A novel split inductively coupled piezoelectric transducer for flaw detection in pipes

Damage to pipes by erosion or cracking can lead to catastrophic failure. Of particular concern are particular pipes and other components used in fracking, where the pipe working pressure can be rated as high as 15000 psi and localized erosion can result from particulate matter. We seek to develop a robust transducer that can be permanently mounted at critical locations and that will insonify the entire circumference of the pipe. We will show that a split inductively coupled transducer allows insonification of the entire circumference of the pipe from a single location. We illustrate the detection of a defect in a test specimen using this transducer.