not only the pipelines for the utility support such as Raw material of petrochemical industry and steam, but also high pressure pipelines of toxic, flammable gas intricately like a web. Therefore, in this study, based on in-depth comparison analysis of industrial estate pipelines, and underground city gas pipelines' safety management status, excavation frequency, excavation depth, patrol period which are pipe damage impact factor by the other construction are analyzed. And, as a result, risk changes and correlations due to risk reduction strategy of the other construction are compared to be presented the safety inspection operation model for the high pressure underground pipelines of industrial estates.