Acoustic emission test

The acoustic emission control is performed to check the reliability of welded and non-welded structures. It is used for storage tank bottoms, for process piping and for in-service and new construction of pressure equipment. The energy released by the discontinuities is received by the sensors which, through triangular algorithms, provide the positions, by facilitating the ultrasonic verification of the affected areas.
Acoustic emission test is also used for monitoring the storage tank bottom. This technique allows to verify the status of corrosion and the degree of reliability of the bottom, without emptying the tank. The largest Petroleum Company use this technique in combination with the thickness
measurement of the roof and the shell, in order to define the residual life of the tank according to API 653.
Studio V.M. is the leading company in Italy for this kind of test and the number of tank inspected is 944, updated to July 2020.
The examination is carried out in combination with a pressure test after the construction or during periodical verification. This examination allow to verify if the component under stress due to the pressure test, withstand to the limit value of pressure without releasing energy.
This control is also the best to prevent the collapse during the pressure test.