Desenvolvimento de uma plataforma para detecção de incrustação em dutos.

Abstract

In this dissertation the design of a platform is presented for detection and monitoring of the fouling in tubes. The fouling is a problem that happens in the transport of fluids in piping due to the accumulation of substances of organic or inorganic origin in the internal piping surface. This is a process that happens in the chemistry, food, pharmaceutical and petroleum industries, causing several problems due to the accumulation of substances that cause the reduction in the internal piping diameter. Among the techniques used for detection and monitoring of the fouling and corrosion, it has been opted in accomplishing tests using ultrasound due their advantages, such as: great penetration power, high sensibility, great precision, besides being a no invasive technique. The method that uses guided waves was chosen to verify the capacity of this method in the detection of the fouling. They have been designed, developed and tested circuits for excitation and reception of the signal in the ultrasound transducers that are used in the platform. With the mounted platform, the tests for measurement and evaluation of the fouling process can be accomplished at different temperature conditions, since in the developed platform there is a module to control the temperature of the substances under tests. With the development of the platform for detection of the fouling, it intends to reduce the occurrence of flaws in tubes that can cause damages to the environment; to avoid the loss of the operational capacity of the systems of transport of fluids, increasing the safety; to optimize the work hand for installation and speed in the obtaining of the information on the fouling process.