[Federal Register: March 16, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 52)]
[Notices]
[Page 15320-15321]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr16mr01-108]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Research and Special Programs Administration
[Cooperative Agreement DTRS656-00-H-0004]
Quarterly Performance Review Meeting on The Cooperative Agreement
``Better Understanding of Mechanical Damage in Pipelines''
AGENCY: Research and Special Programs Administration (RSPA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of meeting.
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SUMMARY: RSPA has entered into a cooperative agreement with the Gas
Technology Institute (GTI) to co-fund a two-year research program to
identify and characterize mechanical damage, a leading cause of
reportable accidents in both gas and hazardous liquid pipelines, using
the technology of magnetic flux leakage (MFL) oriented in the
circumferential direction on an in-line inspection tool. RSPA, along
with GTI, invite the pipeline industry, in-line inspection (``smart
pig'') vendors, and the general public to a quarterly performance
review meeting to report on progress with the research ``Better
Understanding of Mechanical Damage in Pipelines.'' The meeting is open
to anyone, and no registration is required. This work is being managed
by GTI and performed by Battelle Memorial Institute (Battelle), along
with the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI). The meeting will cover a
review of the overall project plan, the status of the contract tasks,
progress made during the past quarter, and projected activity for the
next quarter.
DATES: The quarterly performance review meeting will be held on
Wednesday, April 18, 2001 beginning at 2 p.m. and ending around 5 p.m.
ADDRESSES: The quarterly review meeting will be held at the Marriott
Rivercenter Hotel, 101 Bowie, San Antonio, TX.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lloyd W. Ulrich, Agreement Officer's
Technical Representative, Office of Pipeline Safety, telephone: (202)
366-4556, FAX: (202) 366-4566, e-mail: lloyd.ulrich@rspa.dot.gov. You
may also contact Harvey Haines, Principal Investigator, GTI, telephone:
(773) 399-8223, FAX: (773) 864-3495, e-mail:
harvey.haines@gastechnology.org.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Background
RSPA has entered into a Cooperative Agreement (Cooperative
Agreement DTRS656-00-H-0004) with the Gas
[[Page 15321]]
Technology Institute (GTI) to co-fund a two-year research program to
identify and characterize mechanical damage, the leading cause of
reportable accidents in both gas and hazardous liquid pipelines, using
the technology of magnetic flux leakage (MFL) oriented in the
circumferential direction on an in-line inspection tool.
We plan to conduct public semi-annual quarterly performance review
meetings for the duration of this research. This meeting is the second
semi-annual one to be conducted to provide an update on the research to
the public, pipeline operators, vendors and interested governmental
parties, such as RSPA technical and regional staff and the National
Transportation Safety Board. Semi-annual meetings in the future will be
held in conjunction with industry meetings, such as ones with the
Association of Oil Pipelines, Interstate Natural Gas Association of
America, and the American Gas Association, in order to reach a broad
audience. We want the pipeline industry and especially that segment of
the pipeline industry involved with in-line inspection to be aware of
the status of this research. The meetings allow disclosure of the
results to interested parties and provide an opportunity for interested
parties to ask questions concerning the research. Attendance at this
meeting is open to all and does not require advance registration or
advance notice to RSPA. Each of the semi-annual meetings will be
announced in the Federal Register at least two weeks prior to the
meeting.
The quarterly performance review meetings held between the semi-
annual meetings described above will be held in conjunction with GTI/
PRCI Technical Committee meetings.
II. The Research
This research continues work that DOT supported at Battelle to
improve in-line inspection of mechanical damage and more closely
coordinates work that GTI is supporting at Southwest Research Institute
to develop critical assessment criteria based on these NDE
measurements. This program extends the work conducted under the RSPA-
funded contract ``Detection of Mechanical Damage in Pipelines''
(Contract DTRS-56-96-C-0010) \1\ by looking at the circumferential
magnetic flux leakage field instead of the traditional axial field and
extends the critical assessment criteria research to work with full
scale samples that are being used for MFL measurements. The goal of the
research is to evaluate and develop techniques for assessing pipeline
metal loss, mechanical damage, and cracks using circumferential MFL.
These techniques are expected to complement the techniques used for
axial MFL systems.
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\1\ The final report on this research dated June 2000 is
available on the OPS web site, http://ops.dot.gov.
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The research will extend the failure assessment methodology for
mechanically damaged pipes to include the influence of local cold
working due to the gouging/denting process on the pipe's remaining
life. The program will combine full scale tests and MFL monitoring of
pipes, laboratory tests and elastic-plastic finite element analyses to
develop a validated methodology for determining the remaining life of a
damaged pipe. The proposed SwRI research will complement the work at
Battelle in developing criteria for characterizing mechanical damage
found through in-line inspection.
III. Agenda for the Meeting
The following is the agenda for the meeting :
``Overview Project History and Impact of the DOT/GTI Projects for Using
In-Line Inspection for Mechanical Damage.''
Harvey Haines-GTI (15 min)
``Defect Manufacture and Installation.''
Tom Bubenik-Battelle (30 min)
``Damage Severity Criteria Program Overview and Elastic Plastic Finite
Element Analysis''
Graham Chell-SwRI (30 min)
Break
``Circumferential Magnetizer Design and Data''
Bruce Nestleroth-Battelle (30 min)
``Non-Linear Harmonics Measurement''
Al Crouch-SwRI (30 min)
``Tool Development for Implementation in Actual Pipelines''
Carl Torres-Tuboscope (30 min)
``Wrap up and comments''
Lloyd Ulrich-DOT (10-15 min)
IV. Tour of SwRI Facilities
On Thursday morning, April 19, 2001, Southwest Research Institute
will offer a tour to anyone interested in the facilities used in this
research project. Interested parties should contact Al Crouch at SwRI,
(210) 522-3157.
Issued in Washington, DC on March 12, 2001.
Stacey L. Gerard,
Associate Administrator for Pipeline Safety.
[FR Doc. 01-6535 Filed 3-15-01; 8:45 am]
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