InspectTM Computed Tomography for NDT of Subsea Pipelines

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irene Grant Pettigrew ◽  
Ashley Barker ◽  
Anthony O'Brien ◽  
Alex Cesan

Abstract Using Computed Tomography (CT) for 3D spatial analysis is a well-established technique primarily used in the fields of medical imaging and precision defect analysis of materials such as aircraft CT technology is gradually evolving for asset integrity within the Oil and Gas sector for two main applications: in-line inspection (ILI) verification and non-intrusive inspection (NII) of coated subsea pipelines. The CT scanning philosophy for both types of inspection challenges varies significantly and in this paper is considered in terms of alignment of inspection deliverables with scan definition. This paper explores the redesign of the traditional CT approach to optimize scanning for high-density target volumes by implementing a ground-up approach to all hardware and mathematics. The advanced algorithms used in the InspeCTTM technology enables a novel technique for image reconstruction; allowing for cleaner images than are possible using traditional CT whilst using less data and hence smaller radioactive sources. In addition, this paper demonstrates a selection of important findings from the InspeCTTM system qualification to API Standard 1163. To maximize the effectiveness of the subsea campaign, use of automated analysis is demonstrated to provide consistency in interpretation and reduce the considerable time demands of high-volume data analysis enabling any remediation decisions or change to inspection strategy to be actioned at the time of inspection rather on a future campaign.

2017 ◽  
Vol 139 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin Xue ◽  
Hiromasa Suzuki

Many types of artifacts appear in X-ray computed tomography (CT) volume data, which influence measurement quality of industrial cone beam X-ray CT. Most of those artifacts are associated to CT scanning parameters; therefore, a good scanning parameter setting can weaken the influence to improve measurement accuracy. This paper presents a simulation method for evaluating CT scanning parameters for dimensional metrology. The method can aid CT metrology to achieve high measurement accuracy. In the method, image entropy is used as a criterion to evaluate the quality of CT volume data. For entropy calculation of CT volume data, a detailed description about bin width and entropy zone is given. The relationship between entropy values of CT volume data and error parameters of CT metrology is shown and discussed. By use of this method, mainly we focus on specimen orientation evaluation, and some other typical scanning parameters are used to evaluate the proposed method. Two typical specimens are used to evaluate the performance of the proposed method.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yunliang Yu ◽  
Haibo Xu ◽  
Ye Bai ◽  
Huijing Zhang ◽  
Wenqing Niu ◽  
...  

Volcanic rocks are unconventional oil and gas reservoirs, and the pore structure of the rock is relatively complex. In this study, we selected samples from CS105 well and DS9 well from Yingcheng Formation volcanic reservoirs in the southern Songliao Basin to study the pore structure. First, we performed experiments on two rock samples using computed tomography (CT), and then measured the porosity and density of the two rock samples using mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). According to the data obtained by micron computed tomography (Micro-CT), Avizo 2019.1 software was used to perform three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction on the micron level of the two wellhead samples. Analyze the microscopic pore structure of the rock sample and compare it with the porosity of the sample obtained by the mercury injection method. Compared with MIP, Micro-CT more accurately characterizes the pore structure and porosity of volcanic rocks.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Miriam R. Aczel ◽  
Karen E. Makuch

High-volume hydraulic fracturing combined with horizontal drilling has “revolutionized” the United States’ oil and gas industry by allowing extraction of previously inaccessible oil and gas trapped in shale rock [1]. Although the United States has extracted shale gas in different states for several decades, the United Kingdom is in the early stages of developing its domestic shale gas resources, in the hopes of replicating the United States’ commercial success with the technologies [2, 3]. However, the extraction of shale gas using hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling poses potential risks to the environment and natural resources, human health, and communities and local livelihoods. Risks include contamination of water resources, air pollution, and induced seismic activity near shale gas operation sites. This paper examines the regulation of potential induced seismic activity in Oklahoma, USA, and Lancashire, UK, and concludes with recommendations for strengthening these protections.


2020 ◽  
Vol 45 (3) ◽  
pp. 478-482
Author(s):  
Steven R. Manchester

Abstract—The type material on which the fossil genus name Ampelocissites was established in 1929 has been reexamined with the aid of X-ray micro-computed tomography (μ-CT) scanning and compared with seeds of extant taxa to assess the relationships of these fossils within the grape family, Vitaceae. The specimens were collected from a sandstone of late Paleocene or early Eocene age. Although originally inferred by Berry to be intermediate in morphology between Ampelocissus and Vitis, the newly revealed details of seed morphology indicate that these seeds represent instead the Ampelopsis clade. Digital cross sections show that the seed coat maintains its thickness over the external surfaces, but diminishes quickly in the ventral infolds. This feature, along with the elliptical chalaza and lack of an apical groove, indicate that Ampelocissites lytlensis Berry probably represents Ampelopsis or Nekemias (rather than Ampelocissus or Vitis) and that the generic name Ampelocissites may be useful for fossil seeds with morphology consistent with the Ampelopsis clade that lack sufficient characters to specify placement within one of these extant genera.


Cancers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 86
Author(s):  
Mohit Kumar ◽  
Chellappagounder Thangavel ◽  
Richard C. Becker ◽  
Sakthivel Sadayappan

Immunotherapy is one of the most effective therapeutic options for cancer patients. Five specific classes of immunotherapies, which includes cell-based chimeric antigenic receptor T-cells, checkpoint inhibitors, cancer vaccines, antibody-based targeted therapies, and oncolytic viruses. Immunotherapies can improve survival rates among cancer patients. At the same time, however, they can cause inflammation and promote adverse cardiac immune modulation and cardiac failure among some cancer patients as late as five to ten years following immunotherapy. In this review, we discuss cardiotoxicity associated with immunotherapy. We also propose using human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes/ cardiac-stromal progenitor cells and cardiac organoid cultures as innovative experimental model systems to (1) mimic clinical treatment, resulting in reproducible data, and (2) promote the identification of immunotherapy-induced biomarkers of both early and late cardiotoxicity. Finally, we introduce the integration of omics-derived high-volume data and cardiac biology as a pathway toward the discovery of new and efficient non-toxic immunotherapy.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shota Ichikawa ◽  
Misaki Hamada ◽  
Hiroyuki Sugimori

AbstractBody weight is an indispensable parameter for determination of contrast medium dose, appropriate drug dosing, or management of radiation dose. However, we cannot always determine the accurate patient body weight at the time of computed tomography (CT) scanning, especially in emergency care. Time-efficient methods to estimate body weight with high accuracy before diagnostic CT scans currently do not exist. In this study, on the basis of 1831 chest and 519 abdominal CT scout images with the corresponding body weights, we developed and evaluated deep-learning models capable of automatically predicting body weight from CT scout images. In the model performance assessment, there were strong correlations between the actual and predicted body weights in both chest (ρ = 0.947, p < 0.001) and abdominal datasets (ρ = 0.869, p < 0.001). The mean absolute errors were 2.75 kg and 4.77 kg for the chest and abdominal datasets, respectively. Our proposed method with deep learning is useful for estimating body weights from CT scout images with clinically acceptable accuracy and potentially could be useful for determining the contrast medium dose and CT dose management in adult patients with unknown body weight.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Petri Paakkari ◽  
Satu I. Inkinen ◽  
Miitu K. M. Honkanen ◽  
Mithilesh Prakash ◽  
Rubina Shaikh ◽  
...  

AbstractPhoton-counting detector computed tomography (PCD-CT) is a modern spectral imaging technique utilizing photon-counting detectors (PCDs). PCDs detect individual photons and classify them into fixed energy bins, thus enabling energy selective imaging, contrary to energy integrating detectors that detects and sums the total energy from all photons during acquisition. The structure and composition of the articular cartilage cannot be detected with native CT imaging but can be assessed using contrast-enhancement. Spectral imaging allows simultaneous decomposition of multiple contrast agents, which can be used to target and highlight discrete cartilage properties. Here we report, for the first time, the use of PCD-CT to quantify a cationic iodinated CA4+ (targeting proteoglycans) and a non-ionic gadolinium-based gadoteridol (reflecting water content) contrast agents inside human osteochondral tissue (n = 53). We performed PCD-CT scanning at diffusion equilibrium and compared the results against reference data of biomechanical and optical density measurements, and Mankin scoring. PCD-CT enables simultaneous quantification of the two contrast agent concentrations inside cartilage and the results correlate with the structural and functional reference parameters. With improved soft tissue contrast and assessment of proteoglycan and water contents, PCD-CT with the dual contrast agent method is of potential use for the detection and monitoring of osteoarthritis.


Diagnostics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 161
Author(s):  
Masakatsu Tsurusaki ◽  
Keitaro Sofue ◽  
Masatoshi Hori ◽  
Kosuke Sasaki ◽  
Kazunari Ishii ◽  
...  

Dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) is an imaging technique based on data acquisition at two different energy settings. Recent advances in CT have allowed data acquisitions and simultaneous analyses of X-rays at two energy levels, and have resulted in novel developments in the field of abdominal imaging. The use of low and high X-ray tube voltages in DECT provide fused images that improve the detection of liver tumors owing to the higher contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of the tumor compared with the liver. The use of contrast agents in CT scanning improves image quality by enhancing the CNR and signal-to-noise ratio while reducing beam-hardening artifacts. DECT can improve detection and characterization of hepatic abnormalities, including mass lesions. The technique can also be used for the diagnosis of steatosis and iron overload. This article reviews and illustrates the different applications of DECT in liver imaging.


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