[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 195 (Wednesday, October 8, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58165-58166]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-25521]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Research and Special Programs Administration


Notice of Meeting

AGENCY: Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice; Pipeline Safety: Final Project Review Meeting.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: RSPA's Office of Pipeline Safety (OPS) and the Gas Technology 
Institute (GTI), Des Plaines, IL, have funded a research program to 
study parameters pertinent to the application of the magnetic flux 
leakage (MFL) and Nonlinear Harmonics (NLH) technologies to in-line 
inspection of pipelines. This research was managed by GTI and performed 
by the Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, Ohio (Battelle) and the 
Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, (SwRI).
    RSPA/OPS and GTI invite pipeline industry, in-line inspection 
vendors, pipeline trade association representatives, and the public to 
a project review meeting. The purpose of the meeting is to present a 
final report on the progress and findings of the research. The meeting 
is open to all and no registration is required. The presentations at 
the meeting will include an overview of the project, a technical 
review, and the results of technology transfer.

DATES: The meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 28, 2003, from 9 
a.m. to 3 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held in conference room 4438-40 at U.S. 
Department of Transportation, 400-7th Street, SW., Washington, DC 
20590. All non-federal personnel must enter the building through the 
Southwest entrance at 7th and E Streets, SW., and must present a photo-
ID to receive a temporary building pass.

[[Page 58166]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gopala (Krishna) Vinjamuri, Agreement 
Officer's Technical Representative, RSPA/OPS, by phone at (202) 366-
4503; by fax at (202) 366-4566; or by e-mail at 
[email protected]. You may also contact Dr. Albert Teitsma, 
Program Manager, Gas Technology Institute, by telephone at (847) 768-
0974, by fax at (847) 768-0501, or by e-mail at 
[email protected].

Background

    This research program began in 1996. The first phase of the MFL 
technology research (DTRS56-96-C-0010, In-Line Inspection Technologies 
for Mechanical Damage and Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) in Pipelines, 
was fully funded by RSPA/OPS. Battelle worked with its research 
partners, SwRI and Iowa State University, to complete this phase of the 
research. GRI provided technical and project management assistance.
    Magnetic flux leakage (MFL) is the most commonly used in-line 
inspection (ILI) technology for detecting pipe wall corrosion. Until 
about 1996, the technology was not capable of reliably detecting 
mechanical damage (gouges and scratches) or long, thin axial defects, 
both of which are common causes of pipeline failures.
    Battelle designed an intelligent MFL in-line inspection tool 
(``smart pig'') and was responsible for data acquisition and analysis 
using GRI's Pipeline Safety Simulation Facility (PSF) in Ohio. Natural 
and fabricated pipe samples with corrosion and other defects were used 
to evaluate the capabilities of the Battelle device. SwRI conducted 
mechanical testing and studied the feasibility of non-liner harmonics 
(NLH) for in-line inspection applications. The Iowa State University 
researchers attempted to develop a neural network analysis process to 
analyze MFL signals and determine by trained pattern recognition the 
extent of metallurgical damage. The 2000 final report on this part of 
research is available on the OPS Web site, at primis.rspa.dot.gov--
click on  Pipeline Safety Research and Development 
 Recent Projects  R&D Database  Inline 
Inspection/Pigging and, finally,  In-Line Inspection 
Technologies for Mechanical Damage and SCC in Pipelines.
    To continue this research, RSPA/OPS co-funded an additional 
$1,180,000 for a 3-year project of advanced research and development. 
GTI was the program manger, and Battelle and SWRI were the research 
partners. The project, DTRS656-00-H-0004, Better Understanding of 
Mechanical Damage, focused on designing a smart pig capable of 
circumferential (transverse) magnetization for detecting longitudinally 
oriented cracks, crack-like defects, and mechanical damage defects, 
particularly gouges. The project scope included the determination of 
criteria for assessing the relative severity of detected defects and 
advanced research in NLH tool design and analysis. As the research 
progressed, additional analyses and testing were identified that added 
valve to the project.
    The tentative agenda for the meeting is as follows.

Welcome--Stacey Gerard
Introduction, History and Achievements--Gopala Vinjamuri
Fit with IMP Rule; Effective Technologies--Keith Leewis
Statistics; Progress in Safety; SOA--Harvey Haines
Mechanical Damage R&D--Harvey Haines
    Break
Project Organization and Overview--Albert Teitsma
Battelle R&D MFL for Mechanical Damage--Bruce Nestleroth
SwRI R&D for Nonlinear Harmonics--Al Crouch
Technology Transfer--Alan Dean
Questions and Answers
    Lunch
Mechanical Damage Detection/Characterization--Graham Chell, Bruce 
Nestleroth
Implementation of MFL Decoupling--Alan Dean
Final Questions and Answers
Conclusions--Gopala Vinjamuri

    Issued in Washington, DC, on October 3, 2003.
James K. O'Steen,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.
[FR Doc. 03-25521 Filed 10-7-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-60-P