1- General Introduction In the petroleum industry, pipelines play an important role in the transport of fluids (oil, gas, water, etc.). Pipelines are very expensive constructions which are in contact with the ground so there is a risk of corrosion, it is therefore necessary to find means of protecting these structures against corrosion.
Coatings are the main method as they separate the metal from the electrolyte but they cannot be 100% due to the nature of construction and the ground itself. However, I propose that a new method of pipeline corrosion protection is possible based on combining the mechanical effect of ultrasound with the electrical element in the corrosion reaction. I propose to call this Ultrasonic Protection.

Definition of ultrasound

I have made progress with the development of this idea through research and have now reached the stage where further progress needs structuring and financial support in order to reach the first goal that is proof of concept

Ultrasound Protection could possibly fill in gaps in corrosion control that existing practices are not eficatious.

This would be extremely valuable to the oil and gas industry that is presently suffering massive losse due to corrosion failures.

Step 1

Continue research into all of the industrial processes that involve ultrasound.

Gather papers and patents that can be referenced.

Set up liaison between all research establishments and universities globally

Set up cooperation and synchronisation with those studying corrosion noise and cathodic protection.

Set up communications with nuclear physisists at CERN and other research projects.

Step 2

Design experiments to test hypotheses using the scientific method.

Design a progress chart and budget proposal.

Step 3

Complete the experimental work

Write a feasibility study resulting from the above work and the conclusion relatng to the goal.

The goal of this project is to ascertain the effectiveness of applied Ultrasonic Protection.

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Work carried out and research to date.

Introduction.

Ultrasounds are sounds (mechanical vibratory phenomenon) of frequencies higher than the range of frequencies audible in humans (most often, above 16 kHz) but which, unlike electromagnetic radiation, cannot propagate. in a vacuum, but only in an elastic medium.

Sounds produce a wave characterized by:

- Wavelength (expressed in m)

- Frequency: number of wavelengths per second

Acoustic oscillation (or vibration) determines the movement of the particle of an elastic medium around an average position.

The elastic medium set in motion can be a gas, a liquid or a solid.

Frequency audible by humans

• The higher the frequency, the more acute

• 16 - 20,000 Hz.

Fréquen

Exposure to ultrasound can be studied under two headings, whether its transmission takes place in air or in a liquid.

Exposure to airborne ultrasound occurs in many industrial applications - ultrasonic cleaning, emulsification, welding and brazing, and fault finding in metals.

Principle

- Using sound to protect pipelines against corrosion.

- There is a specific range of sound frequency for pipeline protection (searched)

Mechanisms of action

Acoustic energy can be transformed into several other forms of energy, which can coexist in a given environment. The mechanisms of transformation into these other forms of energy are arbitrarily divided into three main categories: a thermal mechanism, a cavitation mechanism and other mechanisms.

Human exposure to low frequency ultrasound (7-100 kHz) can be subdivided into two broad categories depending on whether the exposure occurs through direct contact with a vibrating solid or a liquid providing the coupling.

Principales

d’imagerie ultrasonique

Milieu

Vélocité

Air 331 mètres/seconde

Liquide 1495 mètres/seconde

Tissus mou 1540 mètres/seconde

Os 4080 mètres/secondes

Piezoelectric effect and ultrasound

- Paul Langevin then developed piezoelectric materials that can generate and receive high frequency mechanical vibrations called ultrasound.

- First described in 1880 by physicists Pierre and Jacques Currie who observed the generation of an electric charge caused by a mechanical force applied to certain crystals and materials.

Application domain

Therapeutics is designed to create heat using mechanical sound waves.

Diagnostic uses a very high frequency (in millions of hertz) and is used to visualize structures

ultrasound is used for degassing metals, detecting defects, machining, and welding certain materials.

A drill attached to the movable part of an ultrasound generator can be used for drilling, by performing back-and-forth movements at the frequency of the ultrasound.

An accuracy of a few micrometers is obtained, even in extremely hard materials.

Uses ultrasound to clean metals from deposits.

And other areas ...

Problem

Within this framework that this work fits, and according to a project proposed by TPS (Thyna Petroleum Services) is interested in the dimensioning of a new projected pipeline which operates with cathodic protection by impressed current which was carried out in a framework of my end-of-study project at Iset Sfax.

Since my pfe report, there are two soil resistivity measurements in the Guebiba field, one measured by an expert (figure 22) and the other measured by our (figure 24)

These measurements show that there is a strong resistivity in this soil (especially the presence of an agricultural area (Marshes)) we conclude that there is an ionization problem therefore the current supplied for the protection of the pipelines is not the same efficiency on all points of pipelines.

According to the specifications of this new project: ultrasound protection, it is a non-hazardous and non-ionizing technique.

Comments

According to my idea, this method consists in sending vibrations with a device called Transducer and with a specific frequency domain (to be researched by experiments) with an analogy in the domain in the current (Pourbaix curve)

I'm sure there is a 3-domain curve.

Industrial applications of high power ultrasound

[Extract from Shoh (Sh 75) and Michael (Mi 74)]

Application Description Fréquence (kHz) Intensité (W/cm2)

Nettoyage et Cavitation d’une solution 20 - 50