Engineers at Oceaneering Inspection were to inspect a heat exchanger on an offshore installation on behalf of an oil company client. However they were concerned that the standard IRIS method (Internal Rotating inspection System) could disrupt operations because of the copious amount of water required. They wanted to find a testing technique which would introduce only a minimum amount of liquid into the system.

Phoenix provided the answer with an adaptation of one of its bore probes. As the transducer, which is incorporated into the insertion handle, is pushed into a tube it sits immersed in a small amount of water. The water is sealed in the tube by plugs on either side of the transducer and as the probe is moved in and out of the tube, the plugs and the water move with it. An overflow tube inside the handle drains off excess water to the outside.

Dave Smith of Phoenix said: “The challenge was to find a way to carry out testing without flooding the heat exchanger. Our solution ensures that only the minimum amount of water is introduced into the system. “There were also access problems to be overcome as the inspection area was difficult to reach. The small, lightweight design of the bore probe together with the small amount of water required, made the operation much easier, quicker and safer for the inspection team.”

Malcolm Miller, principal NDT engineer at Oceaneering, said “This was an unusual probe and one which required a novel approach. We chose Phoenix for its track record in providing tailor-made solutions.”