High
levels of salt contained in seawater and sea air is responsible for exacerbating
severe corrosion - a relentless threat to the integrity of marine structures
and vessels. Salt promotes the chemical deterioration of exposed surfaces and the
growth of corrosive organisms. The worst is amidst alternating wet and dry
conditions, usually at the water’s surface - the ‘ splash zone ’.
Regular,
accurate inspection and maintenance are essential for ensuring the safety of an
extensive list of structures compromised by marine corrosion - from offshore
platforms, underwater structures, oil rigs, bridges, piers and pontoons to ship
hulls, canal locks, offshore wind turbines and subsea pipelines.
Cygnus
Underwater - the original diver-held subsea multiple-echo ultrasonic thickness
gauge
Still
the industry standard today and the top choice for divers nearly 4 decades on,
Cygnus Underwater gauge is designed to be a rugged, reliable ultrasonic testing
instrument that performs accurate subsea maintenance and surveys under hostile
conditions. Like all Cygnus instruments, it employs the multiple-echo technique
for through-coat measurements. It is depth-rated to 300m with a bright LED
display, ideal for poor visibility and offers topside repeater options.
Being
so versatile, this unit is the perfect fit for diver-accessible inspection on
subsea structures and Underwater Inspection in Lieu of Dry-Docking (UWILD)
surveys - marine vessels inspected in operation to reduce downtime, travel time
and cost.
The
ideal solution for areas inaccessible to divers
Many
subsea structures sit in tight spaces, extreme depths or poor visibility,
making accurate thickness gauging inspection difficult, sometimes impossible
for divers. For instance, as the search for oil and gas is forced into deeper
waters, subsea pipelines are becoming unsafe for divers to reach, yet regular
inspection remains crucial. Not to mention hot, corrosive fluids running
through cold pipes triggers fast cooling and threats of rupture with damaging
environmental consequences.
The
Cygnus Mini ROV Mountable thickness gauge can facilitate key preventative
inspection. Specially designed to be mounted onto small observation ROVs with
or without a manipulator facility, it allows the operator to carry out ultrasonic
thickness measurement (UTM) in areas previously unfeasible using larger ROVs or
divers. With the renowned ‘ Multiple Echo’ technique at its core, it can achieve
extremely fast and accurate measurements through coatings, therefore perfectly paired
for use with ROVs as minimal surface preparation is required. The unit is
pressure tested to 500m(1,640ft) - suitable for most UTM NDT inspections
underwater.
Cygnus’
first-class subsea range offers the flexibility necessary to navigate subsea
inspection challenges, all with a 3-year warranty!
