Corrosion under insulation (CUI).

CUI is a leading cause of asset failure in industries such as oil and gas and chemicals. It has contributed to over 20% of major oil and gas accidents in the EU in the past 35 years, posing significant safety, environmental, and financial risks. DNV  has successfully completed the technology qualification (TQ) of Subtera’s passive terahertz sensor technology designed to detect corrosion under insulation (CUI) and the trapped moisture that causes it—a pervasive challenge in industrial plants.

Hari Vamadevan, Executive Vice President, and UK and Ireland Director, Energy Systems at DNV commented: “DNV is thrilled to collaborate with Subtera on their groundbreaking technology, which revolutionizes CUI detection with advanced terahertz sensors. This collaborative work also paves the way for innovative data and digital applications across natural gas, hydrogen, and carbon capture pipelines, enhancing operational efficiency and safety. The work that Subtera is doing is exactly the kind of fresh thinking we need as we look for solutions to help accelerate the energy transition and we look forward to working with them in the future.”

Subtera's Pi360

Developed over a decade by Subtera, an ISO9001 certified organisation that provides non-intrusive CUI and moisture detection solutions based at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Didcot (GB), its technology enables real-time, non-intrusive visibility of pipe surfaces—without the need to remove insulation or disrupt operations.

Subtera’s Pi360, is a handheld, cloud-connected CUI detection camera that allows asset integrity teams to efficiently screen operational pipework protected by non-metallic cladding. It detects corrosion, identifies moisture ingress, and assesses fabric layers—all while wirelessly transmitting data for analysis and reporting.

DNV is a recognized authority in pipeline integrity, developing industry-recommended practices such as DNV-RP-O501 for erosive wear, DNV-RP-F103 for cathodic protection, and DNV-RP-G109 for managing the significant threat of CUI. Leveraging decades of experience and a global network of experts, DNV provides expertise in materials qualification to ensure pipeline systems meet stringent safety standards.

DNV’s TQ process provides a structured, rigorous framework for de-risking emerging technologies before deployment. Over 18 months, Pi360 underwent rigorous evaluation, with DNV assessing its photon-detecting analog sensors, user operations, and data processing capabilities to ensure reliability and accuracy under real-world conditions. In collaboration with Subtera, DNV identified and addressed operational and data analysis challenges, refining the system before full-scale testing. Following extensive validation, DNV issued a Technology Certificate for Pi360, confirming its readiness for industry adoption.

“Working with DNV to qualify our core CUI detection technology has been a hugely beneficial process. During the process, DNV’s well-established methods and procedures meticulously evaluated our technology," commented David Haskett, CEO of Subtera. "Its testing, and related system development. DNV’s rigorous approach has enabled Subtera to achieve higher levels of performance, thoroughness, and understanding.”

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@DNV_Group #Subterra #PAuto #Manufacturing

Digitally Monitoring Corrosion and Erosion.

Operators can drive plants to their maximum capability and avoid costly incidents with a fully integrated corrosion and erosion monitoring suite of software and service solutions

A complete corrosion and erosion monitoring portfolio with digital capabilities and full integration with the Plantweb™ digital ecosystem through the new

Rosemount 4390 Transmitter

Rosemount™ 4390 series of corrosion and erosion wireless transmitters and Plantweb Insight Non-Intrusive Corrosion application has been introduced by Emerson. The monitoring portfolio turns existing offline corrosion probes into online tools to monitor for the risk of corrosion or erosion in oil and gas processing.

“Launching these products augments Emerson’s existing corrosion and erosion monitoring capability within our Plantweb ecosystem. Wireless data retrieval enables cost-effective deployment at-scale, class-leading data visualisation and analysis software, and connected services for our clients to fully monitor their corrosion and erosion challenges to drive maximum capability and profitability in their plant assets,” said Jake Davies, global product director for Emerson’s corrosion business.

Combined with Emerson’s class-leading range of non-intrusive Rosemount Wireless Permasense sensors for monitoring metal thickness, which is a major factor in determining the health of piping and other fixed equipment, Emerson now offers a comprehensive solution to monitor both the risk of corrosion or erosion, and the impact of that risk on the health of the plant or asset.

The new Plantweb Insight Non-Intrusive Corrosion application for non-intrusive corrosion monitoring complements the existing suite of Plantweb Insight applications, enabling comprehensive corrosion and erosion analysis at the end-user’s desk.

Plantweb™ Insight Non-Intrusive Corrosion Application

When instrumented with inline probes, changes in corrosion risk can be detected in minutes, enabling sites to take corrective actions before damage occurs. The Rosemount 4390 series of corrosion and erosion transmitters leverage WirelessHART® for reliable and robust data retrieval and work with Emerson’s inline probes that measure the corrosive and erosive nature of the fluid and provide early risk detection for a site. The Plantweb Insight Corrosion applications allow users to access and analyse data from pipe thickness monitoring sensors and inline probes at their desk and gain real-time advanced analytics to assess the risk and impact of corrosion or erosion on the asset or plant.

@EMR_Automation @Emerson_News @Rosemount_News @HHC_Lewis #PAuto #Oil #Gas

High risk internal corrosion levels.

DataManager v8.2 analysis software continuously monitors high risk internal corrosion levels in hydrofluoric acid alkylation units to prevent acid leaks and unplanned shutdowns, and offers better predictability of equipment lifespan

Emerson’s new DataManager software v8.2 helps refiners monitor corrosion of hydrofluoric (HF) acid alkylation units to prevent costly, unplanned shutdowns and maximise profits and productivity. DataManager Analysis Software for Rosemount™ Wireless Permasense corrosion and erosion monitoring systems offers continuous sensor monitoring that provides early detection of corrosion in HF acid alkylation units and mitigates the risk of loss of containment.

“Today’s refineries require monitoring technology that can safeguard their people and their business,” said Jake Davies, global corrosion product director at Emerson’s Automation Solutions business. “Reducing the risks from HF acid attacks and minimising the potential for leaks allows facilities to better forecast equipment lifespan while also securing the health and safety of their employees.”

Alkylation units ensure facilities meet gasoline quality specifications and allow for the production of premium gasoline grades, adding significant economic value to the refinery operation. These units are extremely susceptible to aggressive corrosion. Corrosion can lead to an HF release, which may cause significant production loss and place the health and safety of the refinery staff and local community at risk.

Measuring corrosion damage in HF acid alkylation units using traditional methods is difficult. Iron fluoride can scale and build up on the inside of pipes, confusing normal ultrasonic thickness measurements. Additionally, traditional intrusive probes or frequent manual inspections present safety risks due to the hazardous environment of these units.

Emerson’s new version of DataManager solves these problems by helping refiners gain a better understanding of the correlation between corrosion rates and upsets or changes in process conditions.

Engineered with a unique new signal processing module, the solution delivers data directly to the engineer’s desk with wireless, non-intrusive sensors that communicate with an Emerson Wireless Gateway, reducing the frequency of manual inspections. These sensors are designed to withstand harsh, potentially high-temperature refinery conditions.

#PAuto @EMR_Automation @Emerson_News @Rosemount_News @HHC_Lewis

Corrosion-resistant switchgear tried and tested in the North Sea!

Many of the switchgear series from the steute "Extreme" range are suitable for use in damp, wet or even saltwater environments. Corresponding corrosion tests, for example the saltspray test to DIN EN ISO 9227, control the quality of such devices and make them comparable to others regarding these features.

But how do the switching devices perform in practice? How are they really affected by intermittent waves or underwater fouling, for example? These are crucial questions for the company because their "Extreme" switches are often used in maritime applications – on ships, on oil rigs, in quayside anchoring systems, or at seaport container terminals.

In order to find answers to these questions, steute commissioned the Fraunhofer IFAM (Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials) in Bremen to conduct a 1-year exposure test at its site on the small German island of Helgoland. The test procedure was as follows: several samples from each selected "Extreme" switchgear series – including position switches, foot switches and pull wire switches – were fastened to the exposed South mole, where the North Sea waves splashed them for one year. Some of the devices were installed in the tidal range, meaning that they were sometimes submerged and sometimes not. Any potential limitations of the devices in moving saltwater would thus be revealed. Where would fouling be evident, and would it affect the functional capacity of the switches?

These are ambient conditions which switching devices are hardly ever exposed to in practice. Dipl.-Ing. Rainer Lumme, steute Product Manager "Extreme": "The objective of these tests was to expose the switchgear to conditions so extreme that they went beyond all tests required by the approval bodies, allowing us to better understand any possible weak points."

These threshold tests have now been completed. The final IFAM report is not yet available, but the appearance of the switching devices after one year of exposure to saltwater and spray, as well as some initial tests at steute of their functional capacity, have revealed the following: in all the different series, the devices are saltwater-resistant and still completely functional 12 months on. Even the labels and the laser-inscribed lettering are still legible. The pre-treated and powder-coated housings, for example of the foot switches, presented in a very good condition, and the "inner workings", such as switching inserts, plungers and pedal axes, are also free of corrosion. This is testament to the high quality of both the surface coatings and the sealing.

steute will evaluate the IFAM test results in detail as soon as they are available, and will use them for further optimization of existing switchgear series, as well as the development of new "Extreme" devices. Rainer Lumme: "We now have the confirmation we needed that the plastics we use for our housings and actuators are unrestrictedly suited to Extreme requirements. We shall therefore intensify our efforts to replace metal with plastic – also in our more heavy-duty devices."

#Steute #Maritime #PAuto  @FraunhoferIFAM

Measuring corrosion under insulation.

Ashtead Technology has expanded its equipment rental pool following a significant investment in the latest Pulsed Eddy Current (PEC) technology to deliver faster, more accurate asset integrity inspections.

The company will now supply the Eddyfi Lyft™, an inspection tool for identifying corrosion under insulation (CUI), a major asset integrity issue for the oil and gas, and petrochemical sectors.

CUI is a type of corrosion that occurs as a result of a moisture build-up on the external surface of insulated equipment. The corrosion is most commonly galvanic, chloride, acidic, or alkaline, and if undetected, the consequences can lead to the shutdown of a process unit or an entire facility.

Lyft™ can be used to accurately measure corrosion and wall thickness on insulated pipes without the need to remove insulation, significantly reducing time and costs. It’s suitable for use on a number of materials including metal, aluminium, stainless steel and galvanised steel weather jackets, to provide real-time C-scan imaging, wall thickness measurements and fast data acquisition (up to 15 readings per second).

Allan Pirie, chief executive of Ashtead Technology said: “This investment underlines our commitment to the subsea and non-destructive testing markets, by offering the latest, cost-effective technologies ensures our customers are getting the most efficient, reliable solution available.
“CUI is one of the most difficult processes to prevent. No matter the precautions taken, water invariably seeps into the insulation and corrosion occurs.

“With traditional methods it was near on impossible to identify and measure the severity of corrosion without physically removing the insulation, however Eddyfi Lyft™ provides a fast, reliable and flexible solution.”

Headquartered in Québec (CDN), with offices in France, USA, and the UAE, Eddyfi focuses on offering high-performance eddy current and electromagnetic solutions for the inspection of critical components and assets.

Jim Costain, vice president of sales for Eddyfi, said: “We are thrilled that Ashtead Technology has added the Lyft to its range of Eddyfi inspection tools. This provides Ashtead’s large customer base with access to this unique, cost-effective technology, alongside its highly skilled technical support team.”

@ashteadtech  #PAuto @eddyfi

Agreement introduces corrosion measurement.

Yokogawa has signed a mutual sales agreement with Rohrback Cosasco Systems, a leading US-based manufacturer of corrosion monitoring systems and equipment.

Under this agreement, Yokogawa will distribute Cosasco’s ISA Wireless™-based MWT-3905 and CWT-9020 corrosion monitors and Cosasco will distribute Yokogawa ISA Wireless-based field wireless system devices. ISA100 Wireless is a technology that is based on the ISA100.11a standard. It includes ISA100.11a-2011-communications, an application layer with process control industry standard objects, device descriptions and capabilities, a gateway interface, infrared provisioning, and a backbone router.

Yokogawa can thus add corrosion sensors to its lineup of field wireless devices that help customers efficiently maintain facilities and ensure safety at their plants. For Cosasco, the ability to offer its corrosion monitors in combination with Yokogawa field wireless devices is expected to increase sales.

Yokogawa has developed ISA100 Wireless-based technologies and products such as wireless access points and management stations, and Cosasco has a long global track record in supplying various kinds of corrosion monitors to the oil and gas, petrochemical, chemical, and other industries.

Through this agreement, Yokogawa aims to increase sales for its field wireless business by being able to offer a wider field wireless device lineup. Cosasco, on the other hand, aims to drive up sales for its wireless corrosion monitors by being able to offer them in combination with Yokogawa field wireless devices that are used to link field devices with host systems. Monitoring of corrosion is vital in facilities at offshore platforms and other types of oil and gas installations, petrochemical plants, chemical plants, and water and sewage treatment plants

Features of Cosasco’s Wireless Corrosion Monitors
Corrosion sensors monitor the thinning or deterioration of the metal walls of pipes and other installations. A variety of technologies are employed, including electrical resistance and ultrasonics. Cosasco’s MWT-3905 and CWT-9020, the devices covered by this sales agreement, are direct measuring type corrosion sensors that use high speed electrical resistance and linear polarisation resistance (LPR) technology. The major features are as follows:

• Corrosion rate measurement for all process environments
• Highly secure and reliable ISA100 Wireless networks
• Low installed cost
• International hazardous area certifications

Yokogawa is to continue to expand its lineup of ISA100 Wireless transmitters and other devices such as adaptors to develop best-in-class solutions.

@YokogawaIA @COSASCO  #PAuto 

Wireless corrosion monitoring transmitter!

Rohrback Cosasco Systems (RCS) has introduced the new ISA100 Microcor Wireless Transmitter (MWT-3905). The MWT will be the first corrosion monitoring instrument to integrate with a Yokogawa or any other ISA100 wireless system.  Multiple Microcor Wireless Transmitters can be combined with wireless extenders to form a single large network to cover up to tens of thousands of devices. ISA100 gives users the flexibility of choosing either star or mesh network topologies. RCS ISA100 devices have an effective wireless range of 1,500 feet (450m), providing a large and reliable network coverage area.  “We are excited to welcome the new Microcor Wireless Corrosion Monitoring Transmitter to the ISA100 Wireless ecosystem,” said Andre Ristaino, managing director of the ISA100 Wireless Compliance Institute. “The ISA100 Wireless Compliant logo provides confidence that ISA100 Wireless products from any supplier will interoperate reliably and securely.” The Microcor Wireless Transmitter uses high-resolution metal loss measurement providing 18-bit resolution, and is the industry's most widely used and only technology capable of operating in any process environment. The wireless corrosion monitoring transmitters can be deployed in hazardous area locations (Class 1, Zone 1) with temperatures ranging from -40°C to +70°C. The Microcor Wireless Transmitter power module has a typical life of three years and is hazardous-location certified to allow change out in the hazardous area.

Valve controller with stainless steel housing for corrosive environments!

Fisher® FIELDVUE™ DVC6200 stainless steel housing and sealed construction prevents corrosion damage to components

The Fisher® FIELDVUE™ DVC6200 digital valve controller family, from Emerson,  gains added capability with its all stainless steel housing that withstands the corrosive atmospheres often experienced in chemical plants, pulp and paper mills, as well as near-shore and offshore oil and gas installations.

All DVC6200 series instruments utilise a patented linkage-less, non-contact feedback design to detect valve position. This valve positioning technology eliminates any travel feedback issues caused by corrosion, high cycle or high vibration applications.

In addition to external protection, corrosion resistance is found within the stainless steel housing with the digital controller’s fully encapsulated printed wiring boards. Internal component protection is further enhanced by a separate, weather-tight field wiring terminal box that isolates the field wiring connection from other areas of the instrument.

With over one million units installed worldwide, FIELDVUE digital valve controllers prove highly suited to difficult process environments, where they provide unmatched valve operation. The DVC6200 series is offered with CSA, IECEx, ATEX and FM hazardous area approvals as well as other certifications/approvals. It is also listed in the Lloyd’s Register for industrial, marine and offshore use.

Protecting fittings from corrosion

Salt Fog @ 480 hours

Brennan Industries has introduced its new Brennan Black® coating, the most advanced protection against rust and corrosion.

This proprietary Bi-LENE® coating is a blend of fluoropolymer, engineered plastics and selected corrosion inhibitors that is tailored to provide specific properties for particular applications unlike conventional fluoropolymer coatings. The properties consist of low friction, strong adhesion, resistance to wear and abrasion, excellent resistant to corrosion, chipping and elements such as weather, sunlight and salt water. Field and lab tests show the coating resists corrosion past 1,600 hours of exposure making it at least 300 percent more resistant to corrosion than competitor’s advanced plating. It works in a wide range of temperatures from negative 420 degrees Fahrenheit to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.

“The Brennan Black coating is the most advanced corrosion resistant coating available,” said David M. Carr, president, Brennan Industries. “The Brennan Black coating offers the highest industry standard and is the answer for protecting systems and ensuring longevity in the most corrosive and harsh environments enabling customers to save money by protecting operations and reducing replacement costs.”

The Brennan Black coating is best demonstrated on steel hydraulic adapters, where it provides unparalleled performance in resistance to corrosion. The Brennan Black coating is also available throughout five additional Brennan Industries product classes. Test results are available upon request.

Corrosion/erosion monitoring

In the oil and gas industry alone, corrosion- and erosion-related losses total billions of dollars every year through unscheduled plant or pipeline shutdowns, lost production, high repair costs, and imposed fines. In addition, incalculable damage can result from potential employee injuries and the effect of spillage on an organization’s reputation.

In industries where the integrity of piping, vessels, and other fixed assets can be compromised by corrosion or erosion, the consequences of failure can be both serious and costly. Historically, time-based, manual inspection methods have been employed to mitigate these risks; unfortunately, this is a very costly approach, frequently involving excavation, scaffolding, special permits, and other expenses. As a result, the annual maintenance costs for assets relying on manual inspection methods are among the highest in the operation.

GE’s Rightrax® system (from GE Energy) reduces these problems using innovative online technology to end costly, time-based inspections while simultaneously providing better, more timely, and more frequent corro­sion/erosion information that dramatically decreases the risk of asset failure. With ROI for the Rightrax system typically less than a year, the economics of going online are compelling. With support for the Rightrax system now available in GE’s System 1® Software, going online is easier and more powerful.

The system uses non-invasive, ultra­sonic sensing technology that attaches to the outside of the asset and measures wall thickness. Rightrax sensors can be polled periodically, allowing users to assess not only useful life remaining by comparing current values to minimum thickness limits, but to establish historical trends. This ability to trend data sets it apart from even the most frequent manual inspection regimens. The benefits are two-fold:

First, users can understand the rate at which corrosion/erosion is progressing, allowing better maintenance planning. Second, users can correlate Rightrax data with process data, providing powerful insight into cause-effect relationships that can help operators understand and avoid the conditions that accelerate corrosion/erosion rates and corresponding asset degradation.

Second, integration provides Rightrax users with all the powerful capabilities native to System 1 software for displaying, trending, analyzing, plotting, and correlating data. It provides powerful import/export functionality for integration with reporting tools and programs, such as Crystal Reports® and Microsoft® Excel®. What sets the power of the System 1 environment apart is its decision support technology: powerful automa­tion capabilities that can automatically analyze data using sophisticated, user-written rules and embedded knowledge. When specific conditions or anomalies of an unknown origin are detected, the system can send intelligent advisories to appropriate personnel.