Tech-pac

The TankPac was developed in cooperation with the oil and process industry over more than a 10-year period. It is the only procedure available today for in-service testing of tank floors that has independent published verification of the results and reliability.More than 3000 tank floor tests have been carried out worldwide by Physical Acoustics companies and licensees. The test consists of attaching sensors to the outside of the tank and monitoring for emission resulting from active corrosion of the floor. Noise sources are eliminated by sophisticated pattern recognition methods, and experienced operators. There are many refineries where TANKPACTM has been used on virtually all the tanks, and the results are the key factor in determining when they need to be removed from service for maintenance. The procedure is a corporate recommended practice for many companies. Although refineries and chemical plants are the major users, the sensitivity of the method for locating active corrosion can be seen by its ability to locate corroding zinc anodes in an oilfield production tank.

The MonPac technology package is the result of a strategic coorperative development by Physical Acoustics Corporation and Monsanto Corporation. An acoustic emission "expert system" for evaluating the condition of metal pressure systems and tanks, based on experience from over 5,000 tests, MONPAC procedures are now widely used in the oil and chemical industries.

MONPACTM can be applied during:
• First Hydrotest of a new Pressure Vessel according to ASME-V Part 12
• Requalification Hydrotest of a used Pressure Vessel
• On-line Pressurization (in-service with working fluid)

The method utilizes PAC's multi-channel Acoustic Emission systems and sensors that detect the high-frequency signals resulting from deterioration in the structure when subject to stress. The systems have sufficient speed and resolution to ensure real-time, on-screen indications of the development of any defects. The signals may result from local over-stressed areas, crack growth, corrosion products de-cohesion. According to evaluation criteria, developed after thousands of tests, MONPACTM gives 'color coding' for severity of emission and complete associated recommendations.

VPAC estimates through-valve leakage based on measurements made using a Physical Acoustics Model 5131 portable monitor together with data on valve size, type, and differential pressure. Developed for use in refineries, chemical plants and offshore platforms by British PetroleumTM (B.P.), VPAC is sold under license exclusively by Physical Acoustics Limited.This technology package is primarily used for estimating gas losses, gas-to-gas or liquid-to-gas, but limited data on liquid leakage is also included. The system is immune to environmental noise by virtue of the advanced sensor technology. This ensures that measurements are easily made on-line and does not require extensive training of operators.