【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Processing Equipment】From 2018 to 2026, CNOOC Engineering’s first intelligent acoustic imaging inspection system was deployed for high-pressure airtightness testing of the process pipelines at Shell’s project in Nigeria

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Let’s give praise and support to the achievements made in China’s chemical engineering technology and equipment; your participation in discussions is the greatest encouragement. **********************【Ten Years of Progress in Chemical Engineering Equipment】Regular updates and summaries are available – feel free to join the discussions: https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-3576046-1-1.html *****************Recently, CNOOC Engineering’s first intelligent acoustic imaging inspection system was put into use for high-pressure airtightness testing of the process pipelines in Shell’s project in Nigeria. This system increased inspection efficiency by over 60% and achieved 100% accuracy, thus providing another valuable tool for the intelligent manufacturing of offshore oil and gas equipment. In the manufacturing process of offshore oil and gas equipment, high-pressure airtightness testing is a crucial quality control step after the installation of process pipelines, pressure vessels, and other pressure-bearing devices. It involves checking the quality of joints such as welds and flange connections, which is essential for the safe and stable operation of these devices. The smart acoustic imaging system deployed this time consists of a microphone array module, a visible light camera module, and an intelligent processing system. By utilizing detection technology in the 1–96 kHz audio frequency range and combining it with training based on industrial large-scale models, it is able to convert the ultrasonic signals generated by leakage points into visual images, thereby enabling noise reduction and precise identification of leakage locations. The system is equipped with a \"sound source acquisition matrix\" composed of 136 high-sensitivity microphones, offering a maximum detection range of 20 meters and a detection angle of over 150 degrees; it can complete the inspection of all equipment and associated components in just one operation. For a long time, due to technical limitations, high-pressure airtightness testing has relied on manually applying soapy water to check each point individually, which results in low efficiency, heavy workload, and susceptibility to human error. Taking a process pipeline module from Shell’s HI project in Nigeria as an example, completing the inspection of over 320 weld passes and 50 flange joints typically requires 5 inspectors to work continuously for 12 hours. In response to this, CNOOC’s project quality control team established a dedicated task force. Through multiple rounds of in-depth research, technical comparisons, and rigorous on-site suitability tests, and drawing inspiration from the principles of radar detection, they innovatively introduced acoustic imaging technology. After 3 years of technical efforts and 27 iterations of the algorithm, the team achieved 100% domestic production of the core software and hardware. To date, this device has completed over 1,600 welding passes and inspections of nearly 500 flange joints in total, achieving a detection efficiency that is more than 60% higher than that of traditional methods, with a detection accuracy of 100%.