Proprietary PASS®: Make Critical Decisions Regarding Valve Operability and Predictive Maintenance
Industrial Inspection & Analysis Nuclear Services’ division provides inspection and diagnostics services for a variety of valve configurations using our Phased Array Sectorial Scanning (PASS®) technique. In addition, our PASS® Visualization Software provides a comprehensive solution for Phased Array UT (PAUT) data analysis and field interpretation.
IIA’s PASS® inspection procedure uses proven Phased Array Ultrasonic Testing (PAUT) which is a superior technique to Radiography Testing, Conventional Ultrasonic Testing, or Acoustic Emissions. IIA’s skilled technicians offer complete and accurate scans of valves without the need to visually question the valve integrity or disassemble pipes and valves. IIA determines the condition of valves by deploying PAUT which sends sound beams directly through the valve body, and subsequently the echoes bouncing within the valve internals are used to evaluate and analyze the condition of the valve and its components.
Once this is complete, our PASS® Visualization Software translates the raw PAUT data into a dynamic valve simulation. We then provide a visual representation of the valve as a 3-D model. By providing a simple way to view and interpret field data, performance characteristics can be easily and quickly visualized, interpreted and analyzed. An accompanying PASS® database tracks valve performance during inspection. This enables critical decisions to be made regarding operability and predictive maintenance. IIA’s unique simulation allows technicians and plant personnel, with minimum PASS® knowledge, to easily view the visual translation of the raw PAUT data and successfully analyze conditions and move forward with any necessary decisions regarding maintenance. Where field tests can be recreated for additional analysis and evaluation.
In addition to providing a simulation of the PAUT data, detailed attributes are collected and placed in the PASS® database, which can then be used to track valve performance over multiple inspections. This also allows for critical decisions to be made regarding repairs and predictive maintenance. IIA’s valve inspection and PASS® Visualization Software assists in eliminating unnecessary valve disassemblies, which provide significant cost savings.
PASS® has the ability to detect and/or measure some of the following trend-able attributes:
- Flow Rate
- Total Disc Travel
- Disc Fluttering
- Disc Back Tapping
- Stuck Disc
- Disc Velocity
- Stroke Time
- Angular Disc Movement exceeding design values
IIA’s patented Phased Array Sectorial Scanning (PASS®) Techniques along with our proprietary software, provides technicians and plant operators an unmatched level of information regarding performance aspects of valve integrity and of how the valve reacts during operation. IIA’s Valve Visualization software provides an easy to use, complete solution for PAUT data analysis.
A Few Benefits of IIA Nuclear Services PASS® Technology:
- Gather, analyze and act on field data
- Minimize outage impact by using PASS® instead of RT
- Receive high-quality and well-defined data
- Plan assessments using PASS® valve data
- Generate valve work-lists to assist in outage planning
- Assist with predictive maintenance
IIA Nuclear Services offers this comprehensive suite of inspection techniques and data analysis to make valve inspection easier, more accurate, less costly and also less time-consuming.
